12/1/16 Bell Ringer

What do you think the word “Anglo-Saxon” means?

When did the Roman Empire fall?

The Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Periods 449-1485

Julius Caesar conquered England and claimed it for Rome in 55 B.C.

When he sailed from France to England, He found the British Isles inhabited by– Britons—A Celtic people– Picts—A Pre-Celtic people– And Gaels—Another Celtic people in Ireland

The Britons had a thriving culture that included

Agriculture Trade with other Celtic neighbors overseas An oral tradition of literature and learning A priestly class called Druids

The Celts were an ancient people. They are mentioned in:

The Bible—The Galatians. books written by Roman historians. the slave rebellions led by Spartacus. Greek history. Julius Caesar’s Commentarii de bello

Galico

The Romans came to Britain and introduced its inhabitants to Cities The protection of the

Roman military Fine Roman roads Written scholarship And Christianity

Around A.D.449 Around A.D.449 Roman armies had to Roman armies had to

abandon Britain to abandon Britain to defend the city of defend the city of

Rome.Rome.

They left Britain to the invasion of Germanic peoples like Angles,

Saxons, Jutes and Frisians

The Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066

The Britons--perhaps led by a Christian commander named

Arthur--fought a series of legendary battles against the

Anglo-Saxon invaders, but . . .

were driven to seek refuge in the northern and western areas of

the island: Scotland Wales Cornwall and in Britanny

– On the west coast of Continental Europe

The Germanic tribes The Germanic tribes organized themselves organized themselves into a confederation of into a confederation of

kingdoms like . . .kingdoms like . . .

Kent, Sussex, Essex, Wessex, East Anglia,

Mercia, and Northumbria.

The Area of Germanic settlement became known as

Angle-land, or England

The Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were seafaring pagan were seafaring pagan

wanderers whose lives wanderers whose lives were . . .were . . .

bleak,violent and

short.

At this time the Germanic societies had not yet adopted Christianity.

They revered the warrior culture People gathered in mead halls to

– celebrate– Feast– Drink mead– And to listen to tales of heroic achievements

as told by poet singers called scops.

Life on an Anglo-Saxon farm was tough. All the family had to help out - men, women and children.

Men cut down trees to clear land for ploughing and to sow crops. – Farmers used oxen to pull ploughs up and down long strip fields. – Children with dogs herded cattle and sheep. They also kept a

lookout for wolves - which still lived in Britain at this time. The Anglo-Saxons were great craftsmen too.

– Metalworkers made iron tools, knives and swords. – Woodworkers made wooden bowls, furniture, carts and wheels. – Potters made pottery from clay. – Jewelers made beautiful brooches, beads and ornaments from gold,

gemstones and glass. The Anglo-Saxons had armies too. But their soldiers didn't

fight all the time. After a battle they went home as soon as they could and looked after their animals and crops.

Anglo-Saxon Laws The Anglo-Saxons didn't have prisons. People found

guilty of crimes were either executed or punished with fines.

If they ran away, they became 'outlaws' (outside the law), and anyone could hunt them down - unless they hid in a church. The fine for breaking into someone's home was five shillings (25p), paid to the home-owner. For minor crimes like stealing, a nose or a hand might be cut off.

The Saxons had a system called 'weregild', which meant that if you injured someone, you had to pay for the damage!

If a person killed someone, they paid money to the dead person's relatives. The idea was to stop long fights or 'blood feuds' between families by making them pay money instead.

Anglo-Saxons settled in the land and became. . .

An agricultural people Less violent, More secure, More civilized, and Christian

Thus, one of the most important civilizing forces in British history was Christianity.

Christianity spread Christianity spread when St. Patrick when St. Patrick

converted the Gaelsconverted the GaelsWho went to Scotland

and then south, throughout all Britain

as missionaries, transforming the

culture.

Monasteries were important centers of learning, where

•scribes laboriously copied manuscripts by hand.•the spread of Christianity was accompanied by the spread of literacy.

Christianity spread so Christianity spread so rapidly that by 690 all rapidly that by 690 all of Britain was at least of Britain was at least nominally Christian.nominally Christian.

But there were two new threats in the

horizon.

The Danes in the east and the Moslems (Muslims) in the south

In the 790’s, the Danes invaded northern and eastern England

The Danes, who were also known as Vikings Norsemen (“north men” in France) or Normans (Danes who adopted French

ways) Settled in northern and eastern England and

in Normandy on the coast of France, and became Christians.

Though the Danes were Though the Danes were successful in northern successful in northern and eastern England,and eastern England,

they were defeated in 878 by Alfred the Great, who forced them

to agree to a truce in 886, and accept

Christianity

The Great Anglo-Saxon Leaders http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z9tdq6f

Anglo-Saxon Reading & Questions

Read the article on the Anglo-Saxons and answer the questions on the back.