British LiteratureAn Introduction

What is British/Britain?• A Country• England• Northern Ireland• Scotland• Wales

• In literature we also add Ireland, though it is its own separate country.

Periods in History• This is an over simplification, but helpful for our study.• Create a list that looks something like this:• List what comes to mind when you think about each one.

Ancient History5500 BCE – 476

Middle Ages476-1450

Modern History1450- modern day

Ancient History• Pyramids built in Egypt• Founding of Christianity• Roman Empire• Greek Mythology• Founding Islam

Middle Ages 476- 1450

• 476- What is the significance of this date?• Fall of the Roman Empire• Think about what that does to the world…suddenly there’s no

government, no army to protect them…• Rome is still the center of Christianity and the pope is in control, but his

reach of power is limited.• Britain is in chaos with invasions and warlords fighting for control• Late Middle Age Events• 1066 Norman Conquest: from what is now France and we start to see

more stability.• 1299 Ottoman Empire gains power in Eastern Europe• 1095 Crusades begin-there are a lot from this point until well into the

14th and 15th centuries.

Modern History1450 to Present• The Renaissance: began in Italy and spread to the rest of

Europe and to Britain.• America is discovered • Shakespeare• The Enlightenment• American Revolution• French Revolution• WWI• WWII• Rock n’Roll

What do we bother with British Literature?• Its foundational to our literary traditions• Origin stories• Cultural roots• English authors invented the novel• A lot of the movement in art and literature was based in

Britain until the Enlightenment when the rest of the world came out of the Middle Ages.

Written History• First known written works in 5500 BCE appear Sumerian

(modern Iran)• Iliad and the Odyssey around 750-650 BCE• Christian calendar begins at 0—though the calendar we currently use has been

through a series of modifications

• The bible is started in the 3rd century

The Middle AgesAnglo-Saxon Period 449- 1066• Britain is still in chaos with petty warlords cause all kinds of

problems. • Not really Christian until the late 600s• Stories are mostly in the oral tradition.• Saxons (from what is now Germany) and Vikings are invading

—their cultural traditions begin to filter into those of the people already there.

Interesting detail: Vikings, the History Channel Show takes place around the 9th century (800s).

Famous Literature • Beowulf is written some time during this period—7th or 8th

century• King Arthur appears in stories in 12th century, though

supposedly he lived in the 5th or 6th century.• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 1300s, unknown author

Researching an event• Read page 2-3 and choose an event you would like to know

more about.

Introductory Reading:The Anglo-Saxons• Next: read pages 4-5• Roman Occupation

• What is Hadrian’s Wall• Anglo-Saxon Invasion

• Who are the scops? What do they do?• The Spread of Christianity

• How did it spread?• The Norman Invasion

• What and When?

Pg. 6-17 Textbook• . Decide how you will produce the notes: web, chart, outline.• Should include the blue or red headings• For each section write two significant details

• Notes Suggestions• Bolded words• Thematic statements (one sentence describing the main idea of

the section)• Look for and document any information that applies to the event

you chose from page 2-3.

Bolded SectionsRead each section and record two significant details.Some sections are long , so consider a summary sentence instead.

• The British Legacy• Britain was one of the first places to see government build and be stable (since the Roman

Empire).• Established common law, “with its emphasis on personal rights and freedom” (6).

• The Spirit of the Celts•

• The Celtic Heroes and Heroines: a Magical World• The Romans: The Great Administrators• The Anglo-Saxon Sweep Ashore• Unifying Forces: Alfred the Great and Christianity• Anglo-Saxon Life: The Warm Halls, the Cold World• Women in Anglo-Saxon Culture• The Anglo-Saxon Religion: Gods for Warriors• The Bards: Singing of Gods and Heroes• Hope in Immortal Verse• A Light for Ireland• The Christian Monasteries: The Ink Frozer• The Rise of the English Language