Post Roman-Britain

 Dark Ages- brutal warfare, barbarians  Celtic tribes, Druids, Britons- inhabitants  No political unity  Britain- Roman Empire until 410 AD  King Arthur legend (Brits v. Saxons)  Mixture of pagan and Christian elements

 Invaded Britain in second half of 5 th century  Part of Germanic (wandering) people set to weaken Roman Empire  Thought to have originated in Denmark  First called Saxons, then Angles  AD 890 Engla lande (England) was named for the “land of the Angles”

 Anglo Saxon warrior- thane  Outstanding courage  Loyalty to the leader and tribe  Fierce personal valor  People of rank receive greatest courtesy  Ruler is generous to those who are loyal  Believed in wyrd-fate; Valhalla afterlife  Peace weavers: Women married off to warring tribes for peace  Fame is the only thing that lasts AND only way to be IMMORTAL

 Indo-European- earliest known language spoken by a group of tribes. When tribes migrated, language evolved into Greek, Latin, Germanic  Angle-ish created from Angles, Saxons and Jutes.  Some of today’s words derived from Old English (verbs have same tense forms)  Old English used until Norman Invasion (1066), then Middle English

 Wessex King (AD )  Created Anglo/Saxon Chronicle- bits of history and population  Established central language, army and navy