Great Britain: the Anglo-Saxons Literature and History

Created by Mrs. Casey MooreGoshen High School

Geography

• Great Britain is an island including England, Scotland, and Wales.

• The United Kingdom, the modern nation, includes Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and the British Isles.

Why should we study British history and literature?

• The United States was under British rule until 1776.– The language and literature of our country is

based on the English language and writing style of Great Britain.

– The British Parliamentary Government and the emphasis placed by the British on individual rights and freedom is the base for our government.

Great Britain has been invaded many times: Each invader changed the culture and language of Britain.

• The invaders include:1. The ancient Iberians2. The Celts 3. The Romans4. The Angles and Saxons5. The Vikings6. The Normans

Have you ever heard of any of these words or

civilizations before?

Discussion

The Celts

“All the Britons dye their bodies with woad, which produces a blue color, and this gives them a more terrifying appearance in battle. They wear their hair long, and shave their whole of their bodies except their head and upper lift.” – Julius Caesar

• Why would you name a basketball team after the Celts?

The Celts• The Brythons (Britons) were a group of Celts

whose name is the origin of Britain• The Celts believed that there were spirits

everywhere. The Druids, priests, conducted dances and even human sacrifices to keep the gods happy.

Built in three stages between 3100 and 1100 BC. Some of the pillars, which weigh up to four tons (the same amount as 2 F150 Ford Trucks),

are made of stone which is believed to have been transported 240 miles from Wales.

King Arthur- A Celtic Legend

What do you know about King Arthur?

• The legend of King Arthur was compiled by Sir Thomas Malory in the fifteenth century.

• The legends originated with the Celts.• King Arthur became the embodiment of

British values. • King Arthur was a chivalrous king and warrior. Chivalrous- relating to the code of knighthood;

reflecting the values of courtesy, self-sacrifice, and a sense of fair play

King Arthur- A Celtic Legend

Celtic Legends v. Anglo-Saxon Legends

• Celtic legends are full of strong women

• Celtic legends contain fairies, good folk, wee people, magic, and love

• Anglo-Saxon legends are male dominated

• Anglo Saxon legends are usually darker

The Romans

• Julius Caesar began the Roman invasion of Great Britain in 55 B.C. Emperor Claudius finally conquered Great Britain 100 years later.

• The Romans established Christianity.• After several hundred years, the Romans evacuated

their troops from Britain due to troubles at home, and the Anglo-Saxons invaded. (Otherwise we might be speaking Italian)

The Anglo-Saxon Invasion• In the middle of the fifth century (400 A.D. to 500

A.D.), the Angles and Saxons from Germany and the Jutes from Denmark, crossed the North Sea and invaded Great Britain. (The Anglo-Saxons were not defeated until 1066 by William, duke of Normandy)

• The Anglo-Saxons drove out the Celts and their language became dominant.

Alfred the Great• King Alfred of Wessex (871-899) unified the

nation in order to protect their land from the Danes.

• King Alfred was a scholar and patron of learning.– At the time of King Alfred, Latin was the key to

literature and Christianity. Latin was almost completely unknown in England.

– Alfred gathered scholars from across the continent and had them teach Latin as well as translate classics into the Anglo-Saxon language.

Alfred the Great

in principio creavit Deus caelum et terram

In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth

Christianity and the Anglo-Saxons

• Christianity began to reemerge in Britian during the time of King Alfred.

• Christianity helped to unite the people because it gave them common morals and faith.

• Christianity also linked England to the rest of Europe.

Life as an Anglo-Saxon• The Anglo-Saxons lived close to their animals

in small wooden buildings surrounding a warm, fire-lit chieftain’s hall– The Warm Hall was important because it allowed

the Anglo-Saxons to participate in community discussions and rule by consensus

Life as an Anglo Saxon

• The Anglo-Saxons were NOT barbarians

• The Anglo-Saxons did NOT lead luxurious lives

• The Anglo-Saxons did NOT spend time on learning and arts

• The Anglo-Saxons DID bury their dead in ships

• The Anglo-Saxons DID gain fame, success, and gifts by showing loyalty to their leaders

• The Anglo-Saxons DID think creating poetry was just as important as war

Barbarian – lacking refinement, learning, or

literary or artistic culture

Life as an Anglo-Saxon: Bizarre Obligation

• The Chieftain and his followers were bound until death.

