“ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND WAS BORN OF WARFARE, REMAINED FOREVER A MILITARY SOCIETY, AND CAME TO ITS END IN BATTLE.” --J.R. LANDER ENGLISH 12 - LOMAURO The Anglo-Saxons

England – relatively small island of Great Britain that has been invaded and settled many times First by Iberians Then by Celts Then by Romans By the Angles and Saxons By the Vikings By the Normans How might this series of invasions and settlements shape culture?

The Anglo-Saxons Celtic Heroes and Heroines In 4 th century, Greeks found an island in Great Britain inhabited by tall, blonde warriors called Celts. Among them was a group called the Brythons (Britons) Religion was a form of animism – or the idea that spirits were everywhere in the world, controlling all of existence, and must be satisfied. Priests called Druids were intermediaries between gods and people Ritual dances, ritual sacrifices Some believe that Stonehenge was used by Druids for religious rites associated with solar and lunar cycles

The Anglo-Saxons Mythology of Celts has influenced English and Irish writers until today. Sir Thomas Malory (15 th cent.) produced Le Morte Darthur, a collection of Celtic legends about a warrior mixed with other chivalric legends from the continent.  About the king who ultimately became the embodiment of English values  Can you think of a contemporary literary figure who is an embodiment of modern American values?  Celtic legends are filled with strong women, while Anglo- Saxon legends tend to be male-dominated

The Anglo-Saxons The Romans Britons were finally conquered by the legions of Roman, beginning with an invasion led by Julius Caesar in 55 B.C. and ended with one by emperor Claudius 100 years later. Romans provided armies and military organization that shielded Britain from other invaders for several centuries Built network of roads, defensive walls Christianity gradually came to the fore under the leadership of European missionaries The old Celtic religion diminished

The Anglo-Saxons By 409 A.D., Romans had evacuated their troops from Britain Left excellent infrastructure, but no central government Without Roman control, Britain was a country of separate clans, leading to overall weakness and susceptibility to other invasions

The Anglo-Saxons In the middle of the 5 th century, Angles and Saxons from Germany and Jutes from Denmark crossed the North Sea. Drove out the old Britons, settled the greater part of Britain Language of the Angles and Saxons became the dominant language in the land, which was newly named Engla land, then England

The Anglo-Saxons At first, Anglo-Saxon England was politically fragmented Country divided into several principalities, each with its own unofficial king Wasn’t until King Alfred of Wessex (r ), a.k.a. Alfred the Great, led the Anglo-Saxons against invading Danes that England became a true, unified nation Danes – fierce Viking peoples (pirates) who plundered and destroyed anything in their path Danes eventually took over and settled in parts of northeast and central England Can you think of an example where fighting a common enemy creates a sense of cohesion and unification in an otherwise polarized nation?

The Anglo-Saxons Gradual emergence of Christianity in Britain  Helped to unify the Anglo-Saxons  Irish and Continental missionaries converted the Anglo-Saxon kings  Subjects converted also  Provided a common faith and commonly held system of morality and appropriate conduct  Linked England to the rest of Europe  Was instrumental in uniting Anglo-Saxons in fighting the Danes  Battle continued until both Anglo-Saxons and Danes were defeated in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy (France)

The Anglo-Saxons Anglo-Saxon Life Sutton Hoo – discovered in 1939 in Sutton,England Was a ship grave that was buried with a king or noble warrior No trace of a body left, but a sword was found along with other treasures In Beowulf, the main character is given a similar burial mound

The Anglo-Saxons In 2009, the largest Anglo-Saxon hoard was found:

The Anglo-Saxons Sutton Hoo tells us that the Anglo-Saxons were not barbarians, although they are often portrayed that way Life was not about luxury, art, or education Life revolved around warfare Leadership was key – law and order was the responsibility of the leader of any group Fame, success, survival all depended on loyalty to a leader, especially during war Success was measured by gifts one received from their leader

The Anglo-Saxons Loyal dependency was a key trait of Anglo-Saxon Life Came from the need to be protected from enemies, especially during the winter Many lived close to animals in family homesteads, wooden buildings that surrounded the fire-lit chieftain's hall Protected by a wooden fence Gave a sense of security, close relationship between leader and followers Made it easy to have community decision-makingand rule by consensus

The Anglo-Saxons Religion – based on concept of warrior god Odin – god of death, poetry, magic – one of most important Also called “Wodin” – played a big part in burials, poetry Followers maintained a somber look on life Thunor or Thor – god of thunder and lightning Dragon was another important figure, protector of treasure Also seen as a symbol of death Overall, Anglo-Saxon religion was very concerned with ethics – values like bravery, loyalty, generosity Scops – story tellers who sang of gods and heroes, were considered to have equal status as warriors What does this tell us about their society?