1. The Anglo-Saxon Period
British Legends
The Anglo-Saxon Period

2. Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from?
Between 800 and 600 B.C., two groups of Celts from southern Europe invaded the British Isles.
Brythons (now spelled “Britons”) settled on the largest Island, Britain.
Gaels, settled on the second largest island, known to us as Ireland.
skt.org.uk

3. The Celts farmers and hunters organized themselves into clans
clans had fearsome loyalty to chieftains
looked to priests, known as Druids, to settle their disputes
meekon5.blogspot.com; no unity in the kingdom; what does this tell you? Druids often considered “magical” throughout history—religion and magic intertwined.

4. Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from?
Roman conquest of Britain AD 43
Britain annexed as a province in the Roman Empire (Claudius)
Difficult to control such a large piece of land
Brought Christianity to Britain around AD 300
Pagan vs. Christian themes throughout
The Romans left around 407 A.D.
Needed to defend against rebelling European countries; England left to its own devices

5. Roman Occupation Ends
Without the protection of the Romans, the Celts (Britons) were left vulnerable to the Picts and Scots.
Picts & Scots- Both from Upper Scotland
Romans called Scotland- Caledonia

6. Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from?
449AD- 3 Germanic tribes (Jutes, Saxons, Angles) invaded the Celts.
Destruction of Roman influence, including Christianity
New land: “Angle-land”- Root to “England”
- small tribal kingdoms
- no written language
- supported themselves through farming and hunting
Evolution of the language; linguistically; lack of unity again leaves theme vulnerable, but they do begin to destroy the Roman influence

7. Anglian Kingdom 7 important kingdoms were established: Northumbria
Mercia
East Anglia
Kent
Essex- East Saxons (Thames)
Sussex- South Saxons
Wessex – West Saxons

9. Anglo Saxon Beliefs Warrior based society
“Warfare was the order of the day”
Need to protect and serve
Fame- proved by achieving loyalty (leader)
Success- Measured by the amount of gifts won (gold, rubies, silver exc.) (token)
No belief in afterlife. Fame offered mortality. (Woden and Thunor)

10. Paganism
Pagans- pursue their own vision of the Divine as a direct and personal experience.
“A follower of a polytheistic or pantheistic nature worshiping religion.”

11. Anglo Saxon King and Warrior early 7th century
essentialnormanconquest.com

12. An Anglo-Saxon Hall
West stow: a reconstructed site from 1972 by revising the post holse from the original site

13. An Anglo-Saxon Farmstead
Remember the 3 little pigs…
West Stow: reconstructed village

14. The Reemergence of Christianity
596AD: attempt to convert Anglo- Saxons to Christianity
597AD: Saint Augustine
converted King Ethelbert of Kent to Christianity.
set up a monastery in Canterbury in Kent.
650AD: most of England is Christian; some hold on to previous beliefs (Paganism)
The church provided counsel to quarreling rulers in efforts to unify the English people.
At this time, the British Isles were not unified and included separate kingdoms with separate rulers. They fought continuously over the fertile, green land
Roman Cleric St. Augustine, (not the early Christian Church father) arrived in southeast England; Romans return stronger than before and force Saxons north; we see Canterbury show up in other works; The Chruch becomes a stand in for the gov’t. A long standing tradition in England—Church of England is still a big part of the gov’t. This again sets up more conflict

15. Constant Conflict 9th Century:
Norway invaded Northumbria (Anglo-Saxon kingdom in northern and central England), Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
The Danes (Vikings) of Denmark targeted eastern and southern England

16. Alfred the Great King of Wessex 871-899
866—resisted Danish intrusion and earned “the great” title (unified Anglo Saxons to fight)
Saxons acknowledged Danish rule in East and North
Danes respected Saxon rule in South
End of 10th Century—Danes want to widen Danelaw
Forced Saxons to select Danish Kings
1042—Kingship returned to Alfred the Great’s descendent Edward
Edward the Confessor died in His death led to the end of the Anglo-Saxon Period (eventually).
He was great because he did keep some peace and wee see greed as a basic human instinct at this pont

17. Norman Invasion End of the Anglo-Saxon Period
William II of Normandy crosses the English Channel (by blood he was the correct heir)
William II defeats Harold and Anglo-Saxon army in “The Battle of Hastings” (Arrow to the eye- Harold is dead)
French replaces English as the language of the ruling class. (Forbidden to speak English/looked down upon)

18. Literature of Anglo-Saxon Times
2 major influences
1) Germanic Traditions of the Anglo-Saxons
2) Christian Traditions of the Roman Church
Mixed with the literature and the Celts etc are all influence because of language—3 little pigs story has changed and applies to the concepts we’ll see in this unit.

19. 1) Germanic Traditions of the Anglo-Saxons
Germanic language
– Mixture of various Germanic dialects + Old English
– Old English Period

20. Folk Epic Beowulf: 3,000 Line Poem
The national Epic of England (first work to be composed in Old English)
A Narrative- (story like) that reflects a heroic adventure.

21. Heroic Ideals Dominate
Warrior culture
– Poems and stories depict a society like the Anglo-Saxons
• Military and tribal loyalties
• Bravery of warriors
• Generosity of rulers
Oral tradition
Bards/Scops– Songs and stories sung and told about the valiant struggles of heroic warriors
More than just entertainment – provided a model for living and a form of immortality they could aspire to
Note: all of these provided the foundation for early written literature in Old English

22. Common instrument used by Scops:
Lyre

23. Page of Beowulf manuscript in Old English

24. Anglo-Saxon Literature cont.
Anglo-Saxon poetry falls mainly into two categories:
Heroic poetry – recounts the achievements of warriors
Elegiac poetry – laments the deaths of loved ones and the loss of the past
Beowulf is the most famous example of heroic poetry.
ORAL TRADITION—the focuse of our unit here; we’ll start with Beo—bear; Wulf—wolf—animal symbolism

25. The Beowulf Poet The poet of Beowulf is unknown.
It is believed that the author was a Christian Monk, who added in Christian beliefs with pagan traditions.

26. Epic Elements Epic Element Definition As seen in … Epic Element
Epic Hero
 the central character of an epic. This character is a larger-than-life figure, typically of noble or semi-divine birth, who pits his courage, skill, and virtue against opposing, often evil, forces. 
Quest
a long, dangerous journey or mission undertaken by the epic hero. The quest is the hero’s opportunity to prove his heroism and win honor and undying renown.
Valorous deeds
 long, dangerous journey or mission undertaken by the epic hero. The quest is the hero’s opportunity to prove his heroism and win honor and undying renown.
Divine intervention
 In many epics, the hero receives help from a god or another supernatural force who takes an interest in his quest.
Great events
 Important events from the history or mythology of a nation or culture often provide the backdrop for the epic narrative.
Epic Element
Definition
As seen in …
Epic Hero
Quest
Valorous deeds
Divine intervention
Great events
Homework! Page 34-35

27. Conflict Christian Values and Heroic Values
This tension is at the heart of the poem
Pagan history and myth are made to point to a Christian moral
Beowulf is poised between two value systems