Unit One: Old English, Beowulf, Elegies and History British Literature Unit One: Old English, Beowulf, Elegies and History

Great Britain and the United Kingdom Great Britain is an Island composed of England, Scotland, and Whales. The United Kingdom includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Five Ruling Groups of Britain 449 BC to 1066AD Celts 449 BC to 55 BC Small settlements Pagans Bards: poets

55 BC to 407 AD The Romans Introduced both Latin and Christianity Large Army Settlements at the control of the military and church Had to leave to defend the falling empire.

449 AD to 780 AD Anglo-Saxons (German) Time of Beowulf and Elegies Warrior Culture “Angle Land” became England First books of poems and writings Beginnings of Feudal Society Mix of Pagan and Christian religion

780 AD-1066 AD Scandinavians (Vikings) Seafaring Warriors Conquer and destroy and move on Did not create permanent settlements Introduced Norse Gods

1066 AD -1485 AD Normans (French) William the Conqueror Feudal Society Catholic Church had full control Wealthy and Royalty ruled, 97% were poor Changed the language to a more modern English

Changing Language The Lord’s Prayer Now: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want Has been this way since 1500 Early Middle English 1100 to 1500: Lauerd me steres, noght wante sal me Old English, before 1100 Drihten me raet, ne byd me nanes godes wan The English Language has changed as a variety of cultures has ruled England.

Invade, Settle, Assimilate When taking over a culture, the first step is an invasion. Next you must settle the population so that they can be ruled. Finally, you assimilate a culture to where it is in line with your own. Turn to your neighbor and discuss these 3 questions: What is a modern example of an invasion? What can a country do to settle the population? What steps can be taken assimilate a culture to be more like our own?

Assimilation

Beowulf, Elegies, and Anglo-Saxon Culture Important Ideas: Mead Hall: gathering place for warriors The idea of “HOME” The “Sea Road” Loyalty Pagan Beliefs The Hero’s Code Proving yourself as a man Living by guiding principles Punishment for breaking the code Changing culture

Elegies Poems that mourn the loss of someone or something Usually reflective of isolation, being cut off from that which one loves Regret, bitterness, and redemption are major themes Literary Devices Alliteration Kennings Caesuras Assonance

The Epic Turn to your partner and answer the following: What epic have you read in school, and what made it an epic? Elements of an Epic Epic Hero Quest Valorous deeds Divine Intervention Great Events

Why do we study the Epic? Think about what we just discussed about epics! On a sheet of paper: List 3 modern examples of epics List 3 modern epic heroes List 1 reason why epics are so popular Examples of epics: Comic book heroes: Iron Man, Captain America, Spider Man, Deadpool and the X-Men Stories: Comics, Star Wars, Big Movie Franchises: Star Trek etc.

Epic Conventions Begin “In Medias Res”: In the middle Opens by stating a purpose, invoking a muse Serious in tone and lofty in style

Beowulf Anglo-Saxon tale of a hero Covers his rise to hero and confronting his mortality in old age Originally meant to be told (sung) to music Combines many cultural and religious elements Contains many pagan and supernatural elements Exemplifies the warrior culture Places an importance on the hero’s code The movie is nothing like the story. It tries to create a “Hollywood or Americanized” story.