1. Response Journal
What are the characteristics of a hero? Who do you consider a hero and why?

2. Roman conquest of Britain AD 43
Britain annexed as a province in the Roman Empire
Difficult to control such a large piece of land
Brought Christianity to Britain around AD 300
Pagan vs. Christian themes throughout; never fully indoctrinated at this time
The last Romans left around 407 A.D.
Needed to defend against rebelling European countries; England left to its own devices

3. 449AD Three Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) invade.
Destruction of Roman influence, including Christianity
New land: “Angle-land”
- small tribal kingdoms
- supported themselves through farming and hunting

4. Routes Taken to Britain

5. An Anglo-Saxon Farmstead

6. The Reemergence of Christianity
596AD: attempt to convert Anglo- Saxons to Christianity
597AD: Saint Augustine
converted King Ethelbert of Kent to Christianity.
set up a monastery in Canterbury in Kent.
650AD: most of England is Christian; some hold on to previous beliefs
The church provided counsel to quarreling rulers in efforts to unify the English people.
At this time, the British Isles were not unified and included separate kingdoms with separate rulers. They fought continuously over the fertile, green land

7. Literature of Anglo-Saxon Period
Two major influences
1) Germanic Traditions of the Anglo-Saxons
2) Christian Traditions of the Roman
Church

9. – Mixture of various Germanic dialects + Old English
Germanic language
– Mixture of various Germanic dialects + Old English
– Old English (often looks and sounds like a foreign language)
This is the oldest known form of the language which developed into what we speak today!
Beowulf is the earliest English poem to come to us.

10. Heroic Ideals Dominate
Warrior culture
– Poems and stories depict a society like the Anglo-Saxons
• Military and tribal loyalties
• Bravery of warriors
• Generosity of rulers
Oral tradition
– Songs and stories often sung and told about the valiant struggles of heroic warriors
More than just entertainment – provided a model for living and a form of immortality they could aspire to
Note: all of these provided the foundation for early written literature in Old English

11. Anglo-Saxon Literature
Anglo-Saxon poetry falls mainly into two categories:
Heroic poetry – recounts the achievements of warriors
Elegiac poetry – laments the deaths of loved ones and the loss of the past
Beowulf is the most famous example of heroic poetry.

12. Beowulf: The First Hero
Hero Definition:
A mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability
An illustrious warrior/one that shows great courage, as in a rescue
A person admired for achievements and qualities

13. Brief Story Background
Around 700 AD. is when the Anglos, the Saxons, and the Jutes battled the Vikings to take over England. As a result, the best-known hero in the land emerged (Beowulf).
Although Beowulf, the character, was fictitious, the story is based on historical people and made quite a splash in England!
For over 200 years, Beowulf was told over and over again, passed down through the oral tradition (word of mouth) by the storytellers or scops.

14. Beowulf was The First Text Written in Old English (our language today
Sometime before 1000 AD, two unknown scribes wrote down the story of Beowulf in Old English
Only one copy of Beowulf has survived.
It is the oldest surviving epic in British Literature (the English language) (epic: a long narrative poem)

15. More on the Epic Poem Characteristics of:
Hero of high rank, noble birth
Hero embodies ideas of society
Performs superhuman deeds
Actions determine fate of a nation
Vast setting
Addresses universal themes
Action begins in medias res (in the middle)
Characters speak in long, formal speeches
Supernatural beings
Reflects timeless values (ex: courage and honor)

16. More on Beowulf …
Much of the story is based on Celtic and Swedish folk legends.
Since the only people who could read or write during the Dark Ages were priests, and since Beowulf has some Christian elements in it, we assume that the person(s) who wrote the story down was a monk.
Despite Beowulf’s Christian elements, it is still considered a pagan tale (pagan: one who has no religion)

17. A Few Things to Know Before Reading:
An Anglo-Saxon was to be loyal to his king no matter what. (According to the Anglo-Saxon code of the comitatus, warriors must defend their lord to the death.)
A warrior’s success was measured in gifts from his leader and from fame of doing well in battle.
The Anglo-Saxons believed that “wyrd” or fate controlled lives.
The perfect Anglo-Saxon was supposed to be loyal and brave.

18. Important Literary Elements
Alliteration:
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of successive words/phrase.
“Tennessee Titans” tangoed to a touchdown.
Peter piper picked a peck of pickles.
Sally sold salads at Subway.

19. Important Literary Elements
Kenning:
A compound word/phrase that substitutes/takes the place of a specific noun…adds imagery to writing
“sky-candle” = sun
“battle-dew” = blood
“whale-road” = ocean

20. Important Literary Elements.
hyperbole
An exaggeration/overstatement used for effect…to help draw out a comparison or establish an image/idea
Joe was so hungry he could eat a horse.
I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I studied for my quiz FOREVER!

21. Epic Beowulf: Unknown author
The national epic of England (first work to be composed in English)
A long heroic poem, about a great legendary warrior renowned for his courage, strength, and dignity.

22. The Epic Hero Defeats his enemies using
Physical strength
Skill as a warrior
Nobility of character
Quick wits
Is not modest – boasting is a ritual
Embodies the ideals and values of his people
Is eager for fame
Because the Germanic tribes believed death was inevitable, warriors sought fame to preserve the memory of their deeds after death