England – The Anglo - Saxon society

England – The Anglo-Saxon society

The decline of the Romans – the rise of the Anglo-Saxons • By the 5th c. AD all of the last Roman legions had left the British Isles • The Celts were subdued by the new invaders – the Anglo-Saxons • They arrived from the continent in several waves (mixture of people from north Germany, Denmark and northern Holland)

After a century long series of wars, they established their kingdoms:

Who were they? • Little is known about their society and beliefs • Most of the historical data date back to the 8th and 9th c., all written down by Christian monks • They are described as savage wild warrior tribes • They followed the code of bravery and loyalty

Society Overlord/Thane High lords Lords Warriors

Beliefs • Shared beliefs with their Scandinavian cousins – the Norse tribes and the Vikings • In contrast to the Vikings` belief system, they believed in female deities rather than male • Nerthus – the supreme goddess, the Earth Mother • The second face of Nerthus is Freya (Frea, Frija) – the goddess of love, lust, friendship

She was the wife of Woden (Odin) – magic, hunting • Other important gods/goddesses: • Eostre – spring, new life, beginnings (hare, eggs) • Thir – Ancestor of trolls • Thunor (Thor) – God of Thunder

Sacred animals, spirits and monsters • The hare • The boar • Elves • Ettins (trolls) • Valkyries

Customsand festivals • The `Wild Hunt` - the travel to Valhalla • Wild boar sacrifice – New Year resolution • Geola festival – midwinter festival in November, the `blood month` • Modranect – the mother`s night, today`s Christmas

Festivals cont., priests, holy places • Eostre – in April • Halig monap – September, harvest month • Holy places: not built (opp. to the Celts), but: ponds, woods, rivers, glades etc. • Priests existed, but we know nothing about them. Only certain is the fact that they were forbidden to carry arms, weapons

Establishment of the kingdoms • By the end of the 6th c. there were firmly established kingdoms with firm borders • The strongest kingdom had the title of the thane • By 686 AD Christianity was established in all kingdoms, in a modified semi-pagan manner

INTERESTING FACTS • Without Roman soldiers to defend them, the Britons were in danger from raids, so some British leaders paid Anglo-Saxons to fight for them against the Picts. • Roman sailors wore blue uniforms and Roman navy ships guarding Britain had blue sails. So they would not be mistaken for 'barbarians'. • Anglo-Saxons died, their bodies were either cremated or buried in a grave. The objects buried with them tell us about their jobs (hunting, fighting and farming, making clothes).

Favourite Passtimes • Feasts, with singing, storytelling, often fights Their favourite story was the Beowulf (a heroic prince, kills the fierce man-eating monster Grendel, and Grendel's equally horrid mother) • Telling riddles, some of which were written down. Here's one riddle. I appear on the ground like a blanket, and melt in the midday sun. • Their letters were calledrunes. w/ magical powers • Men enjoyed rough pastimes, such as wrestling, weight-lifting (using heavy rocks) and horse-racing, watergames, and games like hockey and cricket.

Drinking horn • Lyre • Part of Beowulf

Silver penny A grave stone

An Anglo-Saxon house • Woman weaving, making thread

Pots • Leather shoes

England – The Anglo - Saxon society