Early English History and Language

1. Early English History and Language Pre-History – 1066 A.D.

2. Overview of Periods of Early English HistoryPre-History—1066 A. D. • Pre-Rome/Pre-History  up to 55 B. C. • Roman Occupation  55 B. C. – 410 A. D. • Anglo-Saxon Period  410 – 787 A. D. • Viking Invasions  787 – 1066 A. D. • Norman Conquest begins in 1066

3. Pre-Historic / Pre-Roman??-55 B.C. Stonehenge circa 3100 BC

4. A towering circle of ancient stones, draped in the mist of centuries. The clatter of horses’ hooves, the clash of swords and spears. A tiny island whose motley tongue would become the language of the world, and whose laws, customs, and literature would help form Western civilization. This is England, and the story begins here. McDougal Littell, p 18

5. The islands we know as Great Britain have been occupied by man since the Paleolithic Period [Old Stone Age]. We have archeological evidence dating back 40,000 years of nomadic peoples living in what is now England and Wales. © Dane Degenhardt, Monde Dane, 2009. www.wordinfo.info/.../Eng-hist-2-Celts-Brit.gif

6. Centuries of Invasion The Dark Ages, as the Anglo-Saxon period is often called, was a time of bloody conflicts, ignorance, violence, and barbarism. Life was difficult, and the literature of the period reflects that reality. Little imagery of the brief English summers appears in this literature; winter prevails, and spring comes slowly, if at all. The people were serious minded, and the reader finds scarce humor in their literature. Indeed, many of the stories and poems present heroic struggles in which only the strong survive. And no wonder.McDougal Littell, p 19

7. Chief among the earliest actual cultures was a group of loosely related tribes called Celtswhich inhabited most of central Europe. It is not known when the Celts entered Great Britain; but according to Julius Caesar, it was likely before 200 BC. The Celtic tribe which entered Great Britain was called the Brythons [which became Britons from which we get the term Britain]. The Celts were great story-tellers, great drinkers and great fighters - with a liking for single combat, after which the victor proudly displays the severed head of his opponent. Their religion was polytheistic [from the Greek roots polys-many; theos-god]. The Celts in Europe began to trouble their very different neighbors, the sober and disciplined Romans during the first century B.C. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid =831&HistoryID=aa84&gtrack=pthc#ixzz0ukMiW6rF

8. The first person ever to write about England may have been the Roman general Julius Caesar, who in 55 B.C attempted to conquer the British Isles. Put off by fierce Celtic warriors, Caesar hastily claimed victory for Rome and returned to Europe, leaving the Britons(as the people were known) and their neighbors to the north and west, • the Pictsand Gaels, in peace. • McDougal Littell, p 19 Fosse Way- Built in 47 AD by the Emperor Claudius , it is the only road remaining from the initial Roman invasion. geograph.org.uk

9. A century later, however, the Roman army returned in force and made good Caesar’s claim. Britain became a province of the great Roman Empire, and the Romans introduced cities, roads, written scholarship, and eventually Christianity to the island. Their rule lasted more than three hundred years. “Romanized” Britons adapted to an urban lifestyle, living in villas and frequenting public baths, and came to depend on the Roman military for protection. Then, early in the fifth century, the Romans pulled out of Britain, called home to help defend their beleaguered empire against hordes of invaders. With no central government or army, it was not long before Britain, too, became a target for invasion. McDougal Littell, p 19 www.hadrians.com/.../roman_soldiers_clothes.html

10. Summary of the Roman Occupation • Julius Caesar began the invasion/occupation of Britain in 55 B.C. His visits planted the seeds for trade and diplomacy that made possible the later occupation by Claudius. Tacitus, Agricola13 • The occupation was completed by the Emperor Claudius from 43 to 50 A.D. • The Romans left in 410 A.D. because the Visigoths attacked Rome and the fall of the empire began. By 476 there was no longer a western Roman Empire. • St. Augustine landed in Kent in 597 and converted King Aethelbert (king of Kent, the oldest Saxon settlement) to Christianity; he became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

