The Anglo-Saxons 449 - 1066

An Invaded Island Great Britain has been invaded and settled many times, and each invading group has helped shape the nation today: Iberians Celts Romans Angles and Saxons Vikings Normans

The Celtic Legacy Their religion seemed to be a form of animism, which emphasizes a belief in spirits – in rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire, and thunder. These gods controlled everything and therefore had to be pleased at all times. Celtic stories differ from that of Anglo- Saxon tales – they are more mystical and oftentimes focus on strong women. Stories of fantastic animals, passionate love affairs, and adventures

A Roman Administration The Britons (Celts) were conquered by legions of Rome (starting with Julius Caesar in 55 B.C.) Romans provided armies and organization that prevented further serious invasions of Britain for hundreds of years Built a network of roads and a seventy-three-mile-long protective wall Celtic religion began to vanish in favor of Christianity

Life after the Romans Romans started having troubles back home (around A.D. 409), so they left Britain Left behind the roads, walls, villas, and public baths, but no central government Britain became overran by separate clans rather than a centralized government Left Britain ripe for invasion by non- Christian peoples from continental Europe

The Arrival of the Anglo-Saxons Middle of the 5th century – Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade and drive out the old Britons Language of the Anglo-Saxons became dominant Celts put up a fight before finally retreating to Wales, where traces of their culture can still be found Anglo-Saxon England was divided into several independent principalities, until King Alfred of Wessex (Alfred the Great) united the Anglo-Saxons against the invading Danes Danes (Vikings) eventually took over and settled in parts of England

The Warm Hall vs. the Cold World Warfare was the way of life Law and order were the responsibility of the leader of any clan Fame and success were gained through loyalty to the leader, especially in times of war Success was measured in gifts from the leader Led to a pattern of loyal dependency Led to community discussion and rule by consensus

Gods for Warriors One of the most important [Norse] gods was Odin, the god of death, poetry, and magic Anglo-Saxon name for Odin was Woden This god of both poetry and death helped contribute to a people who produced great poetry but also maintained a somber outlook on life Thunor (or Thor) was the god of thunder and lightning The dragon = protector of treasure Religion of Anglo-Saxons was more about ethics (bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship) than mysticism

The Life of a Bard Communal halls offered shelter and a meeting place, but also a space for storytellers Sang of gods and heroes Bards (or scops) were not viewed as inferior to warriors – creating poetry was equal to fighting, hunting, farming, or loving Since Anglo-Saxon religion offered no hope of an afterlife, fame could only be found through the bards’ ability to preserve a collective memory

Alfred the Great fends off the Vikings Scandinavian Vikings started invading and conquering much of England during the 8th and 9th centuries Tide turned in 878 in the Battle of Edington - won by Alfred, the Saxon king of Wessex - led to a century of peace in England

A Warrior Society Warfare = way of life for early Anglo-Saxons Each family or tribe had a warrior chief, who served a noble or royal warlord Warlord / followers formed a close group (comitatus) Warlords rewarded the bravest followers with treasure Warriors responded with absolute loyalty “…to leave a battle alive after their chief has fallen means life-long infamy and shame.”

Oral Literature Anglo-Saxon storytellers created heroic songs about their warriors’ great deeds Celebrated strength, courage, and loyalty Minstrels performed these songs in mead- halls Songs served as literary entertainment Songs provided models for warriors to emulate and a goal to pursue

Germanic and Christian Traditions Germanic traditions and Christian religion were huge influences on Anglo-Saxon literature Based on dark, heroic tales of Germanic mythology Beliefs held no promise of an afterlife Therefore, warriors’ primary goal was to achieve fame in this life Christianity came with a belief in an omnipotent God and eternal life Germanic and Christian elements coexist (as in Beowulf)

Importance of Wyrd Life in early Anglo-Saxon times was brief and full of hardship A belief develops that fate, which they called wyrd, controlled human destiny Everyone’s inescapable fate was to die The hero’s only appropriate response was to face destiny with courage

Christianizing England 596 – Pope Gregory I sent missionaries to convert Anglo-Saxons to Christianity Most of England was Christian in name by 650 Celtic monks from Ireland brought Christianity to other parts of England and established England’s first monastery Christianity brought the beginnings of education and culture

Monasteries As Christianity spread, some chose to dedicate their lives to work and prayer Monks and nuns joined religious orders Many demanded poverty, fasting, absolute obedience, and manual labor Monks established libraries and schools, establishing the importance of written word Earliest work of this kind was the Venerable Bede’s Ecclesiastic History of the English People

Feudal England After Alfred the Great defeated the invading Vikings at the Battle of Edington in 878, peace persisted and England was largely unified until 1066, when King Edward died. William, duke of Normandy, claimed the English throne and defeated the Anglo-Saxons in the Battle of Hastings, thus ending the era of the Anglo-Saxons Anglo-Saxons were now subjects of the Normans William, duke of Normandy, became first Norman king of England Normans introduced social, economic, and political system called feudalism, under which land (wealth) was divided among noble overlords, or barons Lesser lords (knights) served the overlords in exchange for use of the land Serfs (peasants) were at low end of social scale 1215 - Magna Carta dictates that King John could not raise taxes without the consent of the barons - beginnings of constitutional government in England

War and Plague Beginning in 1337 - English and French fought for control of lands in France Known as the Hundred Years' War - drained England financially During Hundred Years' War, the Black Death swept through Europe Killed almost a third of England's people Loss of life eroded the feudal system and shifted power to the urban middle class - led to the Renaissance