The Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066AD

Time Period: Anglo-Saxon Key Ideas of Period Heroic qualities Community – Communal Hall & Loyalty Poets (Scops) & Monks Religious aspects Christian vs. Pagan Wyrd=fate Aggressive society

Important dates… 300s: Celts rule England c. 449: Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade Britain 597: King Ethelbert converted to Christianity at Canterbury 793: Vikings come 1066: William the Conqueror becomes English king

Heroic Qualities The Britons were highly influenced by the Celtic legends. Celtic legends valued bravery, loyalty, dedication to the king/queen, & fame/success in battle. Heroes have fabulous adventures that are remembered and retold forever (think King Arthur).

Heroic Qualities Comitatus – heroic ideal - A code of loyalty adopted by the warriors in a clan; loyalty, honor & respect to their lord and to one another. Blood vengeance – fight to the death; avenge leader or die trying.

Community – Communal Hall & Loyalty War with other clans Law and order kept a clan alive clan loyalty was valued above all else. The Leader (king, ruler, father-figure) was responsible for everyone’s safety.

Community – Communal Hall & Loyalty Success was measured by how loyal a warrior was to his lord. communal hall – shelter/protection meetings entertainment.

Poets/Scops (pronounced SHops) & Monks Poets or scops equal to warriors immortalized warriors and heroes in their songs/poetry.

Poets/Scops (pronounced SHops) & Monks preserved these stories recorded these stories in Old English (the Germanic language of the Angles & Saxons) preserved the original language of the people.

Religious Aspects – Pagan vs. Christian Dual Authorship Beowulf Paganism Christianity Absence of Christianity God Animism Christ-like figure Worship of Natural or Spiritual Biblical Stories Fate/Wyrd Presence of Hell

Religious Aspects – Pagan vs. Christian Animism – “Spirit”; original, celtic religion fatalistic (meaning no afterlife) view of the world. “Wyrd” means fate. guided in all things. Christianity spread and unified the Anglo- Saxons.

Aggressive Society Absence of Roman control led to many kings/lords all attempting to control Britain. Angles & Saxons from Germany, & Jutes from Denmark come to Britain in hopes of conquering for themselves. warriors and lords had to defend against attacks and other clans to establish dominance.

Aggressive Society King Alfred of Wessex led the Angles & Saxons against the Jutes (Danes), unifying those clans. “Angle-land” became England. In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy invaded, and finally unified the country under one king.

Anglo-Saxon Literature Beowulf Anglo-Saxon Literature

Beowulf – Literary Devices Alliteration – repeated beginning sound in 2 or more words that are close together In Beowulf, this happens in almost every line of the poem, & there is no consistent pattern of rhyme.

Beowulf – Literary Devices Kenning – type of metaphor that uses a compound expression to name a person or thing. Ex: “whale road” = _______________ ; “life-lord” = ______________; “ring giver” = ______________

Beowulf – Literary Devices Litotes – a figure of speech that uses the positive of a statement to mean something negative. Ex: Getting your wisdom teeth removed with pliers would not be fun! = It would be horrible! Ex: About the monster Grendel’s home, the king Hrothgar says “Not a pleasant place” = a horrific place!

The Poem Uncertain when, how, or who created Originally written in Old English Developed out of various influences (folk tales & traditions) Performed by scops (“shops”) a. Traveling bard/poet b. Good ones made the most effective use of the common arsenals of oral storytelling formulas c. Borrowing images or phrases was accepted and expected May have changed as developed

Religious Relations Primarily a pagan poem Christian allusions are present (developed as afterthought to make story appealing to Christians?) Omnipotent God figure Symbolic rebirth Christ’s 12 apostles (Beowulf’s12 associates)

Epics Typically emphasize heroic action as well as the struggle between the hero’s own ethics & mortality 2. Heroic values = comitatus = Germanic honor system that existed in Scandinavian countries in the 5th & 6th centuries between a king & his thanes (warriors). a. Virtues of thanes = courage, loyalty, reputation b. Lifelong devotion of thanes = protection, treasure, & land from king Classic epic a. journey/quest b. tests/trials c. divine intervention

Characters & terms Mead hall (Herot) – communal hall; beer/ale hall Scylfing – Swede Scylding – Dane Higlac/Hygelac – King of Geats / uncle to Beowulf Higd/Hygd – Higlac’s queen Hrunting – sword given to Beowulf by Unferth Naegling – Beowulf’s own sword Brecca – Beowulf’s friend & swimming competitor

Characters & terms Beowulf- (A Geat from Sweden –Scylfing) – Hero of the story; has superhuman powers/strength; owes a debt to Hrothgar (King of Danes) Grendel – Monster who is terrorizing the Danes; cannot be hurt by human weapons Herot – Mead/Communal Hall of the Danes Hrothgar – (King of the Danes – “Scylding”) Owed a debt from Beowulf for saving B’s father’s life

Characters & terms  Unferth – Warrior for the Danes; unable to beat Grendel; jealous of Beowulf Welthow – Hrothgar’s wife, queen of the Danes Wiglaf – Symbol of loyalty to Beowulf; B’s cousin  

3 Trials of Beowulf Grendel Grendel’s Mother Dragon

& Flow Chart Background Two Kings… HROTHGAR – King of the Danes Higlac – King of the Geats

Flow Chart Background HROTHGAR – King of the Danes Higlac – King of the Geats Saved life long ago

Flow Chart Background Grendel attacks HROTHGAR – King of the Danes Higlac – King of the Geats Saved life long ago Sends nephew Beowulf to defeat Grendel

Flow Chart Background Beowulf defeats Grendel Grendel attacks HROTHGAR – King of the Danes Higlac – King of the Geats Saved life long ago Sends nephew Beowulf to defeat Grendel Debt is paid