11. Roman architecture found in England today. Hadrian’s Wall built about 122 A.D. Roman baths at Bath, England www.travelpod.com/.../tpod.html www.travlang.com www.english-heritage.org.uk/.../

12. Cultural and Historical Results of the Roman Occupation in Britain • Military • Celts were pushed into Wales and Ireland. • Romans prevented Vikings from raiding for several hundred years: C. Warren Hollister writes, “Rome’s greatest gift to Britain was peace” (15). • Infrastructure • The Romans built a strong government (fell apart when the Romans left). • Architectural structures were built: Roads, walls, cities, villas, public baths (some remains still exist) • Language and Writing • Latin became the official language • The practice of recording history led to the earliest English “literature” being documentary [Venerable Bede 672-735: Ecclesiastical History of the English People]. • Religion • Christianity began to take hold, especially after St. Augustine converted King Aethelbert www.classjump.com/.../Anglo-Saxon%20%20Old%20English%20History%20and%20Literature%201.ppt

13. The Most Important Results of the Roman Occupation • Latin heavily influenced the English language. • Relative peace prevailed. • Christianity began to take hold in England (but did not fully displace Paganism for several hundred years).

14. The Anglo-Saxon Period410-787 Angles-Anglii Jutes-Jutland Saxons-SouthernJutland www.classjump.com

15. McDougal Littell, p 19 The Angles and Saxons, along with other Germanic tribes, began arriving from northern Europe around 449 AD. The Britons—perhaps led by a Celtic chieftain named Arthur(likely the genesis of the legendary King Arthur of myth and folklore)—fought a series of battles against the invaders. Eventually, however, the Britons were driven to The west (Cornwall and Wales), the north (Scotland), and across the English Channel to an area of France that became known as Brittany.

16. http://www.phancocks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/localhistory/germanic.htmhttp://www.phancocks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/localhistory/germanic.htm McDougal Littell, p 19 Settled by the Anglo-Saxons, the main part of Britain took on a new name: Angle-land, or England. Anglo-Saxon culture became the basis For English culture, and their gutteral, vigorous language became the spoken language of the people, the language now known as Old English.

17. Important Events in the Anglo-Saxon Period • From 410- 450, Angles and Saxons invaded from Baltic shores of Germany, and the Jutes invaded from the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. [The Geats, a tribe from Jutland, appear in the epic Beowulf.] • Nine Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms eventually became the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy (England was not unified), or “Seven Sovereign Kingdoms.” www.classjump.com

18. Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy[hept=7 arch=government, rule] • Heptarchy = Seven Kingdoms [England-to-be] • Kent • Essex (East Saxon) • Sussex (South Saxon) • East Anglia • Northumbria • Mercia • Wessex (West Saxon) Scotland-to-be 5 6 4 Wales-to-be 2 1 7 3 Do you recognize any of these names? www.classjump.com

19. Viking Invasions 787-1066 home.online.no/~joeolavl/viking/osebergskipet.htm

20. The 790s brought the next wave of invaders, a fearsome group of seafaring marauders from the rocky, windswept coasts of Denmark and Norway: the Vikings. Shrieking wildly and waving giant battle-axes, Viking raiders looted, killed, and burned down entire villages. At first, they hit and ran; later, finding England a more pleasant spot to spend the winter than their icy homeland, the Danish invaders set up camps and gradually gained control of much of the north and east of the country. McDougall-Littell, p 20

21. The first Viking raids in the British Isles were in 793. For the next 30-40 years, the Vikings engaged in hit-and-run raids where they landed a small number of ships at a settlement, spent a few days pillaging and burning it before heading back to Scandanavia to sell their booty. The Vikings were after two types of booty - riches and slaves - which they carried off to sell. They soon found that the monasteries were the richest sources of both goods and this is why monasteries suffered so much. However, the Vikings also attacked a lot of grádFhéne (commoner's) dwellings. getasword.com/.../ www.wesleyjohnston.com/.../vikings.html

22. www.wesleyjohnston.com/.../vikings.html Picture by Ray PritchardPicturesOfEngland.com However, the Vikings were soon to improve their methods of pillaging. Instead of landing 3 or 4 boats, raiding nearby settlements and going back to Scandanavia, they decided to scale-up. They brought between 50 and 100 boats of Viking warriors, landed, and set up a camp. From this base they then raided extensively into the surrounding countryside for a period of several months. They pillaged monasteries, churches, the fortresses, and farms.

