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British Legends. The Anglo-Saxon Period. 449-1066 Theme: Heroes and Heroism. Proto Indo European. Indo-Iranian. Greek Albanian. Latin. Balto-Slavic. Celtic. Germanic. Baltic. Slavic. Welsh Bretan G ælic. Sanskrit. Iranian. Romanian French Spanish Portuguese Italian. Russian
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British Legends The Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066 Theme: Heroes and Heroism
Proto Indo European Indo-Iranian Greek Albanian Latin Balto-Slavic Celtic Germanic Baltic Slavic Welsh Bretan Gælic Sanskrit Iranian Romanian French Spanish Portuguese Italian Russian Ukrainian Czech Slovak Serb-Croatian Latvian Lithuanian Hindi Bengali Persian Kurdish
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? • Between 800 and 600 B.C., two groups of Celts from southern Europe invaded the British Isles. • Brythons (now spelled “Britons”) settled on the largest Island, Britain. • Gaels, settled on the second largest island, known to us as Ireland.
The Celts • farmers and hunters • organized themselves into clans • clans had fearsome loyalty to chieftains • looked to priests, known as Druids, to settle their disputes
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? • Roman conquest of Britain AD 43 • Britain annexed as a province in the Roman Empire • Difficult to control such a large piece of land • Brought Christianity to Britain around AD 300 • Pagan vs. Christian themes throughout; never fully indoctrinated at this time • The last Romans left around 407 A.D. • Needed to defend against rebelling European countries; England left to its own devices
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? • 449AD 3 Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) invade. • Destruction of Roman influence, including Christianity • New land: “Angle-land” - small tribal kingdoms - no written language - supported themselves through farming and hunting
An Anglo-Saxon Farmstead West Stow: reconstructed village
The Reemergence of Christianity • 596AD: attempt to convert Anglo- Saxons to Christianity • 597AD: Saint Augustine • converted King Ethelbert of Kent to Christianity. • set up a monastery in Canterbury in Kent. • 650AD: most of England is Christian; some hold on to previous beliefs • The church provided counsel to quarreling rulers in efforts to unify the English people. • At this time, the British Isles were not unified and included separate kingdoms with separate rulers. They fought continuously over the fertile, green land
Constant Conflict • 9th Century: • Norway invaded Northumbria (Anglo-Saxon kingdom in northern and central England), Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. • The Danes of Denmark targeted eastern and southern England
Alfred the GreatKing of Wessex 871-899 • 866—resisted Danish intrusion and earned “the great” title • Saxons acknowledged Danish rule in East and North • Danes respected Saxon rule in South • End of 10th Century—Danes want to widen Danelaw • Forced Saxons to select Danish Kings • 1042—Kingship returned to Alfred the Great’s descendent Edward • Edward the Confessor died in 1066. His death led to the end of the Anglo-Saxon Period.
Literature of Anglo-Saxon Times • 2 major influences 1) Germanic Traditions of the Anglo-Saxons 2) Christian Traditions of the Roman Church
Proto Indo European Indo-Iranian Greek Albanian Latin Balto-Slavic Celtic Germanic Baltic Slavic Welsh Bretan Gælic Sanskrit Iranian Romanian French Spanish Portuguese Italian Russian Ukrainian Czech Slovak Serb-Croatian Latvian Lithuanian Hindi Bengali Persian Kurdish
1) Germanic Traditions of theAnglo-Saxons • Germanic language – Mixture of various Germanic dialects + Old English – Old English (often looks like a foreign language)
Page of Beowulf manuscript in Old English Listen to me!
Heroic Ideals Dominate • Warrior culture – Poems and stories depict a society like the Anglo-Saxons • Military and tribal loyalties • Bravery of warriors • Generosity of rulers • Oral tradition – Songs and stories often sung and told about the valiant struggles of heroic warriors • More than just entertainment – provided a model for living and a form of immortality they could aspire to • Note: all of these provided the foundation for early written literature in Old English
Anglo-Saxon Literature cont. • Anglo-Saxon poetry falls mainly into two categories: • Heroic poetry – recounts the achievements of warriors • Elegiac poetry – laments the deaths of loved ones and the loss of the past • Beowulf is the most famous example of heroic poetry.
Sutton Hoo • Burial site discovered in 1939 • Important links to Anglo-Saxon world and Beowulf • Remains of a boat were discovered and large burial chamber containing numerous artifacts • Artifacts suggest a distinctly Christian element intermingled with pagan ritual.
