The United Kingdom of Great Britain England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland plus several smaller islands

Mnemonic Devices Learning techniques that aid memory Some mnemonic devices you may be familiar with: ▫Roy G. Biv ▫Please excuse my dear aunt Sally. ▫Every good boy does fine. / FACE

Great Britain has provided a variety of products and ideas Stonehenge The theory of gravity The Industrial Revolution Radar Penicillin Shakespeare Robin Hood The Beatles

The US took from Britain Common law ▫emphasizes personal rights and freedom British parliamentary government British literature English language

Invaders of Great Britain Iberians Celts (pronounced kelts) Romans Angles and Saxons Vikings Normans

Iberians (Old & New Stone Age) 1 st people to live in England Short, dark skinned Knowledge of metalworking ▫Knew how to make bronze  Bronze is an alloy consisting of mainly copper with tin.  Alloys combine two or more metallic elements to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion.  Bronze has been used for boat and ship fittings and propellors, statues and sculptures, cannons, guitar and piano strings, cymbals, medals, as well as other items.

Celts (Approx. 600 BC – 55 BC) Physical characteristics: ▫Tall, blonde ▫Warriors Lifestyle: ▫Introduced the use of iron to Europe ▫Skilled artisans (workers in skilled trades, especially ones that involved hand-made items; a craftsperson) – furniture, tools, clothing, jewelry ▫Highly developed religion ▫Legal system specified individual rights

Religion of the Celts Animism – Latin word for “spirit” ▫Spirits in everything (rivers, trees, stones, fire) Spirits (gods) controlled all aspects of existence; had to be constantly satisfied ▫Ritual dances or human sacrifices Druids – priests ▫Intermediaries between gods and people Stonehenge – May have been used by druids for religious rites related to solar and lunar cycles

Celtic Stories The Celtic legends  ▫strong women ▫fantastic animals (wolves, serpents, dragons) ▫incredible adventures ▫enchanted lands. Anglo-Saxon stories  brooding; male dominated

Romans (Approx. 55 BC – 400 AD) Beginning of Christianity Julius Caesar  invaded in 55 BC Emperor Claudius  invaded about 100 years later; defeated the Celts Romans built Hadrian’s Wall to prevent invasions ▫a 73-mile long defensive wall

More about Romans Romans left in 410 AD ▫problems in Rome Contributions: ▫Roads (5000 miles of stone road, some still in use today) ▫Walls ▫Villas ▫Great public baths Left no central government in Britain

Anglo-Saxons (450 AD) Angles and Saxons  from Germany Jutes  from Denmark Invaded  middle of the 5 th century Celts resisted; eventually retreated to Wales ▫Today, traces of this culture can still be found.

Alfred the Great Early Anglo-Saxon England  ▫Divided into independent principalities ▫Each with its own “king.” The country became a true nation when King Alfred of Wessex defeated the Danes ▫Danes  Viking people ▫Crossed the North Sea  8 th and 9 th centuries King Alfred  revived interest in ▫Learning ▫The English language

Hagar the Horrible

St. Augustine Converted England to Christianity a 2nd time by converting the Anglo-Saxon kings/subjects ▫Irish and Continental missionaries. Parts of old pagan religion remained Anglo-Saxons and Danes continued to battle ▫Defeated by William, Duke of Normandy in 1066

Anglo-Saxon Life Depended upon loyalty to the leader Homesteads  ▫single-family, wooden dwellings ▫surrounded a warm, fire-lit chieftain's hall, also called a mead hall  Fire in center; dais at one end Protected by a wooden stockade fence Led to a ▫Sense of security ▫Close relationship between leaders and followers

Two-class society Thanes, or earls ▫Rulers ▫Related to the leader of the tribe Churls ▫Bondservants ▫Ancestors  captured by the tribe ▫Provided hard labor ▫Bound to earls’ service  They could earn possessions and special royal favor to become freemen.

Loyalty to the leader Chieftain and his followers  bound to each other until death ▫If the leader died   warriors had to avenge his death or die beside him. Followers  gain fame and success by ▫showing loyalty to the tribe leader Success  measured in gifts from the leader ▫The more loyal  the more gifts ▫The more gifts  the more successful

Lifestyle Emphasized warfare VERY SOCIAL! Dinner  noon until 3 PM in the mead hall (center of family life) Mead  drink of fermented honey, malt, & spices Food  ▫meat & fish ▫primary vegetable  cabbage Entertainment: ▫Women  needlework ▫Men  chess & backgammon, fishing, hunting, gambling, drinking, & fighting

Women’s Roles The Anglo-Saxon society focused on warfare. Women did have rights  ▫inherit and hold property even after marriage. Upper-class women supervised ▫the weaving and dyeing of cloth ▫slaughter of livestock ▫brewing of mead ▫beekeeping

Religion Christianity had been brought to England Pagan elements remained Paganism  dark, fatalistic religion Wyrd  represents one’s fate in life Did not believe in the afterlife Immortality  achieved through heroic actions

Bards Bards  storytellers & history keepers ▫Also called scops Sang about heroes and gods ▫accompaniment of harps. Not inferior to warriors ▫writing poetry  as important as fighting, hunting, farming, or loving.

Anglo-Saxon Literature Elegiac, or mournful, in nature ▫Remember   Fatalistic  No belief in afterlife Handed down orally

Monks and Monasteries Monks founded monasteries Monasteries  ▫Sanctuaries for refugee scholars ▫Centers of learning ▫Stored Greek and Latin classics Job  copy manuscripts by hand ▫Scriptorium  writing room ▫Quill pens ▫Vellum  “paper” made from sheepskin ▫Winters  so cold ink would freeze The Church took learning seriously ▫Monks  vows of silence

The English Language Latin  language of serious study King Alfred  ▫Had primary education taught in English ▫English  respect as a language of culture ▫Instituted the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle  a lengthy running history of England  Kept in the British Library