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Anglo-Saxon Period of Literature

Anglo-Saxon Period of Literature. Introduction. Great Britain . Island, isolated from Europe Invaded and settled many times Celts, the Romans, The Angles and Saxons, Jutes, Vikings, and Normans. The Celts (pronounced Kelts). Tall, blond warriors

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Anglo-Saxon Period of Literature

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  1. Anglo-Saxon Period of Literature Introduction

  2. Great Britain • Island, isolated from Europe • Invaded and settled many times • Celts, the Romans, The Angles and Saxons, Jutes, Vikings, and Normans

  3. The Celts (pronounced Kelts) • Tall, blond warriors • Among them a group called Brythons (Britons, from which the name Great Britain is derived • Their religion called animism (from Latin word for “spirit”) • Saw spirits or gods in all aspects of existence • Priests were called Druids, who acted as intermediaries between the gods and the people • Some believe Stonehenge was built and used by the Druids • British and Irish writers were influenced by the mythology of the Celts • The Arthurian Legend based on Celtic legend • Celtic stories were full of strong women, heroines

  4. Roman Invasion and Occupation • Invaded the Celts in 55 BC • Provided the armies and organization that prevented further invasion • Built a network of roads and a great defensive wall • Christianity took hold • Evacuated the island in AD 409 because of trouble at home

  5. Anglo-Saxon Attack • Angles and Saxons from Germany, Jutes from Denmark • Dominant language was Anglo-Saxon • Name became Engla land, or England • Celts resisted, but eventually retreated into Wales • King Alfred of Wessex, Alfred the Great, unified all of Great Britain with the help of Christianity • Developed kinship groups led by a strong chief • People farmed, maintained local governments, and created fine crafts, especially metalwork

  6. Anglo-Saxon Attack • Christianity replaced the old warrior religion • Monasteries served as centers of learning and preserved works from the older oral tradition • English gained respect as a written language • Women had rights • A woman inherited and held property upon the death of the husband • Maintained control of property even after remarrying. Prospective husbands had to offer a woman a substantial gift (morgengifu, Morning gift) which the woman had personal control over • Women joined religious communities; some became abbesses (included a monastery and a nunnery)

  7. Anglo-Saxon Religion • Anglo-Saxon religion was a dark, fatalistic religion brought from Germany and related to Norse or Scandinavian mythology • Odin: one of the most Norse gods/ god of death, poetry and magic/ Anglo-Saxon name was Woden ( could help humans communicate with spirits and associated with burial rites and ecstatic trances • Anglo-Saxon deity named Thunor was the same as the Norse god, Thor, god of thunder and lightning • More concerned with the earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship

  8. The Bards • Anglo-Saxon communal hall provided shelter, place for council meetings, space for storytellers and their audiences • Bards: skilled storytellers who sang of gods and heroes/ called scops, were equal with warriors and as important as fighting, hunting, farming, and loving • Anglo-Saxons hoped to remembered in poetic verse sung by the bards

  9. Ireland • Separated from England and Europe by wild seas was safe from being overrun by the Germanic tribes • Christianity became the dominant religion and Irish monks founded monasteries that became sanctuaries for refugee scholars from Europe and England • Monasteries became the centers of learning during this period • Monks copied manuscripts by hand which is probably the reason why ancient writings have been preserved

  10. Language • Latin was the language of serious study until the time of King Alfred • Through his efforts English gained respect as the language of culture

  11. Characteristics: The Anglo Saxon Period of Literature • Culturally diverse due to numerous invasions • Inhabited by the Iberians (people belonging to the pre-iron age who settled in the southwestern part of Europe), the Celts, the Romans, the Angles, the Saxons, the Vikings, and the Normans • Literature of England has Celtic roots • tales that have heroes leap into the sunlight • full of fantastic animals, passionate love affairs, fabulous adventures, enchanted lands with magic and imagination • Strong women and heroines • heavily influenced by Celtic mythology and legend • Period of government order under Roman rule

  12. Characteristics: The Anglo Saxon Period of Literature • Deeply affected by a combination of Christianity and a dark, fatalistic religion brought from Germany, which related to Norse mythology • Very concerned with the earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship • Language shifts due to the number of invasions • Latin the language of serious study until King Alfred when English gained respect as the language of culture • English language became a melting pot of numerous languages • Types of literature: Verse narratives, epic tales, legends, histories

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