1. The Celts

2. Timeline Rome Collapses in the West: 476 Early Middle Ages: 500-1000
Medieval Fusion
Germanic
Celtic
Conversion of the Irish to Christianity:
Irish convert the Anglo-Saxons:
High Middle Ages:
Late Middle Ages:

3. “The Empire” c. 500 CE

4. Raedwald A Germanic king who tomb was a ship buried in a mound
His tomb had both pagan and Christian artefacts
He or his ancestors may have come from Sweden

5. Beowulf Written c. 1000 Composed c. 750 Events c. 500

6. Discuss Beowulf
What were the features of the society depicted in the first half of Beowulf?
How did the story depict the king, Hrothgar and the warrior, Beowulf?
What was the point of Hrothgar’s advice to Beowulf?

7. Discuss Beowulf What was Grendel?
Why was Grendel’s mother an even more formidable foe?
What benefit did Beowulf receive for ridding the Danes of Grendel and Mrs. Grendel?

8. Discuss Beowulf
What social groups appear little or not at all in the poem?
Who was the likely intended audience for such a poem?

9. What happened after Beowulf destroyed the beasts in Denmark?
The Danes threw a party
The Danish king distributed booty
The Danish king gave a speech
The Danish King allegedly considered adopting Beowulf
All of the above

10. Which of the following is not one of the ways that the poem referred to King Hrothgar?
As the grey haired treasure giver
As the ring bearer
As the protector of the Shieldings
As the King of Bright-Danes
The home land’s guardian

12. What were Beowulf’s shortcomings as a king?
What factors contributed to the strengthening of kingship during the Early Middle Ages?

13. Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms c. 700

14. Laws of Aethelberht of Kent c. 600

15. Aethelbert of Kent
Produced first vernacular legal code in England around 600 CE
Germanic Chieftain who converted to Christianity

16. Discuss Laws of Aethelberht of Kent
How did these laws resemble the Code of Hammurabi or the Twelves Tables?
How did they differ?
What kinds of crimes did they cover?
How do these laws reinforce or contradict the image of Germanic society portrayed in Beowulf?

17. Ordeal by Fire

18. Features of Barbarian Culture
Ruled by warrior elites, who embraced warrior values
Honor and bravery
Retribution
Loyalty
Generosity
Weak kingship
Strong kinship

19. Features of Christianity by 400 CE
Asceticism, connected to preparation for afterlife
Evangelical, duty to spread the faith
Book religion, promoted literacy
Martyrdom, related to asceticism
Hierarchical, late addition, reflected in Church organizational structure

20. Celtic Settlements c. 200 BCE

21. Tribal Culture of Ancient Celts

23. Modern Celt
An invention of
the 18th century

25. The Celts were often prosperous even though they were politically divided

26. Hill Fort

27. Celtic and Roman soldiers c. 100 CE

28. The Dying Gaul third century BCE

29. Celtic Suicide c. 230 BCE

30. Celtic Torques

31. Animal Head, Oseberg ship burial, University of Oslo, Norway
Purse cover from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, British Museum, London

32. Boudicca 60 CE

33. Celtic Settlements c. 200 BCE

34. Celtic Settlements c. 550 CE

35. St Patrick c

36. Layout of an Irish Monastery

37. The Proliferation of Irish Monasticism 600-800 CE

39. Green Martyrdom: Suffering by separating from family

40. Celtic Metalwork

41. Celtic Cross

42. Tonsure & Identity

43. Roman Tonsure

44. Christian Evangelism among the English 550-700 CE

45. Pope Gregory the Great c. 600 author of the life of St. Benedict

46. Augustine of Canterbury c. 600

47. Synod of Whitby - 664

48. Monastic scribes

49. Illuminated Manuscript: Lion from the Book of Durrow c. 700

50. Lindisfarne Gospels c. 700
Cross page from the Lindisfarne Gospels, British Museum

51. Book of Kells c. 800 Artistic Revival

52. Illuminated Manuscript: The Book of Kells c. 800 CE

53. Codex Amiatinus c. 700

54. St. Boniface converts the continental Saxons c. 720

55. Alcuin of York in the Middle c. 790

57. Charlemagne r

58. The End

59. Alleluia Victory c. 429

60. Monks at Prayer

61. Overview Background & Timeline Celtic Church
Golden Age of Celtic Monasticism

62. Who were the Celts? Gauls, Britons, Cornish, Irish, Scots, and more
European culture
common language
geographical dispersion
no unified political structure
male dominated but women had more freedom, higher social status than in Roman society
Modern symbols of Celtic identity were mostly attributed to Celts in the 18th century
bagpipes (middle eastern origin)
kilts
tartan

