British Literature and Historical Impacts on our language

Anglo-Saxon Time Period English 12

The Anglo-Saxon Period or The Dark Ages PRIOR activity before this time period: Celtic speakers arrived in England in 900 BCE They are the original Britons Two tribes the Britons/Brythons and the Gaels Britons inhabited what is now Britian Gaels inhabited what is now Ireland

Celtic culture 900 BCE Both groups spoke languages from the Celtic family which is technically different from a Germanic language. However, English is considered a Germanic structured language. They lived in tightly knit clans of people. They were farmers and hunters. Iron age culture King Arthur was a Celtic king

Celtic Culture 900 BC Leaders were Druids who were priests Who recited long heroic poems and preserved history and law Duty: memorize long poems and preserve myths about the past. Examples of fables: Old King Cole from nursery rhymes Shakespeare’s play King Lear

The Roman Invasion 55BCE-407CE Contributions were roads, waterways, towns, and government with some exposure to Christianity Hadrian's Wall -built across Northern England as protection against the Celts to the North Roman Rule ended when troops were called home to defend the homeland from northern invaders Left England open to Anglo-Saxon invasions

Hadrian’s Wall Northern England

Anglo-Saxon Invasions Three tribes: Angles, Saxons, & Jutes Deep-sea fishermen (or farmers seeking better land) Highly organized groups of tribes with a class system Tribal Hierarchy: King chosen by the Witan (council of elders) Earls-warlords; Thanes-warriors; Serfs-servants; Thralls-slaves Social Area: Meade Hall-king held court, parties, place of storytelling and music; Scop - story teller

Anglo-Saxon : Religion & Beliefs Religion: Pagan-many different gods for different areas such as farming, war, etc. Firm belief that Fate or Wyrd determined destiny Germanic gods: Woden, Chief god and his wife a goddess, Fria, Tui god of war and sky Derived from these names are Tuesday, Wednesday,, and Friday) At first the Northern region was Christian and Southern was Pagan Christian Influence 597CE Saint Augustine converted King Ethelbert of Kent and founded a Christian Canterbury making this location the center for religion in that country

Christian Influences & Literature Education and written literature-monks worked as scribes recording and duplicating manuscripts or books (contained gold & silver lettering) At first, the writing was only in Latin the language of the church “The Father of English history” Venerable Bede in 731 completed A History of the English Church and People which gives the clearest account of the Anglo-Saxon times

Danish Invasions between 9 th and 12 th centuries Norse from Norway (went to Northumbria, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland) Danes from Sweden (went to eastern and southern England) Vikings destroyed & burned communities Plundered monasteries, destroyed manuscripts, and stole sacred religious objects. Called their territory Danelaw (only Wessex territory held them off) Contributions: beer-brewing, trading centers in towns, the word law

871 CE Alfred the Great: “National hero” who divided England among tribes peacefully English King Alfred the Great was able to resist the first invasions. Encouraged learning and education *translated Bede’s History from Latin into Anglo-Saxon (Old English) Common everyday language of the people-vernacular Kept records of English history- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Written in Old English

1042 CE Alfred’s Descendent Edward took the throne of England Edward the Confessor Spent many years in Normandy He was Norman on his mother’s side developed close kinship to his cousin William of Normandy Led to the Battle of Hastings and the Invasion by the Normans into England in October of William was crowned king of English December 25, 1066 Bayeux Tapestry-depicts this battle which took place

Anglo-Saxon Literature Spoken verse-recite poems at ceremonies Heroic Elegiac Deeds of warriorsLamenting Deaths Beowulf “The Wanderer” National epic of England Heroic poem of a great pagan warrior Techniques: Kennings-two-word metaphorical name for something Caesura- natural pause or break in the middle of the line of poetry; dives each four stress line in half and is essential to rhyme Alliteration-same consonant sounds at the beginning of each word Before Alfred, all prose was written in Latin; later the writing was Old English or vernacular language of common people which was called “vulgar tongue.”

Beowulf: the epic poem song of heroic praise Contains Pagan beliefs with Christian ideals intertwined The world of fate is the belief system Recited orally as early as the 6 th century Text we have today was composed in the 8 th century and written down the 11 th century. Over 3,000 lines long. English Beowulf is a hero of the Geats because he leaves his homeland to save the Danes from a horrible monster Grendel Revenge on Grendel/Eerie Lake of despair/Back to Sweden/Killed a Dragon

Review of the Formation of the English Language. Watch only chapter one for this unit.