The Anglo-Saxon Period

The Anglo-Saxon Period 449 to 1066 A. D.

I. Historical Background A. The Anglo Saxon Period covers from 449 to 1066 A.D. B. The earliest inhabitants of Britain are the Iberians from the area of present day Portugal and Spain. C. Celts: 800 and 600 B.C to 55 B. C. 1.The Brithons 2. the Gaels 3. They were farmers and hunters who organized into clans led by a chieftain. Ancestors of the Irish, Scots, and Welsh 4. The Druids were a class of priests who settled disputes between the Celts.

D. Romans: 55 B. C. to 449 A. D. 1. Julius Caesar – A renowned dictator of Rome. His was the first great triumverate of Rome, a forerunner of democracy. 2. Claudius – Britain was conquered under the reign of Claudius.

3. Contributions of Rome toward Britain: a. Place names like “caster” and “chester” b. Brick walkways and a system of well- paved roads c. Architecture etc. d. A highly developed culture and government e. Roman culture 4. Hadrian’s Wall – Built by the roman emperor Hadrian to protect the Roman occupied land of Briton from Anglo-Saxon invaders (and the Picts). The wall was made of turf – 12 feet high and 20 feet at the base.

E. Germanic Invaders: 449 A. D. (BEGINS ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD) 1. Angles – Mercians and Northumbrians (Northern Invaders) 2. Saxons – Old Saxons of Germany 3. Jutes –southern inhabitants from the land of Kent and the Isle of Wight.

II. Social Structure of Anglo- Saxon England A. Old English (Angle-ish) developed from the Germanic (Proto-Indo-European) language B. Prior to Alfred the Great, written literature was in Latin C. Anglo-Saxons were organized into tribes ruled by a king who had been chosen by the witan, a counsel of elders. D. Religion: a pagan belief in fate with the worship of many ancient Germanic Gods similar to Greek and Roman mythology.

Beowulf • Beowulf • Verse Indeterminate Saxon • Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, • 5 • monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah, oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra • 10 • ofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning! ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned, geong in geardum, þone god sende folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat • 15 • þe hie ær drugon aldorleaselange hwile. Him þæs liffrea, wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf; Beowulf wæs breme (blæd wide sprang), Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in. • 20 • Swa sceal geongguma gode gewyrcean, fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme,þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen wilgesiþas, þonne wig cume, leode gelæsten; lofdædum sceal • 25 • in mægþa gehwære man geþeon. Him ða Scyld gewat to gescæphwile felahror feran on frean wære. Hi hyne þa ætbæron to brimes faroðe, swæse gesiþas, swa he selfa bæd, • 30 • þenden wordum weold wine Scyldinga; leof landfruma lange ahte. þær æt hyðe stod hringedstefna, isig ond utfus, æþelinges fær. Aledon þa leofne þeoden, • 35 • beaga bryttan, on bearm scipes, mærne be mæste. þær wæs madma fela of feorwegum, frætwa, gelæded; ne hyrde ic cymlicor ceol gegyrwan hildewæpnum ond heaðowædum, • 40 • billum ond byrnum; him on bearme læg madma mænigo, þa him mid scoldon on flodes æht feor gewitan. Nalæs hi hine læssan lacum teodan, þeodgestreonum, þon þa dydon • 45 • þe hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon ænne ofer yðe umborwesende. þa gyt hie him asetton segen geldenneheah ofer heafod, leton holm beran, geafon on garsecg; him wæs geomor sefa, • 50 • murnende mod. Men ne cunnon secgan to soðe, selerædende,hæleð under heofenum, hwa þæm hlæste onfeng. ða wæs on burgum Beowulf Scyldinga, leof leodcyning, longe þrage • 55 • folcum gefræge (fæder ellor hwearf, aldor of earde), oþþæt him eft onwoc heah Healfdene; heold þenden lifde, gamol ond guðreouw, glæde Scyldingas. ðæm feower bearn forð gerimed • 60 • in worold wocun, weoroda ræswan,Heorogar ond Hroðgar ond Halga til; hyrde ic þæt wæsOnelan cwen, Heaðoscilfingas healsgebedda. þa wæs Hroðgare heresped gyfen, • 65 • wiges weorðmynd, þæt him his winemagas georne hyrdon, oðð þæt seo geogoð geweox, magodriht micel. Him on mod bearn þæt healreced hatan wolde, medoærn micel, men gewyrcean • 70 • þonne yldo bearn æfre gefrunon, ond þær on innan eall gedælan geongum ond ealdum, swylc him god sealde, buton folcscare ond feorum gumena. ða ic wide gefrægn weorc gebannan • 75 • manigre mægþe geond þisne middangeard, folcstede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp, ædre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð ealgearo, healærna mæst; scop him Heort naman se þe his wordes geweald wide hæfde. • 80 • He beot ne aleh, beagas dælde, sinc æt symle. Sele hlifade, heah ond horngeap, heaðowylma bad, laðan liges; ne wæs hit lenge þa gen þæt se ecgheteaþumsweorum • 85 • æfter wælniðe wæcnan scolde. ða se ellengæst earfoðlice þrage geþolode, se þe in þystrum bad, þæt he dogora gehwam dream gehyrde hludne in healle; þær wæs hearpan sweg, • 90 • swutol sang scopes. Sægde se þe cuþe frumsceaft fira feorran reccan, cwæð þæt se ælmihtiga eorðan worhte,wlitebeorhtne wang, swa wæter bebugeð, gesette sigehreþig sunnan ond monan • 95 • leoman to leohte landbuendum ond gefrætwade foldan sceatas leomum ond leafum, lif eac gesceop cynna gehwylcum þara ðe cwice hwyrfaþ. Swa ða drihtguman dreamum lifdon • 100 • eadiglice, oððæt an ongan fyrene fremman feond on helle. Wæs se grimma gæst Grendel haten,

