Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066

1. Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066

2. England/Great Britain/United Kingdom • Island that includes England, Scotland and Wales • Known today as the United Kingdom of Great Britain • Invading peoples included the Iberians, Celts, Romans, Angles, Saxons. Jutes, Vikings, and Normans • from around 449-1066

3. The migrations of the invading peoples into England during the Anglo-Saxon period

4. The Celts • 4th century- Celtic people called Britons invaded England • Tall, blonde warriors; women had equal rights as men • Religion based on animism (spirits live in trees, rivers, rocks, etc) • Druid priests acted as intermediaries between the people and gods • Believed in the “Great Mother Goddess” who associated with nature

5. Stonehenge • Celtic priests (druids) were said to have built Stonehenge (a bunch of heavy stones placed in a circle) • Ceremonies celebrating the rites of the sun, moon, and astronomical events took place here • A mystery on how this monument was created • Stonehenge is one of the “Wonders of the Modern World”

6. Druid translates as “knowing the oak tree” because these priests performed religious ceremonies in oak groves • The oak tree and the mistletoe were sacred to the Celtic priests • The custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from the Celtic traditition • Druid priests were also responsible for educating the young

7. Celtic Mythology & Legend • Celtic mythology influenced the literature of England • These myths and legends are full of male and female heroes unlike the male dominated Anglo-Saxon literature schools normally teach. • The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table come from the Celtic myths

8. The Romans • Julius Caesar defeated the Celts (Britons) in 55 BC • The Romans occupied this area for 4 centuries • They built: ~roads that connected cities ~a defensive wall (Hadrian’s Wall) ~public baths • They promoted literacy and education • Their most important contribution was Christianity

9. Public Baths & Hadrian’s Wall

10. Angles, Saxons, and Jutes • Invaders from Germany (Angles and Saxons) and Denmark (Jutes) came in the 5th century • The name “England” comes from the Angle words Engla Land • The tribes and cities were not unified and they fought each other frequently • King Alfred the Great unified the tribes, established Christianity as the dominant religion, and had the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle written to record their history

11. Anglo-Saxon Culture/Life • Dominated by warfare and battle • Loyal to your family, tribe and leader (chief) • Comitatus: loyalty between leader and thane (warrior) in order to survive • People lived in close family communities for protection; kept animals/livestock inside living quarters • Main responsibility of the leader: protect your people and maintain law and order • Success and fame was measured in battle and by gifts the leader presented to you • Courage and strength more important than intelligence or a long life

12. Anglo-Saxon Culture/Life • Socialized in mead halls (a centralized building) where feasts, storytelling, and celebrations occurred; mead halls were “neutral” locations= no one would attack another tribe while in this communal hall • Mead is a fermented alcoholic beverage mixed with honey • Bard/scop (storyteller, songwriter, singer) who spread the fame of warriors from battle • Bards/scops regarded on equal status with warriors because they ensured the fame of the individual or tribe by recording and retelling history • Storytelling and singing took place in the mead hall celebrations

13. Anglo-Saxon Religion/Beliefs • Did not believe in an “afterlife” or heaven: you earned immortality through your actions which were sung by the bards/scops • Mainly concerned with ethics (sense of right and wrong) • Viewed life “fatalistically” (life is hard and short) • Wyrd means “fate”-your destiny is set in stone, cannot be changed: this belief made Anglo-Saxon warriors fierce and dangerous • Wergild means “man price”-payment for the death of another person, “payback” or revenge for a wrong done • The dragon is a symbol of evil and death; associated with guarding treasure • Norse gods: “Woden”=Wednesday and “Thor”=Thursday

14. Sutton Hoo Ship • In 1939 in Suffolk, England an enormous wooden ship (1300 years old) with vast amounts of treasure was discovered by archaeologists • This ship was the grave of an important king or warrior, as was the custom of Anglo-Saxon to bury the dead with important objects • Decorated vessels in gold, silver and bronze were discovered along with battle armor and weapons, musical instruments, money and other interesting objects • This discovery provided a glimpse into the life and customs of the Anglo-Saxons

15. Sutton Hoo

16. Beowulf: The Epic • The first great work of English national literture • The protagonist’s name if Beowulf which means “bear” • Beowulf is a Geat from Sweden who goes to Daneland (Denmark) to help King Hrothgar defeat an evil monster, Grendel • The epic is short only 3,200 lines (epics are usually around 15,000 lines) • Composed in Old English around 700 to 750 in Northumbria • The setting of the story is older from the early 6th century