1 / 17

The Anglo-Saxons

The Anglo-Saxons. 449-1066 AD. The British Legacy. Had been invaded and settled many times over and all contributed to what is now Great Britain Celts Romans Angles and Saxons Vikings Normans. The Spirit of the Celts.

trynt
Download Presentation

The Anglo-Saxons

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Anglo-Saxons 449-1066 AD

  2. The British Legacy • Had been invaded and settled many times over and all contributed to what is now Great Britain • Celts • Romans • Angles and Saxons • Vikings • Normans

  3. The Spirit of the Celts • The Celts practiced Animism – saw spirits everywhere in rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire and thunder • Spirits (Gods) controlled all aspects of existence • Priests (Druids) acted as intermediaries between the gods and the people • Ritual dances took place to please the gods along with human sacrifices

  4. Celtic Heroes and Heroines • Celts idolized tall, strong women for their heroic tales (unlike current day) • Celtic stories were full of magic and fantastic animals, passionate love affairs, and incredible adventures in enchanted lands

  5. The Romans • When the Romans evacuated in 409 Ad, they left roads, walls, villas, and great public baths, but no central government • This left Britain vulnerable for invasion from the Germanic regions of continental Europe

  6. The Anglo-Saxons • Angles and Saxons came from Germany • Jutes came from Denmark • The language of the Anglo-Saxons became the dominant language of the land which was renamed Engla Land – England

  7. Alfred the Great and Christianity871-899 • King Alfred of Wessex (aka Alfred the Great) led the Anglo-Saxons against the Danes and united England • He was not defeated due to the gradual emergence of Christianity • It created a common faith and common system of morality and right conduct • Alfred was defeated in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy

  8. Anglo-Saxon Religion • Gods for Warriors • Odin – Norse god of death, poetry, and magic • Thor – god of thunder and lightning • Gods possessed special qualities • Bravery • Loyalty • Generosity • Friendship

  9. The Bards • The Bards (Scops – pronounced Shops) sang the songs of the heroes • Bards were not inferior to Warriors • Creating poetry was as important as hunting, farming, or loving • Non-Christian Anglo-Saxons did not believe in life after death so it was up to the bards to make them immortal through verse

  10. The Monks • The Christian monks were the ones who wrote the stories into book form • Preserved not only the Latin and Greek classics, but also some of the great works of popular literature, such as Beowulf • The language of the church was Latin, but the Monks transcribed books in the language of the people - English

  11. Beowulf • An epic poem written by an anonymous source • It is believed that it was written by a monk due to its Christian influences • The oldest manuscript to date is from 1000AD and is in the British Museum in London • It survived the burning of the monastaries (Henry VIII) and is in decent condition now with little burns

  12. Anglo-Saxon Poetry • The following poetic devices are essential features of A/S poetry: • Alliteration • Kennings

  13. Alliteration • The Repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to one another. Alliteration may occur • At the beginning or words, as in “bright blue” or “kind comment” • Within words, as in “jacket pocket”

  14. Alliterative Anglo-Saxons • Instead of rhymes, Anglo-Saxon oral poets used alliteration along with carefully placed pauses to add music and rhythm to their poems • Lines of Anglo-Saxon verse often are divided into two halves separated by a rhythmic pause, or caesura

  15. Kennings • A metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly • Kennings such as whale-road and battle-dew fill Anglo-Saxon poetry • Combining existing words from the relatively small Anglo-Saxon vocabulary helped poets to create alliteration • Kennings were memorable, ready-made phrases that bards could reuse and pass on to others

  16. Kennings Then and Now • Anglo-Saxon Kennings • Mead-hall • Ring-giver • Heaven’s high arch • Shapes of darkness • Shepherd of evil • Modern-Day Kennings • Gas guzzler • Queen bee • Headhunter • King of the hill • Snake in the grass

  17. The Use of Alliteration and Kennings • Anglo-Saxon literature was part of an oral tradition. Poems, songs, and stones were passed from one generation to another orally • Anglo-Saxon poets and storytellers used alliteration and kennings because these devices • Aided memory • Created sound effects • Pleased the audience

More Related