63. More about Ancient Celts
Non-Germanic
Fought naked and with abandon
Ancient Celtic Religion
Polytheistic
Love of Natural Settings: groves, streams
Priestly class of Druids
20 year apprenticeship
studied law, history, magic, poetry, astronomy, divination
may have been confined to Gaul and Britain
Practiced human and animal sacrifice

64. Selective Timeline for Celtic History
370 BCE: Celts sack Rome
218 BCE: fight alongside Hannibal against Romans
50: BCE: Caesar’s Gallic Wars commence
43-54 CE: first Gallic aristocrats admitted to Roman Senate
314 CE: British Celts attend Council of Arles
435 CE: St. Patrick begins his conversion of the Irish
500 CE: legendary date of Arthur’s victory over Saxons
CE: Irish Golden Age
664 CE: Synod of Whitby
800 CE: Irish monks settle in Iceland

65. Celtic Art and Inventions
chain mail
barrels
shipbuilding techniques
Legionairies’ helmets
Celtic Art ( )
between Roman and Romanesque periods
curvilinear patters
detailed metalwork
illuminated manuscripts (Christian)

66. Celtic Church Not centrally organized
Reflected the loose tribal organization of Celtic culture
In place by Constantine’s conversion
St Patrick (390?-461?)
Born in western Britain
Enslaved in Ireland from ages 16-21
escapes to Britain and is disillusioned with Christianity of his family
Receives rudiments of Christian education
Returns to Ireland to evangelize
Converts many Irish who are impressed with his loyalty, courage, and hospitality

67. Celtic Church Out of touch with Roman Church 450-600
different customs develop
conflict ensues
St. Columba ( )
St. Columbana ( )
Potential Schism avoided (Synod of Whitby, 664)
The principal inspiration for Irish Golden Age ( )
preservation of ancient texts
vernacular literature
missionaries & monasteries
artwork

68. Celtic Church Distinguishing features
monasteries not under episcopal control
private penance
Celtic tonsure
not as hierarchical as Roman model
reflected familial, tribal, rural society
double monasteries, often ruled by women
abbots have authority over bishops
the dating of Easter ( )
encouraged missionaries
penitential exile

69. Celtic Golden Age CE
Artistic revival in Ireland, Scotland, and Northumbria between
Illuminated manuscripts and metalwork
Reflects both spiritual revival and socio-economic prosperity that accompanied the spread of monasticism
Religious content and symbolism

70. Summary
The Celts were a non-Germanic people who occupied a large portion of northern Europe by 200 BCE
Their settlements were not united by a single political entity, such as the Roman Empire
Instead the political structure was local and tribal
Women probably occupied more prominent positions in Celtic society than in other barbarian societies
Gradually, Roman and Germanic invasions overtook most Celtic settlements outside of the British Isles

71. Summary
Although the Celtic Church was clearly in place by 300 CE, the large scale conversion of Irish Celts did not occur until the 5th century
Following the missionary work of St. Patrick, Celts gravitated toward monasticism and were responsible for the proliferation of monasteries throughout much of Europe from CE
During the period, Celtic monks preserved many ancient texts and developed a distinctive Celtic Christian culture

72. The article that we read on Beowulf primarily addressed…
The poet’s sense of history
The poet’s crusading rhetoric
The poet’s clear hatred of pagans
Grendel’s family tree
Grendel’s symbolic meaning

73. The reading in Hunt for today covered…
The Merovingian Franks
The Carolingian Franks
The Celts
The Anglo-Saxons .

74. Sutton Hoo Burial Mounds