The Beginnings The Beginnings of English of English LiteratureLiterature

Katherine WileyLake Cormorant High School

The Timeline

Christianity is no longer illegal in

the Roman Empire, 313

Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade

England, 449

Buddhism begins in

Japan, 552

Semilegendary King Arthur rules the Celts until his death, 516-537

Mohammed dictates the Koran, 625

The Egyptians create the first post office, 650

Vikings invade Britain, 793

The Mayans Fall, 800s

Algebra is invented, 810

Julius Caesar invades Britain,

55 B.C.

St. Augustine converts Anglo-Saxon King

Ethelbert to Christianity and establishes the first

monastery is established at

Canterbury, 597

Normans defeat the Saxons; William the

Conqueror becomes the first King of England, 1066

Celts, called Britons, live in Britain, 300s

B.C.

The Beginnings of Great Britain• The island of Great Britain was settled by all of

these groups:– Iberians– Celts– Romans– Angles & Saxons– Vikings– Normans

The place that we now know as England owes something to each of these Invaders.

The Celts & Britons• Tall, blonde warriors• Practiced Animism, meaning that they saw spirits everywhere- in

rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire, thunder, etc. • Believed that the spirits or gods controlled all parts of life and

needed to be pleased constantly• Had priests, called Druids, who acted as intermediaries between

the people and the gods.• Sometimes performed ritualistic dances and sacrifices. • Created Stonehenge, which was believed to be used by the druids

during rituals that dealt with the sun and moon• One of their rulers, King Arthur, became the most famous semi-

legendary king of English history. • Their Stories are filled with powerful women, fantastic animals,

passionate love affairs, fabulous adventures, and enchanted lands.

The Romans• Conquered the Britons over a century of invasions• Prevented further invasions of England for several

hundred years• Built a network of roads, some of which are still used

today• Created Hadrian’s Wall, a defensive barrier that is

seventy-three miles long• Brought Christianity to Great Britain• Left Britain in 409, leaving behind roads and buildings,

but no government

The Anglo-SaxonsThe Anglo-Saxons

Who were they?• Made up of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who came from

Germany and Denmark and settled in England around 449 A.D Drove out the Britons

• Made the decision to invade Britain after hearing that the natives, known as “Britons” were “weak and worthless” and that the land was vast, green, and rich.

• Changed the name of Great Britain to Angle Land, which eventually became England

• Lived in small groups, each with its own king• Unified into one nation as they fought against the invasion

of the Danes. • Continued to fight against the Danes until both groups

were defeated by the Normans.

The Anglo-Saxon Invasion of England,

449 A.D.

What were they like?• Many described them as blood-thirsty tyrants and heathens for

centuries. Eventually, however, they came to Christianity and settled down a bit.

• Women inherited and owned property– Men had to offer women large gifts of money and land, called

morning-gifts, in order to propose marriage– These gifts were given to the women, not to their fathers

• Typical Anglo-Saxon Men were:– Muscular – Blonde– Experienced at Fighting– Uneducated– Brutish– Party Animals

• In order to commemorate holidays, and celebrate victories, they held huge feasts in Mead Halls.

What is a Mead Hall?Their main headquarters would have been located in the Mead Hall, which was used as the:– sleeping quarters– tavern– meeting hall– dining room– entertainment center

A reconstructed Anglo-Saxon Mead Hall located in West Stow, Sussex, England.

See pg. 11 of your text for a picture of a reconstructed A-S village.

What was their life like?• Did not focus on luxury, learning, or art• Their life was about war, responsibility was held by the

leaders• Fame and success were gained by showing loyalty to one’s

leader, especially during battle• They constantly had to protect one another from threats• They lived close together, and were close to their leaders• Usually ruled by large group discussions and consensus• Culture was centered around families and clans, but their

tribe was centered around their seafaring warriors.

What did they believe?• They believed in multiple gods• Believed in dragons• Dragons were always protectors of treasures• The art of storytelling was as important as fighting,

hunting, farming, or lovemaking• There is no afterlife• Placed great value on:

– Bravery– Loyalty– Generosity– Friendship

Anglo-Saxon Laws• People were not sentenced to incarceration, simply because

there were no jails or prisons in Anglo-Saxon England.• developed a detailed and complex law code• Law-breakers paid fines for most crimes.

• Those who could not pay would face becoming a slave for a set period of time.

• punishments included:– the loss of limbs or body parts– banishment– hangings– Beheadings– other inventive methods of death

Anglo-Saxon Storytellers• Known as bards or scops• Told stories in the “great hall” where council

meetings and celebrations were held• Told stories of gods and heroes• Sang to the strumming of a harp• Were considered to be gifted, honored

members of society

A-S as Warriors

•Anglo-Saxon Warrior Helmet (approximately 7th Century)•Reconstructed from hundreds of corroded iron fragments

• Located in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England• Discovered in 1939, after being buried for around 1300 years• Burial ship of an Anglo-Saxon king or great warrior• Burial site contained forty-one items of solid gold and thirty-seven

gold coins

Sutton Hoo

Other Anglo-Saxon ArtifactsOther Anglo-Saxon Artifacts

A decorative piece of an Anglo-Saxon ship

Types of Anglo-Saxon Literature

• Riddles– “A worm ate words. I thought that wonderfully

Strange- a miracle- when they told me a crawling

Insect had swallowed noble songs, A night-time thief had stolen writingSo famous, so weighty. But the bug was foolishStill, though its belly was full of thought.”

• Ecclesiastical Verses– Similar to those found in the Bible

• Epic Poems– Beowulf

BeowulfBeowulf

Katherine Wiley

Lake Cormorant High School

Epic- a quest story on a grand scale

Epic Hero-the central figure in a long narrative that reflect the values and heroic ideals of a particular society

Kennings- metaphorical phrases or compound words used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly

• Examples: “whale road” for the sea, “bone house” for the human body, “wave floater” for a ship

Characteristics of an Epic• protagonist is heroically larger than life, often the source and subject of

legend or a national hero • hero’s deeds are presented without favoritism, revealing his failings as

well as his virtues • hero has supernatural strength• set in several nations, all over the world, or even throughout the universe• story provides an explanation for some of the circumstances or events in

the history of a nation or people • gods play an active role in the outcome of actions • all of the various adventures and events are connected by a central

theme• story begins in medias res (in the middle of things) • long, formal speeches are made by important characters • hero makes a journey to the underworld • use of the number three (attempts are made three times, etc.) • previous episodes in the story are later recounted

Beowulf• the first great work of English literature• written in Old English around 750 A.D.• is very short in comparison to other epics• may have been written by a monk• exists in only one manuscript

– survived the destruction of Henry VIII’s monasteries– dates from c.1000

• describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior

• admired for the richness of its poetry• a third of the words in Beowulf are kennings

Beowulf Character List

It is strongly recommended that you study/ copy the

character list off on pg. 19 in your literature book. There

will be a character identification section on your

test.