1. Anglo-Saxon History and Literature

2.  449 AD – Britain is invaded by the Anglo- Saxons  1066 AD – The Normans defeat the Saxons; the end of Anglo-Saxon leadership  The Anglo-Saxon invasion signaled the beginning of the English language

3.  It is believed that Anglo-Saxons were deep- sea fishermen and farmers  They had highly organized tribal units with a class system  Over time, the differences between tribes faded and this intermingling produced a new language, Old English

4.  The Anglo-Saxons brought their pagan beliefs to Britain  They believed every human life was in the hands of fate, whereas the Christians believe in a person’s ability to choose their fate  In 597, missionaries from the Roman Church were sent to Britain. These missionaries quickly learned that to win over a kingdom, they must only convert the king  Christianity had a great effect on Anglo- Saxon civilization, softening their ferocious and violent ways

5.  The church also brought written literature and education to Anglo- Saxon civilization  The blend of the new Christian ways and the old pagan beliefs are often apparent in Anglo-Saxon literature, including Beowulf

6.  The reciting of poems was a part of Anglo- Saxon ceremony and celebration  Scops and gleemen were professional minstrels, who recited stories and tales of great warriors for the king and his court  In order to make the performance enjoyable and exciting, the scops used a formula to help them memorize these poems and help their performances stand out

7. Three poetic devices found in Beowulf are:  The caesura: “A prince of Geats//had killed Grendel” “A powerful monster //living down in the darkness”  Alliteration: “the bright blueberry burst” “miserable, mighty men tormented”  Kenning: “spear play” for battle or “whale road” for ocean

8. Write your own kennings for the following words: STAR SHIP WIND