The Anglo-Saxons

449-1066

Contributions of the British •Robin Hood and Shakespeare•Theory of Gravity•Industrial Revolution•Radar•Penicillin•The Beatles•Political system that many

other countries, including the US, have imitated

Celtic Heroes and Heroines: A Magical World

I. PeopleA. Celts – Tall blonde warriors who had

settled on Great Britain in the fourth centuryB. Brythons – Group of Celts who the island

was named after (Britons)II. Religion – Animism

A. They saw spirits everywhere – rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire, and thunderB. Sprits controlled all aspects of existenceC. The spirits had to be constantly satisfied- dancing rituals, human sacrifice, etc.

Celtic Heroes and Heroines: A Magical World

III. WritingA. Mythology of the Celts has influenced English and Irish writers to this day.B. Authors who were influenced by the Celts: Thomas Majory and William Butler Yeats.C. Celtic legends are full of strong

women, fantastic animals, passionate love

affairs, and fabulous adventures.

The Romans: The Great Administrators

IV. The Britons were finally conquered by Rome, led by Julius Caesar, in 55 BC. Christianity took hold under the leadership of European missionaries. The old Celtic religion began to vanish. By A.D. 409, Romans had evacuated Britain leaving roads, walls, villas, great public baths, but no central government. The result was weakness, which led to many successful invasions by non-Christian peoples from the Germanic regions of central Europe.

The Anglo-Saxons Sweep Ashore

V. In the middle of the 5th Century, attacks came from Angles and Saxons from Germany and Jutes from Denmark. A. Changes

1.Language – Anglo-Saxon2.Became known as Engla

land from the Angles3. Celts retreated to Wales

The Anglo-Saxons Sweep Ashore

B. Government1. Several independent

principalities with its own king

2. King Alfred of Wessex (871), Alfred the Great, led the Anglo Saxons against the invading Danes and won. He

helped form a true nation

The Anglo-Saxons Sweep Ashore

C. Christianity A. Irish and Continental missionaries

converted the kingsB. Provided a common faith and morality and right conductC. Linked England to Europe

The Anglo-Saxons Sweep Ashore

D. Battle - Continued until 1066 when both the Anglo-Saxons and Danes were defeated by the Normans.

1. Danes – Vikings who drove dragon powered boats destroying and ravaging anything and anybody in their path

Anglo-Saxon Life: The Warm Hall, the Cold World

VI. Life of the Anglo-Saxons1. Warfare was the order of the day2. As Beowulf shows, law and order were the responsibility of the leader3. Fame and success were gained only through loyalty to the leader and success was measured in gifts from the leader

The Anglo-Saxon ReligionVII. Despite Christianity, the old Anglo-Saxon

religion with its warrior gods persisted.A. Odin was the Norse god of death,

poetry, and magic. Anglo-Saxons renamed him Woden (Wednesday). They believed he could help humans communicate with spirits.B. Thunor (Thursday) was the god of thunder

and lightning. His sign was the hammer and swastika, which is found on many

Anglo-Saxon gravestones.

The Anglo-Saxon ReligionC. The dragon was another significant

figure in Anglo-Saxon mythology. It seems to always be the protector of a treasure. It is a personification of death.D. Overall, the religion was concerned

with ethics, virtues of bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship.

The Bards: Singing of God’s and Heroes

VIII. The communal hall offered shelter, a place for council meetings, and a place for storytelling. Skilled storyteller, or Bards, sang of god’s and heroes. The Anglo-Saxons did not regard these Bards, called Scops , as inferior to warriors. Creating poetry was as important as fighting, hunting, farming, or loving. The poets sang to the strumming of a harp.

Time Line• 449- Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade

Britain• 516 – King Arthur rules Celtic tribe• 547 – Plague reaches Britain• 793- Vikings invade Britain• 871 – Alfred the Great becomes King• 1066- Normans defeat Saxons;

William the Conqueror becomes English king

Beowulf

Epic- sometimes called a heroic poem-Beowulf, the Illiad, the Odyssey- are long narratives about the adventures of larger than life characters.

Characteristics of an epic:• Hero - great leader, does great

deeds in battle, or undertakes an extraordinary journey

• Setting- Broad and often includes the upper and lower worlds

• The gods or other supernatural, fantastic beings take part in the action

Characters

• Beowulf- Son of Edgetho and nephew of Higlac, King of the Geats

• Brecca- Chief of the Brondings and Beowulf’s friend

• Grendel- Man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a foul mere, mountain lake

• Herot- Golden guest hall built by King Hrothgar

Characters

• Hrothgar- King of the Danes; friend of Beowulf’s father Edgetho

• Unferth- One of Hrothgar’s skilled warriors. His sword, Hrunting, is used by Beowulf

• Welthow- Hrothgar’s wife, queen of the Danes

• Wiglaf- Beowulf’s best friend who helps him with the battle of the dragon

Setting

Beowulf is set in the 6th or 7th century. It is not set in England, nor or its characters English. The story takes place in Scandinavia and involves the Geats (Sweden) and the Danes (Denmark). Scandinavians were known collectively as Anglo-Saxons. It was first put into writing by a scop in the 700’s.