23. McDougall-Littell, p 20 In the south, the Danes finally met defeat at the hands of a powerfulAnglo-Saxon king known as Alfred the Great. Alfred unified the English, and under his rule, learning and culture flourished. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a record of English history, was initiated at his bidding.

24. A sidebar about the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/asintro2.html The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is one of the most important documents that has come down to us from the middle ages. It was originally compiled on the orders of King Alfred the Great in approximately A.D. 890, and subsequently maintained and added to by generations of anonymous scribes until the middle of the 12th Century. The original language was Anglo-Saxon (Old English), but later entries were probably made in an early form of Middle English.

25. We like to think of this document as the ultimate timeline of British history from its beginnings up to the end of the reign of King Stephen in 1154. The Chronicle certainly does not present us with a complete history of those times and is probably not 100% accurate, either, but that doesn't diminish its enormous value in helping us to arrive at a clearer picture of what actually happened in Britain over a thousand years ago. The entire Chronicle runs to almost 100,000 words. Seven of the nine surviving manuscripts and fragments now reside in the British Library. The remaining two are in the at Oxford and Cambridge universities. http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/asintro2.html

26. Important Results of the Anglo-Saxon and Viking Invasions • Politically and Culturally • Continued political instability and conflict (i.e., tribal war): there was no central government or church • The Anglo-Saxon code (more on this when we read Beowulf) • Linguistically • The English language is “born” during the first millennium and is known as Old English (OE). Anglo-Saxon is the term for the culture. • Old English is mainly Germanic  the core of our modern English is vastly influenced by this early linguistic “DNA” • MANY dialects of Old-English, as one might imagine. This is because there were five or six different cultures: Angles, Saxons, Frisians, Jutes, Danes, and Swedes *Alfred the Great (ruled from approx. 871-899 A.D.) was one of the first Anglo-Saxon kings to push Vikings back; in fact, he was one of the first kings to begin consolidating power, unifying several of the separate Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. www.classjump.com

27. Huh?(we better boil those important results down!) • Lots of ongoing tribal feuds and wars led to . . . • Lots of intermingling of similar but different Germanic languages . . . interrupted by . . . • MORE Viking invasions, which gave way to . . . • Some political unification (Alfred) . . . • . . . Which led to . . . • OLD ENGLISH, the earliest form of our language!! www.classjump.com

28. The Norman Conquest1066 McDougal Littell, p 20 In 1042, a descendant of Alfred’s took the throne, the deeply religious Edward the Confessor. Edward, who had no children, had once sworn an oath making his French cousin William, duke of Normandy, his heir—or so William claimed. When Edward died, however, a council of nobles and church officials chose an English earl named Harold to succeed him. Incensed, William led his Norman army in what was to be the last successful invasion of the island of Britain: the Norman Conquest.

29. Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and on Christmas Day of that year, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England. The Norman Conquest ended Anglo-Saxon dominance in England. Losing their land to the Conquerors, noble Scale model of the Battle of Hastings families sank into the peasantry, and a new class of privileged Normans took their place. McDougal Littell, p 20

30. A Voice from the Times William returned to Hastings, and waited there to know whether the people would submit to him. But when he found that they would not come to him, he went up with all his force that was left and that came since to him from over sea, and ravaged all the country. . . . —Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Edward the Confessor in his coffin Bayeux Tapestry Harold receives arrow in his eye at the Battle of Hastings and dies. Bayeux Tapestry www.historic-uk.com/.../NormanConquest.htm

