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The United Kingdom of Great Britain. England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland plus several smaller islands. Mnemonic Devices. Learning techniques that aid memory Some mnemonic devices you may be familiar with: Roy G. Biv Please excuse my dear aunt Sally. Every good boy does fine. / FACE.
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland plus several smaller islands
Mnemonic Devices • Learning techniques that aid memory • Some mnemonic devices you may be familiar with: • Roy G. Biv • Please excuse my dear aunt Sally. • Every good boy does fine. / FACE
Great Britain has provided a variety of products and ideas • Stonehenge • The theory of gravity • The Industrial Revolution • Radar • Penicillin • Shakespeare • Robin Hood • The Beatles
The US took from Britain • Common law • emphasizes personal rights and freedom • British parliamentary government • British literature • English language
Invaders of Great Britain • Iberians • Celts (pronounced kelts) • Romans • Angles and Saxons • Vikings • Normans
Iberians (Old & New Stone Age) • 1st people to live in England • Short, dark skinned • Knowledge of metalworking • Knew how to make bronze • Bronze is an alloy consisting of mainly copper with tin. • Alloys combine two or more metallic elements to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion. • Bronze has been used for boat and ship fittings and propellors, statues and sculptures, cannons, guitar and piano strings, cymbals, medals, as well as other items.
Celts (Approx. 600 BC – 55 BC) • Physical characteristics: • Tall, blonde • Warriors • Lifestyle: • Introduced the use of iron to Europe • Skilled artisans (workers in skilled trades, especially ones that involved hand-made items; a craftsperson) – furniture, tools, clothing, jewelry • Highly developed religion • Legal system specified individual rights
Religion of the Celts • Animism – Latin word for “spirit” • Spirits in everything (rivers, trees, stones, fire) • Spirits (gods) controlled all aspects of existence; had to be constantly satisfied • Ritual dances or human sacrifices • Druids – priests • Intermediaries between gods and people • Stonehenge – May have been used by druids for religious rites related to solar and lunar cycles http://youtu.be/_n2QNHN72wA
Celtic Stories • The Celtic legends • strong women • fantastic animals (wolves, serpents, dragons) • incredible adventures • enchanted lands. • Anglo-Saxon stories brooding; male dominated
Romans (Approx. 55 BC – 400 AD) • Beginning of Christianity • Julius Caesar invaded in 55 BC • Emperor Claudius invaded about 100 years later; defeated the Celts • Romans built Hadrian’s Wall to prevent invasions • a 73-mile long defensive wall
More about Romans • Romans left in 410 AD • problems in Rome • Contributions: • Roads (5000 miles of stone road, some still in use today) • Walls • Villas • Great public baths • Left no central government in Britain
Anglo-Saxons (450 AD) • Angles and Saxons from Germany • Jutes from Denmark • Invaded middle of the 5th century • Celts resisted; eventually retreated to Wales • Today, traces of this culture can still be found.
Alfred the Great • Early Anglo-Saxon England • Divided into independent principalities • Each with its own “king.” • The country became a true nation when King Alfred of Wessex defeated the Danes • Danes Viking people • Crossed the North Sea 8th and 9th centuries • King Alfred revived interest in • Learning • The English language
St. Augustine • Converted England to Christianity a 2nd time by converting the Anglo-Saxon kings/subjects • Irish and Continental missionaries. • Parts of old pagan religion remained • Anglo-Saxons and Danes continued to battle • Defeated by William, Duke of Normandy in 1066
Anglo-Saxon Life • Depended upon loyalty to the leader • Homesteads • single-family, wooden dwellings • surrounded a warm, fire-lit chieftain's hall, also called a mead hall • Fire in center; dais at one end • Protected by a wooden stockade fence • Led to a • Sense of security • Close relationship between leaders and followers
Two-class society • Thanes, or earls • Rulers • Related to the leader of the tribe • Churls • Bondservants • Ancestors captured by the tribe • Provided hard labor • Bound to earls’ service • They could earn possessions and special royal favor to become freemen.
Loyalty to the leader • Chieftain and his followers bound to each other until death • If the leader died • warriors had to avenge his death or die beside him. • Followers gain fame and success by • showing loyalty to the tribe leader • Success measured in gifts from the leader • The more loyal the more gifts • The more gifts the more successful
Lifestyle • Emphasized warfare • VERY SOCIAL! • Dinner noon until 3 PM in the mead hall (center of family life) • Mead drink of fermented honey, malt, & spices • Food • meat & fish • primary vegetable cabbage • Entertainment: • Women needlework • Men chess & backgammon, fishing, hunting, gambling, drinking, & fighting
Women’s Roles • The Anglo-Saxon society focused on warfare. • Women did have rights • inherit and hold property even after marriage. • Upper-class women supervised • the weaving and dyeing of cloth • slaughter of livestock • brewing of mead • beekeeping
Religion • Christianity had been brought to England • Pagan elements remained • Paganism dark, fatalistic religion • Wyrd represents one’s fate in life • Did not believe in the afterlife • Immortality achieved through heroic actions
Bards • Bards storytellers & history keepers • Also called scops • Sang about heroes and gods • accompaniment of harps. • Not inferior to warriors • writing poetry as important as fighting, hunting, farming, or loving.
Anglo-Saxon Literature • Elegiac, or mournful, in nature • Remember • Fatalistic • No belief in afterlife • Handed down orally
Monks and Monasteries • Monks founded monasteries • Monasteries • Sanctuaries for refugee scholars • Centers of learning • Stored Greek and Latin classics • Job copy manuscripts by hand • Scriptorium writing room • Quill pens • Vellum “paper” made from sheepskin • Winters so cold ink would freeze • The Church took learning seriously • Monks vows of silence
The English Language • Latin language of serious study • King Alfred • Had primary education taught in English • English respect as a language of culture • Instituted the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle a lengthy running history of England • Kept in the British Library