HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 449 1485 The Anglo Saxon Period

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 449 1485 The Anglo Saxon Period (449 1066) By providing an overview of the major historical events of the Anglo Saxon Period, the students are permitted to interpret the possible influences of historical contexts on literary works.

Western Civilization and Western Thought n Grew out of three ancient civilizations: 1. 2. 3. Greeks – individual truth Romans – the state Hebrews – God above all

Each culture prevailed at different times. n n n Medieval period = Hebrew concept (God above all) Renaissance = Greek concept (Individual truth) 18 th/19 th/20 th Centuries = Roman concept (State above all)

England Before the Anglo Saxons Stonehenge

England Before the Anglo Saxons n n n Built between 3000 and 1500 BC Was it a temple? Celtic speakers arrived in England in about 900 BC

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Celts – 900 BC n There were 3 groups The first group called themselves the Britons, and they inhabited what is now Britain.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Celts – 900 BC n There were 3 groups The first group called themselves the Britons, and they inhabited what is now Britain. The second group were the Picts, and they settled in present day Scotland.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Celts – 900 BC n There were 3 groups The first group called themselves the Britons, and they inhabited what is now Britain. The second group were the Picts, and they settled in present day Scotland. The third group were the Gaels, and they settled in present day Ireland.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Celts – 900 BC n Celtic groups spoke their own languages, and these languages and cultures live on in modern times. Celtic languages are still the official languages of such countries as Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Brittany.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Celts – 900 BC n n Celtic groups spoke their own languages, and these languages and cultures live on in modern times. Celtic languages are still the official languages of such countries as Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Brittany even to this day. These were thriving cultures by most standards of the day. They lived in closely tied clans. They were skilled in agriculture and metalwork and traded with their neighbors throughout the British Isles.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Celts – 900 BC n Their leaders were often Druids, who were priests; however, the druids also served as judges and counselors.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Celts – 900 BC n n Their leaders were often Druids, who were priests; however, the druids served also as judges and counselors The Celtic clans had a long oral tradition of literature and learning which was preserved by The Druids. They preserved the people’s myths and legends by reciting long, heroic poems.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Celts – 900 BC n n n Their leaders were often Druids, who were priests; however, the druids served also as judges and counselors The Celtic clans had a long oral tradition of literature and learning which was preserved by The Druids. They preserved the people’s myths and legends by reciting long, heroic poems. Celtic tales – Old King Cole and King Lear

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Romans: (55 BC – 407 AD) n The next group to invade England was the Romans.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Romans: (55 BC – 407 AD) n n The next group to invade England was the Romans. They ruled for some 300 years.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Romans: (55 BC – 407 AD) n n n The next group to invade England was the Romans. They ruled for some 300 years. They established roads and towns that served the island for centuries.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Romans: (55 BC – 407 AD) n n The next group to invade England was the Romans. They ruled for some 300 years. They established roads and towns that served the island for centuries. They brought Christianity to the British Isles (England)

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Romans: (55 BC – 407 AD) n Their rule ended because Italy and Rome were under attack from northern invaders. Basically, the troops were called home.

England Before the Anglo Saxons The Romans: (55 BC – 407 AD) n n Their rule ended because Italy and Rome was under attack from northern invaders. Basically, the troops were called home. The last troops left in 407 AD, and the stage was set for the Anglos and the Saxons to invade.

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n The invasion by the Anglo Saxons of modern day England began in 449 AD, but actually takes place over several decades

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n n The invasion by the Anglo Saxons of modern day England began in 449 AD, but actually takes place over several decades There were three major groups: the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes.

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n The Britons perhaps led by a commander named Arthur fought a series of legendary battles in a effort to stop the invasion.

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n n The Britons perhaps led by a commander named Arthur fought a series of legendary battles in a effort to stop the invasion. These efforts failed however and the Germanic Anglo Saxon tribes organized themselves into a confederation of seven kingdoms call the Heptarchy.

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n In the early history of the Heptarchy, the Angles were dominate.

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n n In the early history of the Heptarchy, the Angles were dominate. Their settlement or kingdom became known as Angle land or England, and its people came to be called English.

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n n n In the early history of the Heptarchy, the Angles were dominate. Their settlement or kingdom became known as Angle land or England, and its people came to be called English. Because there were several different groups that began the invasion of Briton in 449, modern scholars employ the term Anglo Saxon to refer to the people and culture of this period in English history.