E. Revival of Christianity 1. Columba (563 A.D.), a soldier and abbot, sailed from Ireland and traveled through northern Britain (Scotland). 2. Later, the Roman Church sent missionaries. St. Augustine arrived in southeast England around 597, converted the king, and set up a monastery at Canterbury. 3. Importance: a. Warlords could not claim to be related to pagan gods. b. Freeman couldn’t treat children, wives, or slaves with outright cruelty.

c. Church leaders could end old feuds without bloodshed. 4. Elements of civilization returned by Church: education and written literature

III. Important Anglo-Saxon Figures A. Alfred the Great, King of Wessex 1. resisted the Viking invasion and expanded his kingdom 2. kept records of English history in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 3. encouraged learning and education 4. oversaw translations of literature from Latin into the vernacular 5. fostered the growth of an English language and literature

B. Bede: a monk who wrote A History of the English Church and People. He combined the idea of the Roman Church as the universal force with a distinctly nationalistic view of a unified English people. C. Caedmon and Cynewulf: two poets D. Acluin: a monk who produced major works in philosophy, religion, and Latin grammar

E. Aelfric: wrote many works in the vernacular, including sermons F. Wulfstan: wrote several sermons and a speech on the Danish raids G. Edward the Confessor: his death led to the Norman conquest of England by William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 which ended the Anglo-Saxon period of literature.

IV. Characteristics of Anglo- Saxon Poetry A. Poetry is the major genre of the period. B. Anglo-Saxon poetry does not rhyme but has a definite rhythm. C. It is didactic, meant to teach. D. Each line has four beats per line with a pause after the second beat called a caesura. E. Alliteration is present in the poetry – Repetition of initial consonant sounds in a line of poetry. (Example : The welter of the waves)

F. Onomatopoeia – The sound of the word suggests the sound. (welter) G. Kenning – An elaborate way of describing something ordinary. (Heaven’s high arch = rainbow; or The whale road = ocean) H. Epic – A narrative poem about the deeds of a hero.

V. Additional Terms A. runes - alphabet of letters B. scops - professional minstrels C. vernacular: language of the common people D. elegy: a mournful, contemplative poem E. two types of Anglo-Saxon verse. 1. Heroic poetry: recounts the achievements of warriors involved in great battles 2. Elegiac poetry: sorrowful laments that mourn the deaths of loved ones and the loss of the past

Time Period 1 “The barbarians drive us to the sea. The sea drives us back towards the barbarians. Between them we are exposed to two sorts of death: we are either slain or drowned.” This description was part of a desperate plea for help sent in the early 400s by the Celtic people of Britain to the consul of Rome. The Celts were under attack by Scottish and Irish tribes, but Rome was too busy trying to save its own crumbling empire to spare any soldiers. Next, the Celts sought help from the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes–tribes that occupied regions of what is now Germany. Unfortunately, these tribes viewed the Celts’ plea as an opportunity to take over Britain. The Anglo-Saxon warriors, clothed in animal skins and wielding spears, drove the Celts into the mountains and took the land for their own. It was a bloody beginning for the nation that would come to be known as England.

Time Period 2 The Anglo-Saxon PeriodMany consider that English history began with the invasion of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in 449. These Germanic invaders took over the southeastern part of the island and called it “Angle-land.”  The Middle Ages When the English council of elders chose Harold II as king in 1066, the Duke of Normandy retaliated by attacking and defeating the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings, emerging as England’s first Norman king, William I.  Moving Toward a New Era The fourteenth century was a dark time in England’s history. Edward III warred against France, and the Black Death killed almost a third of England’s people; But towns and cities continued to grow, and the feudal system was fading. A new era was approaching. The Danish Invasions By the middle ofthe ninth century, most of England had fallen to Danish and Norse invaders. However, the tide was turned in 878 when Alfred, the Saxon king of Wessex, led his warriors to victory over the Danes in the Battle of Edington. Alfred went on to capture London and, eventually, much of England. For these and other feats, Alfred was called “the Great.” Later, Alfred’s son and grandson won back all of England from the Danes, and the country was at peace.  Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information.

