The Anglo Saxons and Beowulf

Table of Contents Great Britain The Celts Invasion of Britain Life Questions Christianity Kings 1066 Feudalism/chivalry Language OE Poetry Beowulf Culture in Beowulf Did he exist? Typical themes Epic poem Beliefs Geats and Danes Kennings

Great Britain Great Britain England Scotland Wales Ireland is NOT considered a part of Great Britain

The First People Britain first settled by Celts Celts came from continental Europe between 800-600 B.C. 2 tribes of Celts: Britons (settled in what is now Great Britain) Gaels (settled in what is now Ireland)

The Invasion In 43 A.D., Romans invaded and Britons were either forced northward or into slavery; introduced the concept of Christianity Eventually (449), the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invaded (these are Germanic tribes). They took over and called the island “Angle-land.” They enslaved the people who were there Angles, Saxons, and Jutes carved the land into tribal kingdoms, but they came to think of themselves as one people: the English (a.k.a. Anglo-Saxons) By 650, most of England was Christian (but held onto pagan beliefs, too)

There was no written tradition People were farmers and hunters Warfare was a way of life People believed in many different gods (polytheistic) Tyr (god of glory and honor) Woden (protector of heroes) Thunor (aid to warriors in battle)

Questions Why were people illiterate? What qualities were most admired in this society?

A/S Kings The small kingdoms fought amongst each other until 829—King Egbert of Wessex won control of all A/S kingdoms. Unfortunately, by the end of Egbert’s reign, Vikings had captured much of the kingdom (Vikings were Scandinavian—called Norse because they had crossed the North Sea—predominantly Danes); Vikings had taken over much of France, and that area became known as Normandy. In 878, Alfred, King of Wessex (Egbert’s grandson) defeated the Danes at the Battle of Edington. Alfred went on to recapture most of England, as well as promote education and literacy among his people. He became known as “Alfred the Great.” Alfred’s son and grandson won back the rest of England and made peace with the Vikings.

**Remember: France = Vikings 1066 King Edward died William (the Duke of Normandy)** laid claim to the throne (Edward may have promised the throne to William) Instead, the English council of elders chose Harold II as king Duke William attacked, defeated the A/S and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings. He became King William I **Remember: France = Vikings

This brought French culture to England feudalism—land is divided among lords who are loyal to the king. The lords give land to vassals in exchange for military duty. chivalry—knights are expected to be honorable, brave, generous, skillful in battle, respectful to women, and helpful to the weak.

Oral tradition: heroic themes of courage, goodness, loyalty, strength 1066 marks the beginning of what we consider English culture. Old English: a combination of the languages spoken by the Anglo-Saxons. Today it looks like a foreign language. Beowulf written in OE Oral tradition: heroic themes of courage, goodness, loyalty, strength Stories passed down by a scop (traveling storyteller often accompanied by a harp) Heroism in stories gave people a model for living and a form of immortality (tales would be about them and their heroism, to be told for generations). Remember, most people couldn’t read or write. They learned through stories, songs, and poems. Monks could read and write; they focused on Christian themes and are responsible for recording most of the OE literature that survives today (they added a religious quality to the stories)

*****Beowulf contains all three. Old English Poetry 3 major types of OE poetry: heroic verse—celebrates courage, honor, loyalty elegy—mourns a loss religious verse—focuses on Christian teachings and stories *****Beowulf contains all three.

Beowulf (the poem) • 3200 lines • Composed between 700-750 AD; set in the early 6th century • Based on early Celtic and Scandinavian folk legends • Only manuscript to survive Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries and destruction of monastic libraries; manuscript dates from 1000 (but was composed before that); now in British Museum in London • Deterioration of manuscript means that there are gaps scholars have to fill in by guesswork

Poem gives vital information about OE social life & politics society rigidly feudal, highly civilized, highly violent. The poem glorifies war, death, and fame (fame is the most precious thing a man can have because it is the only thing that survives). Male dominated society In this society, weapons had names but slaves did not—they valued warfare more than people Proven swords and helmets were passed down from fathers to sons In a warrior society, the most important relationship is between warrior (thane) and his lord: based less on subordination than on mutual trust and respect. Warrior who pledged his loyalty became a voluntary companion to his lord—took pride in defending his lord and fighting in his wars. In return, the lord was expected to take affectionate care of his thanes, to reward them richly. Relationship between kinsmen also very important: if one’s kinsman was slain it was one’s duty to kill the slayer or exact payment—each rank of society was ranked at a price; this price had to be paid to the family to avoid their vengeance, even if the killing was accidental.

Did he really exist? The tribe in southern Sweden did exist, but Beowulf himself is fictitious. There was a real man named Beowulf (may mean “bear”) who helped the Danes and Geats fend off pirate attacks; however, he was not king of the Geats nor a Danish hero (more of a regular guy) Higlac (king of Geats, Beowulf’s king) and Hrothgar (king of the Danes, whom Beowulf helps) both based on real kings Significance of battle: what makes a good fighter tick? God grants Beowulf’s victory, but the good fighter (hero) is the one who becomes famous, never gives up, doesn’t worry about the possible consequences of bravery

Typical Themes Contains typical themes of seafaring warriors, a society bound by military/tribal loyalties bravery of warriors and generosity of rulers highly valued combines pagan folklore (monsters) with Christian themes (good vs. evil) ex: Grendel is a monster, described as an enemy of God and descendent of Cain (first murderer in the Bible)

Beowulf: OE Superhero Beowulf is an epic hero: courage, physical strength, wisdom in guiding others, loyalty to the king, and supreme self-confidence. He embodies the ideals of his people. Story of Beowulf is an epic poem—long narrative poem written in formal language that tells of the adventures of a larger-than-life hero. Beowulf is a folk epic: story rises from the people and is passed by word of mouth from generation to generation until it is ultimately written down (contrast with literary epic, like the Aeneid, which is the work of one author setting out to follow a literary form). Epic plots contain supernatural events, span long time periods, involve distant journeys, and life and death struggles of good vs. evil. The hero always represents good The forces that threaten the people always represent evil

Beowulf is set in a time when warriors gathered in mead/banquet halls (mead=fermented honey wine) for great feasts, told of their adventures (raiding, looting, burning settlements). Kings gave riches to their bravest warriors in exchange for loyalty. People believed in monsters and dragons.

Mead Hall

REMEMBER **Beowulf is NOT set in England, and the characters are NOT English: it’s set in Scandinavia and involves the Geats of southern Sweden and the Danes of Denmark.

An expression of sorrow; song or literary composition that mourns Lament – An expression of sorrow; song or literary composition that mourns A loss or death

Infamous – having a bad reputation or being notorious

Shroud – A burial cloth

Writhing – twisting as in pain

Forged – formed or shaped, often with blows or pressure after heating.

Caesura – A break, pause, or Interruption in a line of a poem

Kenning – a descriptive poetic phrase used in place of a name for a person or thing “whale road” = the sea “Higlac’s follower” = Beowulf

telling of a hero’s deeds epic poem – a long narrative poem telling of a hero’s deeds

in place of a name or title Epithet – a word or phrase which describes a person’s character; in place of a name or title

Boast – an exaggerated speech; bragging

throughout literature regardless of time, religion, or culture Archetype – an idea, personality, or image that is copied throughout literature regardless of time, religion, or culture

Motif – recurring subject or theme within a literary work

Elegy – funeral song or lament for the dead; mournful poem