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n Like all cultures, the Anglo Saxons changed over time

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n n Like all cultures, the Anglo Saxons changed over time Early on, they were seafaring wanderers whose lives were bleak, violent, and short

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n As they settled in their new land, however, the Anglo Saxons became an agricultural people

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n n As they settled in their new land, however, the Anglo Saxons became an agricultural people Less violent, more secure, more civilized

The Anglo Saxons: (449 – 1066) n n n As they settled in their new land, however, the Anglo Saxons became an agricultural people Less violent, more secure, more civilized One of the most important civilizing forces was the Christianity they began accepting late in the sixth century (500 599 AD)

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066) The Danish Invasions n In the 790 s a new group of invaders the Danes, also know as the Vikings, began to devastate the flourishing culture

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066) The Danish Invasions n n In the 790 s a new group of invaders the Danes, also know as the Vikings, began to devastate the flourishing culture English king Alfred the Great was able to resist the first invasion. He was a strong proponent of learning and education. He oversaw the writing of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle which recorded early English life.

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066) The Danish Invasions n n n In the 790 s a new group of invaders the Danes, also known as the Vikings, began to devastate the flourishing culture English king Alfred the Great was able to resist the first invasion. He was a strong proponent of learning and education. He oversaw the writing of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle which recorded early English life. He could not hold off subsequent invasions, however, and was forced to agree to a truce

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066) The Norman Conquest n n n Meanwhile, conquering Vikings in France adopted the Franks' language, re ligion, laws, customs, political organization and methods of warfare, to become Franks in all but name—they were now known as Normans, men of Normandy. By 1042, the Danes were out of power in England, and Edward the Confessor, the last Anglo Saxon ruler, was on the throne. Edward died in 1066, and that year found the Normans overpower the Anglo Saxons. This was their last defeat.

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066): Hierarchy 1. King = he was expected to be generous to his loyal subjects 2. Earls/Thanes/Free Warriors = claimed kinship to founder of tribes. They were expected to be LOYAL. n The Witan = they were the King’s council – the King made the final decisions

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066): Hierarchy 3. Freemen/Genlats = independent landowners 4. Churls = boundmen who trace ancestry to former captives of tribe; did the hard labor; worked for Earls; could move up to “freemen” with possessions & special royal favor

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066): Hierarchy 5. Slaves/Thralls **Women were a subclass. They were viewed as only important for domestic duties.

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066) n What did they eat?

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066) What did they eat? n Most Anglo Saxons were largely vegetarian. Poor Saxons ate chicken, bacon, and pork sausages, but red meat (farmed and hunted) was only for the rich. n Pork also seems to have been popular, as well as beef and mutton. n

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066) n What did they eat? n Along with their meal they would often have mead. Mead is a drink made by fermenting honey.

Anglo Saxons = What did they admire in their warriors 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Good sportsmanship Endurance Loyalty to king Athletic prowess Bravery Respect for each other Action and fighting

The Anglo Saxons = Religion n n They came to Britain with their own pagan beliefs. They had a firm belief in fate (wyrd). They worshiped ancient Germanic gods like Tui, god of war and the sky; Woden, chief of the gods; and Fria, Woden’s wife and goddess of the home. Sound familiar?

Tiu, Woden, and Fria today n n Tuesday Wednesday Friday Where do we get the rest of our week’s names?

Something to consider… n According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, safety and shelter must be firmly established before more thoughtful ideas can take root. (A person cannot “skip” levels. ) Therefore, religion was not important to the Anglo Saxons until their primary needs were met.

The Anglo Saxons = Religion n Christianity had been introduced by the Romans, and the Celts were converted. Irish monks helped establish a strong Christian hold on the island. Scots were converted easily, and many monasteries were built in Scotland.

The Anglo Saxons = Religion n n Roman cleric Saint Augustine arrives in 597. Saint Augustine was able to convert King Ethelbert of Kent; this led to the kingdom being converted.

The Anglo Saxons = Religion n The Church promoted peace, and that helped unite the English people. The Church also brought education and a written literature. Monks often worked as scribes, recording and duplicating written work by hand.

The Anglo Saxons (449 1066) n n Venerable Bede (673 735) = “The Father of English History” He wrote A History of the English Church and People – the clearest account of early Anglo Saxon times.

It is better never to begin a good work than, having begun it, to stop. Bede, A History of the English Church and People