1. The Beginnings of English Literature
Katherine Wiley
Lake Cormorant High School

2. The Timeline Celts, called Britons, live in Britain, 300s B.C.
Semilegendary King Arthur rules the Celts until his death,
Mohammed dictates the Koran, 625
The Mayans Fall, 800s
Algebra is invented, 810
Christianity is no longer illegal in the Roman Empire, 313
Vikings invade Britain, 793
Buddhism begins in Japan, 552
Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade England, 449
The Egyptians create the first post office, 650
St. Augustine converts Anglo-Saxon King Ethelbert to Christianity and establishes the first monastery is established at Canterbury, 597
Julius Caesar invades Britain, 55 B.C.
Normans defeat the Saxons; William the Conqueror becomes the first King of England, 1066

3. The Beginnings of Great Britain
The island of Great Britain was settled by all of these groups:
Iberians
Celts
Romans
Angles & Saxons
Vikings
Normans
The place that we now know as England owes something to each of these Invaders.

4. The Celts & Britons Tall, blonde warriors
Practiced Animism, meaning that they saw spirits everywhere- in rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire, thunder, etc.
Believed that the spirits or gods controlled all parts of life and needed to be pleased constantly
Had priests, called Druids, who acted as intermediaries between the people and the gods.
Sometimes performed ritualistic dances and sacrifices.
Created Stonehenge, which was believed to be used by the druids during rituals that dealt with the sun and moon
One of their rulers, King Arthur, became the most famous semi-legendary king of English history.
Their Stories are filled with powerful women, fantastic animals, passionate love affairs, fabulous adventures, and enchanted lands.

5. The Romans Conquered the Britons over a century of invasions
Prevented further invasions of England for several hundred years
Built a network of roads, some of which are still used today
Created Hadrian’s Wall, a defensive barrier that is seventy-three miles long
Brought Christianity to Great Britain
Left Britain in 409, leaving behind roads and buildings, but no government

6. The Anglo-Saxons

7. Who were they?
Made up of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who came from Germany and Denmark and settled in England around 449 A.D Drove out the Britons
Made the decision to invade Britain after hearing that the natives, known as “Britons” were “weak and worthless” and that the land was vast, green, and rich.
Changed the name of Great Britain to Angle Land, which eventually became England
Lived in small groups, each with its own king
Unified into one nation as they fought against the invasion of the Danes.
Continued to fight against the Danes until both groups were defeated by the Normans.

8. The Anglo-Saxon Invasion of England, 449 A.D.

9. What were they like?
Many described them as blood-thirsty tyrants and heathens for centuries. Eventually, however, they came to Christianity and settled down a bit.
Women inherited and owned property
Men had to offer women large gifts of money and land, called morning-gifts, in order to propose marriage
These gifts were given to the women, not to their fathers
Typical Anglo-Saxon Men were:
Muscular
Blonde
Experienced at Fighting
Uneducated
Brutish
Party Animals
In order to commemorate holidays, and celebrate victories, they held huge feasts in Mead Halls.

10. See pg. 11 of your text for a picture of a reconstructed A-S village.
What is a Mead Hall?
Their main headquarters would have been located in the Mead Hall, which was used as the:
sleeping quarters
tavern
meeting hall
dining room
entertainment center
Around the Mead Hall, would have been lots of tiny houses that looked a lot like this building. The Hall would have been the center of the village, and the rulers would have lived either in it or near it. The entire village would have been surrounded by a small wooden fence. The leaders and members of the village would have worked together closely, fostering a strong sense of security and unity.
A reconstructed Anglo-Saxon Mead Hall located in West Stow, Sussex, England.
See pg. 11 of your text for a picture of a reconstructed A-S village.

11. What was their life like?
Did not focus on luxury, learning, or art
Their life was about war, responsibility was held by the leaders
Fame and success were gained by showing loyalty to one’s leader, especially during battle
They constantly had to protect one another from threats
They lived close together, and were close to their leaders
Usually ruled by large group discussions and consensus
Culture was centered around families and clans, but their tribe was centered around their seafaring warriors.

12. What did they believe? They believed in multiple gods
Believed in dragons
Dragons were always protectors of treasures
The art of storytelling was as important as fighting, hunting, farming, or lovemaking
There is no afterlife
Placed great value on:
Bravery
Loyalty
Generosity
Friendship

13. Anglo-Saxon Laws
People were not sentenced to incarceration, simply because there were no jails or prisons in Anglo-Saxon England.
developed a detailed and complex law code
Law-breakers paid fines for most crimes.
Those who could not pay would face becoming a slave for a set period of time.
punishments included:
the loss of limbs or body parts
banishment
hangings
Beheadings
other inventive methods of death

14. Anglo-Saxon Storytellers
Known as bards or scops
Told stories in the “great hall” where council meetings and celebrations were held
Told stories of gods and heroes
Sang to the strumming of a harp
Were considered to be gifted, honored members of society

15. A-S as Warriors Anglo-Saxon Warrior Helmet (approximately 7th Century)
Reconstructed from hundreds of corroded iron fragments

16. Sutton Hoo Located in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England
Discovered in 1939, after being buried for around 1300 years
Burial ship of an Anglo-Saxon king or great warrior
Burial site contained forty-one items of solid gold and thirty-seven gold coins

17. Other Anglo-Saxon Artifacts

18. A decorative piece of an Anglo-Saxon ship

19. Types of Anglo-Saxon Literature
Riddles
“A worm ate words. I thought that wonderfully
Strange- a miracle- when they told me a crawling
Insect had swallowed noble songs,
A night-time thief had stolen writing
So famous, so weighty. But the bug was foolish
Still, though its belly was full of thought.”
Ecclesiastical Verses
Similar to those found in the Bible
Epic Poems
Beowulf

20. Katherine Wiley Lake Cormorant High School
Beowulf
Katherine Wiley
Lake Cormorant High School 20

21. Epic- a quest story on a grand scale
Epic Hero-the central figure in a long narrative that reflect the values and heroic ideals of a particular society
Kennings- metaphorical phrases or compound words used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly
Examples: “whale road” for the sea,
“bone house” for the human body,
“wave floater” for a ship 21

22. Characteristics of an Epic
protagonist is heroically larger than life, often the source and subject of legend or a national hero
hero’s deeds are presented without favoritism, revealing his failings as well as his virtues
hero has supernatural strength
set in several nations, all over the world, or even throughout the universe
story provides an explanation for some of the circumstances or events in the history of a nation or people
gods play an active role in the outcome of actions
all of the various adventures and events are connected by a central theme
story begins in medias res (in the middle of things)
long, formal speeches are made by important characters
hero makes a journey to the underworld
use of the number three (attempts are made three times, etc.)
previous episodes in the story are later recounted 22

23. Beowulf the first great work of English literature
written in Old English around 750 A.D.
is very short in comparison to other epics
may have been written by a monk
exists in only one manuscript
survived the destruction of Henry VIII’s monasteries
dates from c.1000
describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior
admired for the richness of its poetry
a third of the words in Beowulf are kennings 23

24. Beowulf Character List
It is strongly recommended that you study/ copy the character list off on pg. 19 in your literature book. There will be a character identification section on your test. 24