Anglo-Saxons

British Literature

The Celts in Britain

• Celtic religion a form of animism

Before and during the 4th century B.C.

Stonehenge• Druids were Celtic priests

• Britain named for one Celtic tribe—the Brythons

• Britain home to several Celtic tribes

The Roman Occupation

55 B.C. Hadrian’s Wall

Romans evacuate their troops

• Central government breaks down

Julius Caesar invades Britain

Celts defeated by Claudius

A.D. 43

• Romans build walls, villas, baths, roads

Roman ruins

• Britain left vulnerable to attack

A.D. 409

The Anglo-Saxon Invasion

A.D. 449 The Anglo-Saxons push the Celts into the far west of the country.

Angles

Saxons

Jutes

Celts

The Anglo-Saxon Invasion

Anglo-Saxon Society

• kinship groups led by strong warrior chief

• people farmed, established local governments, produced fine craftwork

• English emerged as a written language

Page from Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The Anglo-Saxon Invasion

Old English

The Anglo-Saxon religion

• offered no hope of an afterlife• valued earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty,

generosity, and friendship

• similar to what we call Norse mythology

ThunorThor

WodenOdin

Day of weekAnglo-Saxon godNorse god

Wednesday

Thursday

The Anglo-Saxon Invasion

• Anglo-Saxons did not believe in afterlife

• warriors gained immortality through songs

Why were the scops important?

The Anglo-Saxon bards• called scops –oral storytelling

Anglo-Saxon harp

• strummed harp as they sang• sang of heroic deeds• were often warriors

The Anglo-Saxon Storytelling

8th–9th centuries

Vikings called Danes invade Britain

King Alfred against the Danes

878 King Alfred unifies Anglo-Saxons against the Danes.

871 Alfred of Wessex is king of England.

England becomes a nation.King Sweyn and his Danish troops

arrive in England, from a manuscript (c. 14th century)

• Christianity and Anglo-Saxon culture co-exist

The Spread of Christianity

• Christian monks settle in Britain

• British pagan religions replaced by Christianity

Around A.D. 400

By A.D. 699

• William of Normandy crosses the English Channel

The Norman Invasion

The Norman Invasion, Bayeux Tapestry

• French replaces English as the language of the ruling class

1066

• William defeats Harold and Anglo-Saxon army

Moving On…

• Now that we have learned about the Anglo-Saxons, it’s time to delve a little deeper into other aspects of life during the Anglo-Saxon period.

• Go on an archeological “dig” for Anglo-Saxon artifacts…

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/anglo_saxons/

• Click on “Play the Game” and complete-be sure to fill in accompanying worksheet.

• Complete the Anglo-Saxon Quest.

Devices used in Anglo-Saxon Poetry

Alliterationand Kennings

Alliteration

• What Is Alliteration?• Alliteration is the repetition of consonant

sounds in words that are close to one another. Alliteration may occur− at the beginnings of words, as in “bright blue”

or “kind comment”− within words, as in “jacket pocket”

Alliteration

• Instead of rhymes, Anglo-Saxon oral poets (SCOPS) used alliteration along with carefully placed pauses to add music and rhythm to their poems.• Lines of Anglo-Saxon verse often are divided

into two halves separated by a rhythmic pause, or caesura.

• Some lines have three alliterative words—two words in the first half before the caesura and one word in the second half.

• Other lines have only two alliterative words—one in each half

What is a Kenning

• A kenning is a metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly. • Kennings such as whale-road and battle-dew fill Anglo-Saxon poetry.

• Combining existing words from the relatively small Anglo-Saxon vocabulary helped poets to create alliteration.

• Kennings were memorable, ready-made phrases that bards could reuse and pass on to others.

Kennings Then and Now

• Anglo-Saxon Kennings-• mead-hall• ring-giver• heaven’s high

arch • shapes of

darkness• shepherd of evil

Modern-Day Kennings-

•gas guzzler•queen bee•headhunter•king of the hill•snake in the grass

Uses of Alliteration and Kennings• Anglo-Saxon literature was part of an

oral tradition. Poems, songs, and stories were passed from one generation to another orally.• Anglo-Saxon poets and storytellers used

alliteration and kennings because these devices

• aided memory• created sound effects • pleased the audience

Identify each of the following lines as a use of alliteration or kenning.

1. That DJ is king of the airwaves.2. The large sign loomed above the lonely highway.3. All of the washing machines were taken, so we had to wait. 4. My brother calls his ’78 sedan a land yacht.

Moving On…

• We can now move onto reading some Anglo-Saxon Literature!

• Beowulf• Life in 999: A Grim Struggle• The Seafarer• Anglo-Saxon Riddles

A Review….

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/language_timeline/index_embed.shtml

• Click on the animated objects for a taste of Anglo-Saxon life.