1. The Anglo-Saxons & Middle Ages (449-1066)
History, Society, & Religion

2. Anglo-Saxon Period
(A.D. 449) Angles & Saxons, from Germany, and Jutes (Denmark) invade and impose their language & warrior culture on Britain.
(1066) William the Conqueror defeats the Anglo-Saxon armies at the Battle of Hastings
Britain = home to several Celtic tribes (named for one, the Brythons)
Christianity blends with Anglo-Saxon heathenism
Animism: “spirit” or “god” – rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire, thunder, etc.
Druids: “priests” – intermediaries between the gods and the people

3. files.itslearning.com

4. Google Images

5. Stonehenge
Google Images
Hadrian’s Wall

6. Anglo-Saxon Society Kinship groups were led by a strong warrior chief
Law & order were the responsibility of the leader of a group
Fame, success, and survival were gained through loyalty to the leader
Success was measured in gifts from the leader
People farmed, established local governments, & produced fine craftwork
It was imperative to protect the group from the enemy-infested wilderness.
Anglo-Saxons lived close to animals in single-family homesteads—wooden buildings that surrounded a communal court or chieftain’s hall.
English emerged as a written language.

7. Sample text in Old English (Beowulf)

8. Anglo-Saxon Religion Offered no hope of an afterlife (fate = “wryd”)
Religion was dark and fatalistic—A/S believed all roads lead to death
DRAGON = significant figure believed to be the protector of treasure
Concerned with ethics rather than mysticism—valued earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship
Similar to what we call Norse mythology

9. Anglo-Saxon Bards
Bard=a poet, or any person who recites or sings epic poems
Called scops (“shopes”)
Strummed a harp as they sang
Sang of heroic deeds
Were often warriors
Why were the scops important?
A/S did not believe in an afterlife
Warriors gained immortality through songs

12. Daily Life in the Middle Ages
Government: Feudalism
Transportation: walking or using animals
Superstitions: werewolves and bogeymen
Houses/villages were made of wood and mud
Livestock lived in houses with people
True money did not exist
Short lifespan: Men – yrs.
Women – less than 30 yrs.

13. Daily Life in the Middle Ages
Shortage of people for work = children worked alongside adults
People who did not marry/have children paid taxes
Constant famine, rotten flour, vitamin deficiencies caused:
Sickness and disease:
Abscesses, cankers, tumors, eczema, erysipelas
Blindness, goiter, paralysis, bone malformation

14. “Life in 999: A Grim Struggle”
Read the article on pgs of the textbook
Answer the following on a sheet of paper:
What was life like in 999? What problems did people face? What types of superstitions did they have? What fears did they have?
What metaphor does the author use to sum up the millennial period in Europe?