1. The Anglo-Saxon Period
British Legends
This image means you may want to take notes!
The Anglo-Saxon Period
Theme: Heroes and Heroism

2. Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? [1st wave]
Between 800 and 600 B.C., two groups of Celts from southern Europe invaded the British Isles.
Brythons (now spelled “Britons”) settled on the largest Island, Britain.
Gaels, settled on the second largest island, known to us as Ireland.
skt.org.uk

3. The Celts farmers and hunters organized themselves into clans
clans had fearsome loyalty to chieftains
looked to priests, known as Druids, to settle their disputes
meekon5.blogspot.com; no unity in the kingdom; what does this tell you? Druids often considered “magical” throughout history—religion and magic intertwined.

4. Roman conquest of Britain AD 43
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from?
Roman conquest of Britain AD 43
Britain annexed as a province in the Roman Empire, but it was Difficult to control such a large piece of land.
Brought Christianity to Britain around AD 300, so Pagan vs. Christian themes throughout; never fully indoctrinated at this time
The last Romans left around 407 A.D. because they
Needed to defend against rebelling European countries; England left to its own devices

5. Roman Empire
1up.com; Romans had organization the Celts lacked; this pushes the weaker culture out—see assimilation and absorption and mixing of cultures.

6. Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from?
449AD 3 Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) invade.
Destruction of Roman influence, including Christianity
New land: “Angle-land”
- small tribal kingdoms
- no written language
- supported themselves through farming and hunting
Evolution of the language; linguistically; lack of unity again leaves theme vulnerable, but they do begin to destroy the Roman influence

7. Anglo Saxon King and Warrior early 7th century
essentialnormanconquest.com

8. An Anglo-Saxon Hall
West stow: a reconstructed site from 1972 by revising the post holse from the original site

9. An Anglo-Saxon Farmstead
West Stow: reconstructed village

10. Sutton Hoo Burial site discovered in 1939
Important links to Anglo-Saxon world and Beowulf
Remains of a boat were discovered and large burial chamber containing numerous artifacts
Artifacts suggest a distinctly Christian element intermingled with pagan ritual.

11. 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
Roman Cleric St. Augustine, (not the early Christian Church father) arrived in southeast England; Romans return stronger than before and force Saxons north; we see Canterbury show up in other works; The Chruch becomes a stand in for the gov’t. A long standing tradition in England—Church of England is still a big part of the gov’t. This again sets up more conflict

12. Constant Conflict 9th Century:
Norway invaded Northumbria (Anglo-Saxon kingdom in northern and central England), Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
The Danes of Denmark targeted eastern and southern England

13. Alfred the Great, His descendant & William, duke of normandy
866—resisted Danish intrusion and earned “the great” title
Saxons acknowledged Danish rule in East and North
Danes respected Saxon rule in South
Alfred the Great was the King of Wessex
End of 10th Century—Danes want to widen Danelaw
Forced Saxons to select Danish Kings
1042—Kingship returned to Alfred the Great’s descendent Edward
Edward the Confessor died in 1066 and William, Duke of Normandy leads a conquering army against the united Britons. These events lead to the end of the Anglo-Saxon Period.
He was great because he did keep some peace and wee see greed as a basic human instinct at this pont

14. Literature of Anglo-Saxon Times
2 major influences
1) Germanic Traditions of the Anglo-Saxons
2) Christian Traditions of the Roman Church
Mixed with the literature and the Celts etc are all influence because of language—3 little pigs story has changed and applies to the concepts we’ll see in this unit.

15. 1) Germanic Traditions of the Anglo-Saxons
Germanic language
– Mixture of various Germanic dialects + Old English
– Old English (often looks like a foreign language)

16. Page of Beowulf manuscript in Old English
Listen to me!

17. 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

18. Anglo-Saxon Literature cont.
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.
ORAL TRADITION—the focuse of our unit here; we’ll start with Beo—bear; Wulf—wolf—animal symbolism

19. The Beowulf Poet Christian; reflects established tradition
Allusions to the Old Testament
Beowulf is a Redeemer who is sent by God to save man from sin:
Christ archetype: Correspondences between Beowulf’s death and the death of Christ
The price of salvation is life itself

20. The Epic & Its Elements Beowulf: Unknown author
The national epic of England (first work to be composed in English)
A long heroic poem, about a great warrior renowned for his courage, strength, and dignity. The hero represents the ideals of the culture.

21. Epic Elements
Most epics are serious in tone and lofty in style. This technique is meant to convey the importance of the events. Long speeches by the characters suggest an impressive formality.
Uses kennings: A figure of speech, a metaphor, that substitutes for a noun [proper or common]; adds interest: whale-road = sea; sleep of the sword = death; ring- giver = king, etc.

22. Heroic Values in Beowulf
Relationship between king and his warriors
The king rewards his warriors with gifts
If a kinsman is slain, obligation to kill the slayer or obtain payment (wergild) in compensation

23. Conflict Christian Values and Heroic Values
This tension is at the heart of the poem
Pagan history and myth are made to point to a Christian moral
Beowulf is poised between two value systems

24. The Epic Hero
A man of high social status whose fate affects the destiny of his people
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