Anglo-Saxons 500-1066

Timeline for Early Middle Ages, 500-1000 Germanic Invasions: 400-600 Fall of Western Empire: 476 Christianization of Barbarians Goths by 300s Franks by 500s Most Celts by 600s Anglo-Saxons by 700s Saxons by 900s Scandinavians by 1000s

What was the most significant impact of the barbarians’ conversion? Increased Literacy Political Unification Saving their souls Increasing the power of the Bishop of Rome Something Else

Christian Evangelism among the English 550-700 CE

Synod of Whitby - 664

Monastic scribes

Illuminated Manuscript: Lion from the Book of Durrow c. 700

Lindisfarne Gospels c. 700 Cross page from the Lindisfarne Gospels, British Museum

Book of Kells c. 800 Artistic Revival

Illuminated Manuscript: The Book of Kells c. 800 CE

Codex Amiatinus c. 700

How did Christianity promote unifying tendencies? By strengthening kingship By creating a sense of community through rituals By preserving common stories that preserved a shared view of the past By reinforcing a common sets of values All of the above

Rituals & Processions Strengthened Collective Identity

Benedictine Monasticism included communal prayer

The beating of the bounds was a medieval ritual that survived the Protestant Reformation

St. John’s Eve Bonfire

How did stories of saints promoted fusion between Christian and Barbarian Cultures

Hagiography promoted shared vales Faith = Loyalty to God

Hope = Bravery St. Boniface converts the continental Saxons c. 720

Charity=Hospitality St. Martin of Tours 316-397 CE

Archbishop Turpin in Song of Roland

The Anglo-Saxons c. 450-1066

Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms c. 700

When Augustine’s scribes wrote the Laws of Aethelberht c When Augustine’s scribes wrote the Laws of Aethelberht c. 600, the Anglo-Saxons had no one who could read them

Charters

Anglo-Saxon Charter

Chirograph

Tribal Hidage c. 700 Hwinca syfan þusend hyda. 7,000 Ciltern sætna feower þusend hyda. 4,000 Hendrica þryu þusend hyda ond fif hund hyda. 3,500 Unecungaga twelf hund hyda. 1,200 Arosætna syx hund hyda. 600 Bilmiga syx hund hyda. 600 Widerigga eac swa. 600 Eastwilla syx hund hyda 600 Westwilla syx hund hyda 600 East engle þrittig þusend hida 30,000 Eastsexena syofon þusend hyda 7,000 Cantwarena fiftene þusend hyda 15,000 Suþsexena syufan þusend hyda 7,000 Westsexena hund þusend hyda. 100,000

By 700 the English had some of the most accomplished scholars in Europe Codex Amiatinus c. 700

In the 700s the Venerable Bede was an Anglo-Saxon historian who wrote about the seventh-century conversion of his people.

Coins of Offa

Viking Invasion were a constant threat to the English from 793-1066

Viking Invasions of the British Isles actually encouraged political unification

Alfred the Great was both a scholar and a military commander r. 871-899

Guthrum’s Peace c. 886

The Burghal Clusters

Early Shire Structure approx. 30 shires. C. 950

Royal Writ

Edgar the Peaceful ruled all of modern England and some of Scotland and Wales r. 959-975

England survived invasions and inept kings, such as Aethelred the Unready r. 978-1016

Cnut was a Viking who ruled England from 1016 until 1035

The Norman Conquest

The Norman Conquest 1066

Long-term Trends Political unification Development of Vernacular Literature Conversion to Christianity Cultural Fusion Germanic & Christian Tribal Britons Saxons Danes Normans

Anglo-Saxons Migrations Originally adamant pagans begin from Continent in 5th century initiate battles with Britons Originally adamant pagans Converted through domestic proselytization Augustine of Canterbury arrives 597 Ethelbert of Kent and Queen Bertha Establishment of Roman Christianity in Britain eventual conflict with Irish Christianity

Christianity and Literacy Clerical literati Written legal codes Ethelbert c. 600 Alfred c. 900 Written charters Formal wills and writs

The Northumbrian Renaissance c.625- c.790 Illuminated Manuscripts Intellectual revival Bede Alcuin Conversion Mercia Continental Saxons, including Frisia Composition of Beowulf?

Carolingian Revival Charlemagne’s collection of scholars influence of Alcuin establishment of schools preservation of texts improvement of writing Reformation and standardization of Benedictine Rule Resurgent neoplatonism John Scotus the Pseudo-Dionysius

Alfred the Great (849-99) Unification of Southern England Establishment of Uniform Legal Code Reinvigoration of Learning Danish Invasions (793- c.900) Danish cultural influence Establishment of the Danelaw c. 900 Unification of Mercians and West Saxons Danish rule ends 1042

English Society c. 1066 Political Unity and Administrative System English Identity Anglo-Saxon Danish/Scandinavian Thoroughly Christian Uniform Currency Established Vernacular Tradition

Summary The conquests of the Franks, Anglo-Saxons, and Normans had an enduring impact on the formation of the political boundaries of Europe Similarly the achievements of the Celtic Church during its golden age had an enduring impact on the spread of monasticism and the preservation of texts throughout Europe; ultimately, however, Celtic Christianity gradually receded as the papacy formed an enduring relationship with the Franks

Which factor was most important? Viking invasions Adoption of writing Adoption of sacral kingship Adoption of hierarchical structures Luck of the Irish

Which English ruler figured prominently in this process? King Offa in late 700s King Alfred in late 800s King Aethelred in late 900s King Harold Harefoot in 1000s

Discuss Beowulf What does the Beowulf poem tell us about the conversion of Germanic people? How can the assigned articles help make sense of the poem?

What did Frank have to contribute to our understanding of the Beowulf poet? He had no sense of history He had no toleration for peasants He had no toleration for pagans All of the above None of the above

What was Frank’s point in her article, assigned for today? There is nothing natural about a sense of history The Beowulf poet demonstrated a sense of history The poet appreciated cultural diversity The poet admired pagans All of the above

How did Christianity unify Europe? Identification of a common belief in the nature of God and attainment of the afterlife Heroes: martyrs and saints enemies: non Christians or heretical Christians ruler/leader: bishops; Christian kings and princes history/mythology: the Bible provided a view of the distant past God intervenes on behalf of his people way of life - ethics, sexual mores, social relations set of rituals - group activities that often reinforce or explain social relations