The Anglo-Saxons and Beowulf Quit

Table of Contents Anglo-Saxon Era: Timeline Anglo-Saxon society Pagan vs. Christianity Anglo-Saxon Literature Beowulf Resources Author’s slide Concept Map Quit

The Anglo-Saxon Era: Timeline 43CE Romans invade Britain. Encountered the Celts. Romans build roads, villas, huge buildings, and forts. Introduced Christianity. 420CE Romans leave. Link to video of life after the Romans Link to video of life after the Romans Quit

Timeline Continued 449CE Jutes from Denmark, and the Angles and Saxons from Northern Germany invade England. Germanic tribes. Anglo-Saxons push out Celts Link to video of The Anglo-Saxon Invasion of Britain 597CE Anglo-Saxons become Christian Link to video of The Spread of Christianity Quit

Timeline Continued 787CE Viking raids begin CE King Alfred the Great becomes King of England. Established education systems, rebuilt monasteries. Fought Danes and forced them from Wessex. Unified Anglo-Saxons under one king to resist the Viking invasions. Danes ruled in the North, Anglo-Saxons in the South. 1066CE Norman Conquest by William the Conqueror. From Norman French. Defeated Danes and Anglo-Saxons. Officially ended Anglo-Saxon era and brought about the beginning of the Medieval Period. Quit

Anglo-Saxon Society Anglo-Saxon society. Lived in tribal groups with a high class of warriors. Kings emerged as society developed. Spoke Old English. This was the language that Beowulf was written in. Became Christian but still valued heroic ideals and traditional heroes. Their culture valued human contact, family, virtue, and a good story. They feared humiliation and loneliness in their lives. In addition, the Anglo-Saxons desired richness, power, and appreciated heroic actions of warriors. Quit

Pagan vs. Christianity in Beowulf Pagan Strong nature presence Strength of the warrior Christianity God is mentioned by two of the main characters in the poem: Beowulf and Hrothgar. Grendel as Lucifer Both are outcasts Perform a task for God Grendel is described as a son or descendant of Cain, a clear Biblical reference. The Anglo-Saxons mixed both pagan and Christian traditions. Beowulf contains traces of both beliefs. Quit

Anglo-Saxon Literature Anglo-Saxon literature began as an oral tradition. Stories, poems, and songs were all told aloud and passed from generation to generation orally through minstrels (also called scops). Poems traditionally had a strong beat, alliteration, and no rhyme. Caesura: “a cutting.” A break in a line of poetry, used in Old English to depict a half line. We use a comma for a modern effect. i.e. Da com of moreunder mistheleopum “Out from the marsh, from the foot of the hills.” Kenning: derived from the Norse word “kenna” which means “to know, to recognize.” It is a compact metaphor that functions as a name. i.e. helmberend: “Helm bearer” or “warrior” Old English example Quit