• If the Lord was killed, his warriors had to:

– Avenge his death OR

– Die beside him in battle

Life as an Anglo-Saxon Woman

• Although the Anglo-Saxon’s put much emphasis on warfare, their women had many rights.– Women could inherit and own property.– Men had to offer women a financial gift during a

proposal. The woman, not her family, had control over this gift.

Anglo-Saxon Religion

• Despite the influence of Christianity, the belief in Anglo-Saxon war gods still existed.

Anglo-Saxon Religion - Beliefs

• Odin – the god of poetry and death– The Anglo-Saxons called this god Woden

• Thor – the god of thunder and lightning– The Anglo-Saxons called this god Thunor

• Fatalism- they did not believe strongly in an after-life; instead, they believed fame survived death and put emphasis on heroic action

• Wyrd – fate• The dragon- common figure in Anglo-Saxon

mythology. Usually the dragon is the protector of some great treasure.

I’m a Voki

The Bards• Skilled storytellers, or bards, sang stories of

gods and heroes in the Anglo-Saxon communal halls.

• The Anglo-Saxons called these bards scops.• To the Anglo-Saxons, creating poetry was just

as important as fighting, hunting, or farming.• The poets sang to the strum of a harp.

St. Patrick

• In 432, the whole of Celtic Ireland was converted to Christianity by a Romanized Briton, Patricius.

• Patrick was taken to Ireland as a teenager to be a slave.

• He escaped captivity after six years and returned to Ireland to convert his former captors.

• He used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity

St. Patrick, King Alfred, Monks, Beowulf, and the ENGLISH LANGUAGE

• Irish monks founded many monasteries that became sanctuaries for scholars from England.

• Monks spent hours copying manuscripts by hand.• Monks preserved not only the classic Latin and

Greek works but also popular literature like Beowulf.

• King Alfred encouraged the efforts of translation into English which preserved Old English and made it be recognized around the world.

• A monk sits hunched over a sheepskin paper in the freezing cold winter of the British Isles. He is shivering and pressing a quill pen to the paper quickly in order to avoid the ink freezing. He is obeying a rule of silence. His job is to copy the entirety of Beowulf.

picture this…

Close your eyes and

A Reading of the Old English Beowulf

• http://faculty.virginia.edu/OldEnglish/Beowulf.Readings/mp3/beo01p.mp3

HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum,

þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon!

oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum

How has the English language changed?

Old English

• Germanic tribes invaded Britain in 5th century A.D.

• The language of these Angles, Saxons, and Jutes was combined into Old English. (450 -1100 AD)

• Approximately half of the words used in Modern English have roots in Old English.

What do we learn?

• Language changes when people combine words to try to communicate.

Middle English

• In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded and conquered England establishing French as the language of the Royal Court.

• There became a linguistic class division which was apparent until the 14th century when English became dominant again.

• French words were added to the English language forming Middle English (1100-1500 AD)

What do we learn?

• The language of the educated historically becomes the accepted syntax.

Early Modern English• In the 16th Century, the British had contact with more

people from around the world and Classical Learning became widespread. This led to new words and phrases.

• The invention of printing meant there was a standard language in print.

• Books became cheaper and more people learned to read and write.

• Spelling and grammar became fixed with the invention of the printing press and English dictionaries.

• The standard became the dialect of London because this is where most publishing houses were located.

What do we learn?

• Communication TECHNOLOGY influences spelling, syntax, and word usage.

Modern English

• The main differences between Early Modern English and Present English is vocabulary.

• Most of these new words are the result of technological advances

• Words added to the dictionary in the last decade: internet, web, google, email, etc.

What do we learn?

• New advances call for new words.