The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages Introduction to the Literary Period

1. The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle AgesIntroduction to the Literary Period Feature Menu Fast Facts Key Concept: The Anglo-Saxon Legacy Key Concept: The Normans Invade Britain Key Concept: Life in Medieval Society Your Turn

2. The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages Fast Facts Historical Highlights • The Romans invade Britain in 55 B.C. and create a four-hundred-year period of political stability. • King Alfred and his descendants unite Anglo-Saxon England in the late ninth century. • William the Conqueror defeats the Anglo-Saxons in 1066 and introduces feudalism to Britain.

3. The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages Fast Facts Literary Highlights • The brooding fatalism of pagan Anglo-Saxon culture gives the first British epic, Beowulf, its melancholy tone and stress on earthly heroism. • The bards ensure stories have an important position in early British culture. • Christian monks copy ancient manuscripts, preserving classical and Anglo-Saxon texts. • Chivalry gives rise to a new form of literature, the romance. [End of Section]

4. Key Concept: The Anglo-Saxon Legacy History of the Times • After the legions of Rome conquered the Celts, Roman armies kept Britain free from invaders. • Troubles at home forced Rome to evacuate its soldiers in A.D. 409, opening Britain to invasion.

5. Key Concept: The Anglo-Saxon Legacy History of the Times • Angle and Saxon clans impose warrior culture on the island for six centuries. • Until ninth century, Britain is subject to constant invasions and battles. • King Alfred unites Anglo-Saxons against the invading Danes. • The spread of Christianity helps unify the Anglo-Saxons.

6. Key Concept: The Anglo-Saxon Legacy Literature of the Times • Anglo-Saxon literature is rooted in oral tradition. • Poetry, like fighting, hunting, and farming, had great significance. • Bards relied on sound devices and repeated phrases to remember their tales. • Old English epic poem Beowulf combines Germanic heroism and Anglo-Saxon fatalism.

7. Key Concept: The Anglo-Saxon Legacy Literature of the Times • English emerges as a written language. • Christian monks copy ancient manuscripts, preserving classical and Anglo-Saxon texts. • Historical poems in Anglo-Saxon Chronicle detail events of early English history.

8. Key Concept: The Anglo-Saxon Legacy Comprehension Check What event led to the Anglo-Saxon invasion of the British provinces? [End of Section]

9. Key Concept: The Normans Invade Britain History of the Times • In the Norman invasion of 1066, William the Conqueror defeats the Anglo-Saxons. • To squash revolts, William divided the land among his loyal barons and built castles around the country. • By establishing a social structure called feudalism, William created a hierarchy of rulers under one lord and a network of thousands of knights sworn to serve him.

10. Key Concept: The Normans Invade Britain Literature of the Times • Old English disappears from laws and literature after William makes French the language of the state. • Reflecting the chasm between the British masses and the Norman rulers, literature was usually written in Latin or Norman French after 1066. • Bibles and gospels created in monasteries were celebrated for their brilliant illuminated manuscripts, all created by hand.

11. Key Concept: The Normans Invade Britain Comprehension Check How was William the Conqueror able to form such a powerful army following his victory in 1066? [End of Section]

12. Key Concept: Life in Medieval Society History of the Times • Medieval society was dependent on strictly defined social classes—nobility, knights, priests, merchants, and peasants. • The contributions of each group affected how well villages and towns prospered. • Villages, built around castles, were the fundamental center of medieval society. • Social mobility was nearly impossible in the Middle Ages. Social rank remained fixed.

13. Key Concept: Life in Medieval Society Literature of the Times • Some medieval writers began to use the vernacular, or language of the people. • Works written in English, such as ballads and romances, helped to define England’s identity. • A new literary form—the romance—becomes popular, reflecting the concepts of courtly love and chivalry. • Scholarly works from monasteries and universities reflect society’s interest in moral instruction and morality plays.

14. Key Concept: Life in Medieval Society Comprehension Check Describe the trends in English literature during the Middle Ages. Were they reflective of life at the time? [End of Section]

15. The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle AgesIntroduction to the Literary Period Your Turn Copy the Academic Vocabulary list into a notebook. Try to use the words as you outline the main ideas of the selections in the collection that follows. concept status diverse attribute emphasis [End of Section]

16. The End