31. A Sidebar on the Bayeux Tapestry The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidery, 1.6 by 230 ft, made in the 11th century. The origin of the tapestry is unknown. The earliest known written reference to it is a 1476 inventory of Bayeaux Cathedral.. It is on display today in Bayeaux, Normandy, France. Celebrating the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy, this linen canvas was probably created after the Battle of Hastings on October 14th, 1066 in the south of England by Anglo-Saxon embroiderers as their work was well-known throughout Europe. Legendary animals, ships, Vikings, Norman and Saxon cavalries illustrate the exploits of William and his opponent Harold, another pretender to the throne of England. http://www.tapestry-bayeux.com/index.php?id=3

32. Section depicting Halley’s Comet. The tapestry: 18 inches high and 230 feet long Death of King Harold Normans sailing to Hastings

33. Early England Created by Three Invasions 2. Anglo-Saxon and Viking Invasions 410 – 1066 A.D. 1. Roman Occupation 55 B.C.-410 A.D. GERMAN(IC) 3. The Norman Invasion (The Battle of Hastings) in 1066 A.D. LATIN (Roman) www.classjump.com FRENCH

34. Results of the Norman Conquest • Two Most Important Effects: • French becomes official language of politics and power and exerts enormous influence on Old English • England begins unifying under a French political system, much of which is still with us (even in the U.S.) today

35. The Spread of Christianity • Like all cultures, that of the Anglo-Saxons changed over time. The early invaders were seafaring wanderers whose lives were bleak, violent, and short. Their pagan religion was marked by a strong belief in wyrd, or fate, and they saved their admiration for heroic warriors whose fate it was to prevail in battle. As the Anglo-Saxons settled into their new land, however, they became an agricultural people— less violent, more secure, more civilized.

36. The bleak fatalism of the Anglo-Saxons’ early beliefs may have reflected the reality of their lives, but it • offered little hope. Life was harsh, it taught, and the • only certainty was that it would end in death. Christianity opened up a bright new possibility: that the suffering of this world was merely a prelude to the eternal happiness of heaven. Early Anglo-Saxon literature reflected a fatalistic worldview, while later works were influenced by rapidly spreading Christianity.

37. Christianity takes hold No one knows exactly when the first Christian missionaries arrived in Britain, but by a.d. 300 the number of Christians on the island was significant. Over the next two centuries, Christianity spread to Ireland and Scotland, and from Scotland to the Picts and Angles in the north. In 597, a Roman missionary named Augustine arrived in the kingdom of Kent, where he established a monastery at Canterbury. • From there, Christianity spread so rapidly that by 690 all of Britain was at least nominally Christian, though • many held on to some pagan traditions and beliefs. McDougall Littell p. 21

38. Monasteries became centers of intellectual, literary, artistic, and social activity. At a time when schools and libraries were completely unknown, monasteries offered the only opportunity for education. Monastic scholars imported books from the Continent, which were then painstakingly copied. In addition, original works were written, mostly in scholarly Latin, but later in Old English. The earliest recorded history of the English people came from the clergy at the monasteries. McDougall Littell p. 21

39. The greatest of these monks was the Venerable Bede (c. 673–735), author of A History of the English Church and People. When Vikings invaded in the late eighth and ninth centuries, they plundered monasteries and threatened to obliterate all traces of cultural refinement. Yet Christianity continued as a dominant cultural force for more than a thousand years to come. McDougall Littell p. 21

40. The Venerable Bede (673-735), regarded asthe father of English history, lived and worked in a monastery in northern Britain during the late seventh and early eighth centuries. His most famous work, A History of theEnglish Church and People, is a major source of information about life in Britain from the first successful Roman invasion (about a.d. 46) to a.d. 731. The bookcontains many stories about the spread of Christianity among the English. A Sidebar on the Venerable Bede McDougall Littell, p. 92

