Anglo Saxon History and Culture An Introduction to Beowulf

Anglo Saxon People

Who Are These People? These newcomers were fair-haired, tall, and very courageous. They were a mixture of people from northern Germany, Denmark and northern Holland. Most were Saxons, Angles and Jutes. The term Anglo-Saxon has come to mean anyone who is English or of English descent. But the Anglo-Saxons were actually a people who lived long ago. They settled in Britain around 410 and stayed until 1066. The words Anglo-Saxon have come to mean anyone who is English or of English descent. But the Anglo-Saxons were actually a people who lived long ago.

In the Beginning: Roman Invasion First, we have the Celts, who had old religions involving many gods, sacred creatures, and ancient myth. In 55 B.C. Rome invaded the Celts, bringing roads and Christianity with them.

New Invasions Early in the fifth century, Roman armies abandoned Britain to defend their own city. Having grown dependent on Roman protection, this made Britain an easy target for invasion. Anglo Saxons from Germany and Jutes from Denmark invaded and drove the Celts out and to the north.

Anglo Saxon Kingdoms After the Anglo-Saxons defeated the Celts, they divided Britain into seven kingdoms. (Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Wessex, and Sussex) Each kingdom was inhabited by a different tribe and ruled by a king (cyning). The Jutes (from Denmark) settled mainly in Kent. The Angles settled in East Anglia. The Saxons settled in areas of Essex (East Saxons), Sussex (South Saxons), and Wessex (West Saxons).

Anglo-Saxon Tribes For hundreds of years the seven tribes fought in great wars against each other to gain power of the entire British Isles. The Anglo-Saxon tribes were savage, ruthless people who lived life by a strict warrior code. They were also known for their courage and nobility in war and everyday life.

Anglo Saxon Religion

Anglo-Saxon Beliefs The Anglo-Saxons were pagans when they came to Britain, but as time passed they gradually converted to Christianity. Early Anglo-Saxon invaders brought their belief in wyrd, or fate, and their admiration for heroic warriors whose wyrd it was to prevail in battle.

Pagan Gods/Goddesses Pagans worshiped lots of different gods. Each pagan god controlled a particular part of everyday life. Balder: God of Immortality Eostre: Goddess of Birth Hel: Goddess of Death Loki: God of Cunning Saxnot: God of the Family Thunor: God of Thunder Tiw : God of War Wade: God of the Sea Wayland: God of Metalworking Woden: Chief God

Our Days of the Week Tuesday: Tiw’s day (the god of war) Wednesday: Woden’s day (chief god) Thursday: Thor’s day (god of thunder) Friday: Frigga’s day (the goddess of home)

Increased Christian Influence Christianity still lingered from when Romans occupied Britain despite newly introduced pagan beliefs. In 597, the Pope sent a missionary monk called Augustine to England. The purpose was to convert Anglo-Saxons into Christians. Christianity spread to other parts of Britain. Pagan temples were converted to Christian churches and new Christian churches were built.

The Christian Church Christian Churches served as centers for learning. Individuals belonging to the church may have been the only literate people. They were the keepers of records and history. They also preserved ancient Latin and Greek tales.

Anglo Saxon Culture

Ethics and Values Anglo Saxons valued bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendships. The king, or cyning, was the central part of every kingdom and tribe, and loyalty to one’s king was a crucial virtue. Women were highly regarded. They were able to hold high status and be wealthy. Scops, or story-tellers (also known as bards), were considered equal to warriors. They were valued as story-tellers, history-keepers, and entertainers.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry The Anglo-Saxons loved eating and drinking and would often have feasts in the mead hall. The food was cooked over the fire in the middle of the hall; meat was roasted and eaten with bread. They drank ale and mead - a kind of beer made sweet with honey - from great goblets and drinking horns. After the feast a scop (a bard or poet) would play a harp and sing songs of battles and heroes.

Warrior Beliefs The Anglo-Saxon warrior's attitude toward battle was always fearless and brave. They believed if they fought as hard as they could in life (wars), they would die a glorious death on the battlefield and could achieve immortality. Warriors confronted life as embracing death. They did not look at obstacles or warfare as a bad thing. They not only accepted their wyrd (fate) but rejoiced in dying on the battlefield because they would achieve glory in death.

Boasting In the mead hall or on the battlefield, a warrior needed to boast about his past and future accomplishments to create a good reputation. However, the warrior would need to follow through on his bragging. If he didn't, he was considered a coward. A warrior needed both words and actions.

Oral Tradition The Anglo-Saxons relied on oral composition to pass on their war stories, traditions, and literature. Scops (shapers of tales) traveled across the country reciting historic or fictional tales of battle, love, and courage. Their purpose was to pass stories through generations so they would not be forgotten. Scops were both historians and entertainers.

Anglo Saxon Literature

Light and Dark Imagery In many pieces of literature (including Beowulf) there is a sudden jump from a dark tone to a light tone. For example, warriors could be feasting and rejoicing in a mead hall and then a monster kills people. Then everyone is happy again. This symbolizes their outlook on life: life is difficult, but one must accept and embrace one's fate to become a better person.

Important Terms Epic- long narrative poem about gods and/or heroes, typically passed through generations orally by scops and bards Examples: Beowulf and The Odyssey Alliteration- the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words Examples: Peter Piper picked a peck of peppers; Sally sorted seashells by the sea shore Stock Epithets- adjectives that point out special traits of particular people or things Examples: swift-footed Achilles; Honest Abe Kennings- poetic synonyms; descriptive phrase or compound word that substitutes for a noun Examples: home = dwelling place; bench warmer = athlete who doesn’t play often

Thanks to April Haider and Rebecca Hefner!