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 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

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

Monasticism was vital to the spread of Christianity 500-800 CE

Cenobitic Monasticism included communal prayer

St. John’s Eve Bonfire

Christian Monasticism Started in the Egyptian desert c Christian Monasticism Started in the Egyptian desert c. 300 It tended to be hermetic

The Anglo-Saxons c. 450-1066

Final Exam question Why were the English particularly successful at creating a unified kingdom by 900?

Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms c. 700

Raedwald r. 616-626 Anglo-Saxon Warrior King whose tomb was originally thought to belong to Beowulf Raedwald unlike Beowulf was Christian, but he was apparently also pagan

Synod of Whitby - 664

Monastic scribes

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

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.

Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms c. 700

Tribal Hidage c. 700-720 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 Færpinga þreo hund hyda. is in Middelenglum Færpinga 300 Bilmiga syx hund hyda. 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

Coins of Offa

Alcuin of York (735-804)

Charlemagne’s Empire

Carolingian Manuscript c. 800

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

The Ismere Diploma 736 Charter during Aethelbald’s reign 716-757

Anglo-Saxon Charter

Chirograph

Edgar the Peaceful r. 959-975

Aethelred the Unready r. 978-1016

Cnut was a Viking who ruled England from 1016 until 1035

The Norman Conquest

The Norman Conquest 1066

Britain During Alfred the Great

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