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Anglo-Saxon Era, 450-1066

Anglo-Saxon Era, 450-1066. A Brief History of Time. England has a long history of invasion by others Celts Romans Anglo-saxons Jutes. Celts. Ruled Briton from about 700 B.C. Skilled craftsmen, introduced use of iron to the rest of Europe

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Anglo-Saxon Era, 450-1066

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  1. Anglo-Saxon Era, 450-1066

  2. A Brief History of Time • England has a long history of invasion by others • Celts • Romans • Anglo-saxons • Jutes

  3. Celts • Ruled Briton from about 700 B.C. • Skilled craftsmen, introduced use of iron to the rest of Europe • Highly developed religion called animism, mythology, and a legal system • Celtic language was dominant until around the 5th century A.D. and is still used in some forms throughout the British Isles • Animism: “spirit”. Celts saw spirits everywhere, and they controlled all aspects of nature • Mother Goddess’’ like our Mother Nature

  4. Romans • Conquered Britons in 1st century A.D. • Provided organization that kept Britain from being invaded again for centuries • Christianity took hold, pushed out animism • 410 A.D.-- Romans left to deal with troubles at home • No central gov’t left, so clans fought amongst themselves and left no central power • Invasions, then, by non-Christian peoples from Germanic regions

  5. Anglo-Saxons • Drove out old Briton invaders and settled the greater part of Britain • Celts put up a strong resistance • One leader, Arthur, the legendary king • At the beginning, A-S rule not very organized-- many “kings” and rulers

  6. “Kings” and rulers • King Alfred of Wessex (871-899) led Anglo-Saxons against Dane invasion and England became a “nation” • 878: Alfred forced Danes out and began a “shaky” reign of dominance that lasted until William the Conqueror came in 1066.

  7. Mythology • Anglo-Saxon religion had much in common with Norse mythology • Gods included Thunor (Thor), Woden/Odin, etc. • Figures such as dragons are prevalent in the mythology and stories of the time period.

  8. “Literature” • Christianity emerges as a result of work by Irish and Continental missionaries • Many of the stories that come from this time period are a blend of old Anglo-Saxon and Christian religions

  9. Oral Tradition • Very strong ORAL tradition in Anglo-Saxon England • Things rarely written down at the time, making the recitation of thousands of lines a “noble” profession and poets just as “manly” as warriors.

  10. Traditions con’t. • Provided an element of hope to society • Remembrance in collective memory • Venerable Bede: a monk who wrote down much of the oral history, but wrote in Latin, which was not accessible to general population at the time.

  11. summary The lack of written word, combined with a warrior-turned-agrarian society, gives us the real beginnings of a cohesive society. The roots of English literature can be traced to the few writings that do exist, such as Beowulf (not written down for hundreds of years), and the Bede’s writings.

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