41. http://www.religionfacts.com/ christianity/people/bede.htm First page of Bede’s History, this written in 800

42. At the age of seven, Bede was taken by his parents to amonastery at Wearmouth, on the northeast coast of Britain, where he was leftin the care of theabbot, Benedict Biscop. It is not known why the boy’s parents lefthim or whether he ever saw them again. When he was nine, Bede moved a short distance to a new monastery at Jarrow, where hespent the rest of his life. Raised By Monks Picture by Ray PritchardPicturesOfEngland.com McDougall Littell, p. 92

43. Multitalented Scholar Bede was a brilliant scholar and a gifted writer and teacher. He was also a careful and thorough historian. He sought out original documents and reliable eyewitness accounts on which to base his writing. Working in a chilly, damp, poorly lit cell in the monastery, Bede managed to write about 40 books, including works on spelling, grammar, science, history, and religion. McDougall Littell p. 21

44. A Bookish Boy Bede seems to have been a naturally devout and studious child. He read widely in the monastery libraries and participated fully in the religious life of the monastery. He was exposed to the art and learning of Europe through the paintings, books, and religious objects brought from Rome by Abbot Biscop. Bede became a deacon of the church at the age of 19—six years earlier than was usual—and was ordained to the priesthood when he was 30. McDougall Littell p. 21

45. Still Venerable Today Bede’s reputation as a scholar and a devout monk spread throughout Europe during his lifetime and in the centuries following. (The honorific title “Venerable” was probably first applied to him during the century after his death, as an acknowledgment of his achievements.) Although Bede was influenced by the outlook of his time—as is evident in the miracle stories he included in his History—his carefulness and integrity are still respected and valued by scholars today, almost 1,300 years later. The tomb of the Venerable Bede McDougall Littell p. 21

46. Interesting facts: • Bede is the only Englishman that Dante names in the Paradiso. • From Bede’s era came the idea of dating everything from the birth of Christ (AD). Thus, the letters BC (before Christ) may have been started by him. • Bede was the first person to use footnotes---thus they are his invention. • It is believed that the library at his monastery had between 300-500 books, making it one of the largest in England and a center • for education and culture. • The word Venerable was first attached to his name in the 9th century. It means that his holiness is recognized by the church.

47. The Epic Tradition Anglo-Saxon literature often focused on great Heroes such as Beowulf, though sometimes it addressed everyday concerns. The early literature of the Anglo-Saxon period mostly took the form of lengthy epic poems praising the deeds of heroic warriors. These poems reflected the reality of life at this time, which was often brutal. However, the context in which these poems were delivered was certainly not grim. McDougall Littell p. 21

48. on special occasions to celebrate in style. They feasted on pies and roasted meats heaped high on platters, warmed themselves before a roaring fire, And poems to life. on special occasions to celebrate in style. They feasted on pies and roasted meats heaped high on platters, warmed themselves before a roaring fire, and listened to scops—professional poets—bring the epic poems to life. In poets—bring the epic poems to life. In the great mead halls of kings and nobles, Anglo-Saxons would gather on special occasions to celebrate in style. They feasted on pies and roastedmeats heaped high on platters, warmed themselves before a roaring fire, and listened to scops—professional poets—bring the epic poems to life. heorot.dk McDougall Littell p. 21

49. Strumming a harp, the scop would chant in a clear voice that carried overthe shouts and laughter of the crowd, captivating them for hours on endwith tales of courage, high drama, and tragedy.McDougall Littell p. 21 adventuresindailyliving.blogspot.com matherart.com

50. To the Anglo-Saxons, these epic poems were far more than simple entertainment. The scop’s performance was a history lesson, moral sermon, and pep talk rolled into one, instilling cultural pride and teaching how a true hero should behave. At the same time, in true Anglo-Saxon fashion, the scop reminded his listeners that they were helpless in the hands regia.org of fate and that all human ambition would end in death. With no hope for an afterlife, only an epic poem could provide a measure of immortality. McDougall Littell p.