ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE & THE EPIC poem

1. ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE & THE EPIC poem

2. 2000 B.C.—Invaders from Iberian peninsula invaded cave dwelling people • Create a sophisticated society • Stonehenge • 600 B.C.—Celts reach the British Isles • Built walled farms and hut villages • Separate Celtic tribes each with own King fought each other • 55 B.C.—Rome tries to conquer Britain • Dominating Mediterranean world • Julius Caesar • 43 A.D—Rome conquers Britain • Claudius • 300 years • Turned Britain into a prosperous colony • Meeting Halls, law courts, amphitheaters TIMELINE

3. 449—invasion of Germanic Tribes: Angles, Saxons, Jutes • take over southeastern part of England—call it “Angle-land” • Tribal communities ruled by warrior Kings • 596—missionaries attempt to convert Anglo-Saxons to Christianity • 650—most of England is Christian • 787—Danish invasion of England • Danes and Norsemen try to win Britain • By 800, most of England had fallen to invaders • 878 • Alfred, Saxon king of Wessex led warriors to victory over the Danes in Battle of Edington • Son and grandson won back all of England from Danes TIMELINE

5. 1066—King Edward dies • Duke of Normandy laid claim to English throne • British council appoints Harold II as King • Duke of Normandy attacks and defeats Anglo-Saxons (Battle of Hastings) • Results in England’s first Norman King, William I (William the Conqueror) • Results in influence of French culture • Feudalism/Chivalry • Feudalism—land was given to lords who supported the French king. These lords granted land to vassals in exchange for military duty • Chivalry • Knights strove to be honorable, generous, brave, skillful in battle, respectful to women, and helpful to the weak. TIMELINE

6. 1300s—Black death wipes out 1/3 of England’s population 1455—War of the Roses: civil wars between House of Lancaster and House of York in England TIMELINE CONTINUED

8. 15th century noble women wore pointed headdresses • Men wore hoods called liripipes with long pointed backs • Rich people passed laws allowing common people and servants to only wear cheap cloth clothing • Social status determined what food you ate • Wealthy—richer, fattening foods: red meat, gravy • Common People—veggies, high fiber products • Everyone ate bread FOOD & FASHION

9. Manuscripts decorated in bright colors and real gold Knights provided sport and entertainment by performing in tournaments People enjoyed watching jugglers, storytellers, musicians ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

10. Songs and Poems • Few people could read • Listed to songs, poems, stories, sermons • Clergy and traveling minstrels created a great body of oral literature • Stained Glass Windows • In cathedrals—presented Bible stories and moral lessons to educate those who could not read • Theology • Schools spread across Europe along with interest in reason and Greek philosophy • 700 • Possible composition of Beowulf—oldest known epic poem in English • 892 • Year by year diary of important World events LITERATURE

11. Early stages—mostly spoken rather than written • Latin was eventually written • 1066—French influence • English people spoke and wrote in French • 1476—William Caxton • Sets up a wooden printing press after traveling to Germany to learn about printing process • Many forms of English were being used in England • He chose which form and began to print--STANDARDIZATION LANGUAGE

12. Old English (450-1150) • Language of Celtic people and language of invading Germanic tribes • Only a few words today are Anglo-Saxon: to, and, for • French and Latin influence • French was language of upper class: No king of England spoke Old English as his native language between 1066-1300s LANGUAGE CONTINUED

13. Middle English (1150-1500) • During this time one part of England could not understand people in a different part • Characterized by simple grammar • Fixed word order developed • Addition of new words • Standardization of language LANGUAGE CONTINUED

14. Definition • Long narrative poem on a great and serious subject and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race EPIC POEM

15. Hero is of national importance; ideal man of culture Setting is a vast scope; great geographical distances Action consists of superhuman courage Supernatural forces intervene at times Style of writing is ceremonial Main characters have extended, formal speeches EPIC CONVENTIONS

16. Foil: someone or something that serves as a contrast to the other • Batman and The Joker • Alliteration: the repetition of an initial consonant sound in a poetic line • “The sound of the harp, and the scop’s sweet song…” (line 60). • Kenning: two words that employs figurative language in place of a concrete single noun • Whale-road= ocean • Epithet: a word or brief phrase often used to characterize a particular person, place, or thing • Spear-Danes= Danish people • Caesura: a break in the middle of a poetic line • “Fierce and furious, launched attack” (Line 81). Poetic/literary devices in Epic poetry