Anglo-Saxon culture 450 -1066 AD
History Anglo-Saxon=the Angles + the Saxons (two Germanic tribes) Came to what we call Great Britain Area in 5th century AD (400s) They were invaders Didn’t possess the land peacefully during this time though Other invaders continued to come (Vikings, for example) King Egbert first called the land Englaland, “land of the Angles”
Anglo-Saxon Culture Germanic warrior society that emphasized bravery, honor, and glory in battle Expert seafarers who sailed to raid or settle other lands Patriarchal (male-dominated) society based on kinship, comitatus, and fraternity (definitions to come)
Kinship The relationship between an individual and other members of the tribe/family Ancestry is determined through the father’s line Basically, family ties were very important
Comitatus Germanic power arrangement King had agreement with his thanes, or knights. Thanes swore loyalty to the king In exchange, the king would given them land, money, war gear, and other benefits
Fraternity The close social bonds among the men of the tribe Think of a frat house today
Anglo-Saxon warrior’s motivation Seeking GLORY for one’s king for one’s ancestors for one’s tribe for one’s self In that order!
Violence and revenge killing Violence was part of everyday life The bonds of fraternity demanded that the death of a tribe member by an outsider be avenged—a life for a life Revenge was a big part of life
The Mead Hall Kings would entertain friends in mead halls, named for the drink mead made from fermented honey. Mead-hall symbol of king’s power, considered safest place in kingdom
Religion Polytheistic society (worshipped many gods) Worshipers of pagan gods and goddesses Grim view of life and fate, which is determined by the gods But also among the earliest converts to Christianity Many converted to Christianity but kept their pagan believe about fate
Christian Ethics meet Pagan Beliefs Faithfulness Generosity Courage Pagan beliefs Grim view of life (something bad is going to happen) Fate (can’t stop what’s going to happen)
Anglo-Saxon Literature Lyric poetry (songs composed orally – for entertainment, but also kept history alive) Heroic poetry (about the achievements of warriors) Elegiac poetry (mourning the death of loved ones and loss of the past)
Some literary terms to know Enjambment: The running together of two lines of poetry (they’re jammed together) Caesura: Complete pause in the middle of a line of poetry (it ceases) Kenning: A form of compounding in Old English New compound word or phrase to describe an object or activity The result is something like a riddle because often the two words seem unlike Examples: Whale-home=the sea Bone-house=a tomb Battle-sweat=blood Sky-candle=sun Alliteration: the repetition of initial consonant sounds (not necessarily letters) in words close together Assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds (not necessarily letters) in words close together