Time Period 3 The First Crusade In the middle of the eleventh century, the Turks took over Jerusalem, which was regarded by Christians as a holy land. Pope Urban II called for a crusade to recover the Holy Land for Christianity. In 1096, thousands of Christians marched into battle, and victory was declared in 1099. However, this was just the beginning of a series of bloody crusades between Christians and Muslims that would last until 1270.  The Model Parliament In 1215, a group of barons forced the unpopular King John to agree to a Great Charter, or Magna Carta, which granted the common people many rights and paved the way for a parliament.  Peasants’ Revolt (Tyler’s Rebellion) In the late fourteenth century, King Richard II instituted a tax to pay for the war with France. In protest, Walter Tyler, a former soldier, organized a revolt. The rebels forced the king to repeal the tax, but the rebellion was crushed when the mayor of London killed Tyler on June 15, during negotiations.  Firsts Arabic numerals replaced Roman numerals at about the beginning of the eleventh century; buttons began to be used as fasteners in the thirteenth century; mechanical clocks appeared in Europe in the fourteenth century. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information.

Time Period 4 • Food and Fashion • In the fifteenth century, noblewomen wore pointed headdresses, while men sometimes wore liripipes, or hoods with long, pointed backs.  • Social status determined what food an individual ate. The wealthy tended to eat richer, fattening foods, such as red meat, mutton, and gravy. The common people ate vegetables and high-fiber products. Bread was a staple for all social classes.  • Nobles held abundant feasts featuring a rich variety of foods. The first course might consist of fish, chicken, and fritters; the second course might include roast beef, meat pies, stewed lamb, and crayfish tails.  • Arts & Entertainment • The first English cathedral was built in Canterbury between 1070 and 1180.  • Knights provided sport and entertainment for others by participating in showy tournaments, which gave them the opportunity to practice fighting and show off their skills. However, the mock battles were dangerous and sometimes fatal. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information.

Time Period 5 Songs and Poems Few people of the time could read, but they loved to listen to songs, stories, poems, sermons, and religious plays. Traveling minstrels and members of the clergy created a great body of oral literature in order to entertain and to teach.  Stained-Glass Windows The beautifully crafted stained-glass windows of the cathedrals were more than decorations. They presented Bible stories and moral lessons to educate and inspire those who could not read written language but who could appreciate pictures.  The Anglo-Saxon ChronicleThe Anglo-SaxonChronicle was compiled inOld English and served as a year-by-year diary of important world events. Some years of English history were extensively recorded while others were left incomplete or blank. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was updated until the twelfth century.  Riddles Telling riddles was a common form of intellectual stimulation for the English in the Middle Ages. “The wave, over the wave, a weird thing I saw, through-wrought, and wonderfully ornate: a wonder on the wave–water became bone (ice).” Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information.

Time Period 6 Literary Trends: From Latin and French to English In its early stages, English was mostly a spoken rather than a written language. Although a few works of literature were written in Old English, most were written in Latin. For example, the Venerable Bede composed his monumental Ecclesiastical History of the English People in Latin even though he lived in and wrote mostly about England. When French culture began to dominate Europe, educated English people spoke and wrote in French. Even as French dominance declined, the influence remained. For example, the printer of Sir Thomas Malory’s story of King Arthur thought it fitting to give the English work a French title: Le Morte d’Arthur. Gradually, however, the English language became the vehicle for its own literature. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, for example, was composed in English.  England’s First Printer In 1476 William Caxton set up a wooden printing press in a shop near Westminster Abbey after having traveled to Germany and Belgium to learn the printing process. At the time, many forms of English were being used, posing an interesting problem for Caxton. He had to chose which form of English print. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information.

Time Period 7 English Becomes a Language Language changes constantly. Imagine, then, how the English language changed in the thousand years between 450 and 1500. On its way to becoming Modern English, the language went through two major stages, Old English and Middle English.  Old English (about 450–1150) Old English developed in the middle of the fifth century and had two primary sources: the language of the Celtic people and the language of the invading Germanic tribes.  • Though only a tiny percentage of English words are Anglo-Saxon, these common words make up a large percentage of the typical Modern English sentence.  • Almost half of Modern English vocabulary comes from Latin and French.  • French was the language of the upper classes. No king of England spoke English as his native language between 1066 and 1399.  Middle English (about 1150–1500) Linguistic diversity was so great during this period that people in one part of England often could not understand people in another part. Gradually, however, the dialect spoken in London was becoming the standard. Middle English began its evolution into Modern English.  • Middle English was characterized by simple grammar. The number of word forms was reduced from those in Old English, and a fixed word order was developed.  • Speakers and writers remained casual about spelling.  • Norman scribes introduced gh and ch and changed cw to qu. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information.

The Anglo-Saxon Period