English III November 16 2012 Ms Roule Bellringer

English III November 16, 2012 Ms. Roule

Bellringer – What is it? • Read the following riddle, and in today’s bellringer block discuss what you think it is describing… • What textual details support your answer?

Four dilly-dandies Four stick standies Two crookers Two lookers And a wig wag

It’s a cow! • Four dilly-dandies (teats on the udder) Four stick standies (legs) Two crookers (horns) Two lookers (eyes) And a wig wag (tail)

Objective • Identify main ideas in straightforward text • Use active reading strategies to comprehend a text (note-taking) • Gain background information on Anglo-Saxon culture

Agenda • Review of group notes/recap of Anglo. Saxon info • Background to Beowulf • Homework – Review your chart, check Simeon website for notes – Study for quiz on Monday!

The Anglo-Saxon Period • Starting in 499, but taking place over decades, Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons and Jutes) settled on Britain’s eastern/southern shores. • To stop the German invasion, the Britons (poss. Arthur) fought legendary battles, but were driven to western fringes of island, north to Scotland (where the Gaels were settling) or to western coast of Eur.

The Anglo-Saxon Period • Heptarchy – federation of 7 Germanic kingdoms; northern kingdoms of the Angles known as Angle-land • Early invaders were sea-faring wanderers with short, bleak lives. Their pagan religion emphasized wyrd—or fate—and they valued warriors whose fate it was to win in battle

Growth of Christianity • Early in fifth century, Patrick—a Romanized Briton—had converted Gaels to Christianity • When the Gaels began to colonize Scotland, they brought Christianity with them • In 597, a Roman missionary named Augustine established monastery at Canterbury; Christianity spread rapidly from there

Literary History • Anglo-Saxon writing system—runic alphabet—used mostly on coins, buildings and monuments • People gathered in mead halls to eat, drink and socialize, and scops shared oral histories of heroic warriors via long epic poems and shorter lyric poems • In some lyric poems, death and other losses mourned in mood of bleak fatalism characteristic of times

Literary History • Riddles, which demonstrate a more playful nature, describe familiar objects in ways that force the audience to guess their identity • Only a fraction of Anglo-Saxon poetry has survived because the only way to record it was to copy it by hand • Surviving manuscripts include Beowulf and the Exeter Book • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle compiled in 891

Danish Invasions • In 790 s, the Danes (Vikings!) started to invade and destroy Northumbrian culture, eventually gained control of most of northern and eastern England • They were stopped by Alfred the Great in 878 and 886. Forced to agree to truce and accept Christianity. • After Alfred’s death conflicts resumed, and a Dane (Canute) managed to become king of England. He was successful, and gained Anglo-Saxon support

Danish Invasions • Edward the Confessor was a less successful king who came to power in 1042; he promised two different people he would make them his heir (William and Harold) • Harold’s claim was supported; William was mad—led his Normans in succesful invasion of England. • Harold killed at Battle of Hastings • William (the conquerer!) crowned in 1066

After video – Written response (collected TODAY!) • Write a paragraph discussing what you’ve learned this week about the Anglo-Saxons and why, given their history, you think they valued heroes. • At least one detail from notes, at least one detail from video