THE ANGLO SAXONS 449 1066 AD ANGLO SAXON

THE ANGLO SAXONS 449 -1066 AD

ANGLO SAXON PERIOD ISLAND OF BRITTANIA • PEOPLE LIVED THEIR FOR 5000 YEARS BEFORE THE ANGLES & SAXONS • NO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT…VERY BRUTAL TIME • WARFARE WAS VERY COMMON • THE ANGLES AND SAXONS CAME FROM GERMANY • THEY WERE A GERMANIC TRIBE WHO EMPHASIZED “BRAVERY, HONOR, AND GLORY IN BATTLE” • PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY BASED ON “KINSHIP, COMITATUS, AND FRATERNITY”

KINSHIP • RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND OTHERS IN THE TRIBE • BLOOD OR BY MARRIAGE • OR TO HIS KING…THE STRONGEST • YOUR LINEAGE WAS VERY IMPORTANT…WHO YOU WERE RELATED TO SHOWED POWER

COMITATUS • A POWER ARRANGMENT IN WHICH A KING WAS OBLIGED TO RULE IN CONSULTATION WITH HIS THANES, OR KNIGHTS. • IT REQUIRES THANES TO SWEAR ABSOLUTE FIDELITY TO THEIR KING • THE KING WOULD THEN BESTOW UPON THOSE THANES…LAND, MONEY, JEWELRY, WAR GEAR, SPECIAL PRIVILEGES, AND OTHER BENEFITS. • IT WAS THE GLUE THAT HELD THE ANGLO-SAXON TRIBES TOGETHER

FRATERNITY • IT WAS A SOCIAL BOND BETWEEN THE MEN IN THE TRIBE • THEY WORKED, DINED, FOUGHT, AND DIED “TOGETHER”

ANGLO SAXON WARRIORS • MOTIVATED BY • GLORY FOR ONE’S KING • GLORY FOR ONE’S ANCESTORS • GLORY FOR ONE’S TRIBE • GLORY FOR ONE’S SELF

VIOLENCE AND REVENGE KILLINGS…PART OF EVERY DAY LIFE • ANY DEATH TO A TRIBE MEMBER BY AN OUTSIDER REQUIRED IT TO BE AVENGED • REVENGE KILLINGS WENT ON FOR GENERATIONS

WERGILD • LEGALLY BINDING ARRANGEMENT OF MONEY TO BE PAID TO THE FAMILY OF THE VICTIM OF A MURDER OR INJURY BY THE OFFENDER • THE AMOUNT WAS BASED UPON THE VICTIM’S RANK • THE MORE IMPORTANT THE VICTIM, THE MORE MONEY THE OFFENDER HAD TO PAY

MEAD HALL • MEAD – ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE MADE FROM HONEY • THE HALL WAS A LARGE HALL WHERE THE KING AND HIS THANES WOULD FEAST, DRINK, PLAY GAMES, AND SOCIALIZE WITH WOMEN. • IT WAS A SYMBOL OF THE KING’S POWER AND IT WAS WHERE THEY SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME…THUS, IT WAS THE CONSIDERED THE SAFEST PLACE IN THE KINGDOM.

“BRETWALDA” • ANGLO SAXON TITLE FOR ITS ROYALTY OR KING

POLY-THEISM • WORSHIPPERS OF PAGAN GOD’S AND GODDESSES • EXAMPLES THOR - THUNDER FRIGE – GODDESS OF FERTILITY

DAYS OF THE WEEK • •

FATE = WYRD • WYRD – FATE, OR DESTINY AS DETERMINED BY THE GODS • MODERN DAY “WEIRD”

ANGLO SAXON LANGUAGE • GERMANIC LANGUAGE • EARLIEST FORMS OF ENGLISH

ARTISTS • EXPERT CRAFTSMEN OF JEWELRY AND METAL

800 – 600 BC – THE CELTS • THE CELTS ARE THE TRIBES CALLED THEB RITONS AND GAELS • THEY CAME FROM EUROPE • THEY SPOKE CELTIC OR GAELIC • THEY DIDN’T READ OR WRITE • CREDITED WITH STONEHENGE • SCARED THE ROMANS…THEY WERE VERY BRUTAL AND OFTEN DECAPITATED THEIR VICTIMS

ROMAN OCCUPATION • 55 BC…ROMAN’S OCCUPIED BRITTANIA (TOTAL 350 YEARS) • THEY BUILT ROADS AND CITIES • SPOKE LATIN • THEY MARRIED AND INTERMINGLED WITH A TRIBE CALLED THE “BRITONS” • EARLY 5 TH CENTURY – FALL OF ROMAN EMPIRE • THE GERMANIC TRIBES WERE WAITING…THE ROMANS COULD NO LONGER HOLD THEM OFF

WHERE THEY CAME FROM • THEY CAME FROM MODERN DAY DENMARK, NETHERLANDS, AND GERMANY ) • THEY DROVE THE INDIGENOUS TRIBES (THE BRITONS) WESTWARD INTO MODERN DAY SCOTLAND, IRELAND, AND WALES • OVER TIME, THEY BEGAN TO MERGE AND FORM ONE TRIBE…THE “ANGLO-SAXONS” • THEY CALLED THE LAND “ANGLE-LOND” - “THE LAND OF THE ANGLES”…MODERN DAY ENGLAND. • SPOKE OLD GERMAN OR GERMANIC LANGUAGE

OTHER RAIDERS • VIKINGS INVADE IN 8 TH -10 TH CENTURY…SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL • CAME FROM SCANDINAVIA (MODERN DAY – FINLAND, DENMARK, NORWAY, SWEDEN, AND ICELAND) • SPOKE NORSE • THE ANGLO-SAXON THEN UNIFY UNDER A SINGLE KING, KING ALFRED, ALFRED THE GREAT. THE VIKINGS ARE TO THANK FOR THIS • THIS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THE INVADERS OFF THE ISLAND • LATER, THE DANES/VIKINGS AND THE ANGLO-SAXONS MADE PEACE

NORMAN INVADERS • 1066 – NORMAN CONQUEST LED BY WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR • FROM MODERN DAY FRANCE • SPOKE FRENCH • DRIVES THE DANES AND VIKINGS OUT, AND CONQUERS THE ANGLO-SAXONS

VIDEO REVIEW – 10 FACTS

SO…WHAT IS THE EPIC POEM BEOWULF ABOUT? • STORY OF A GERMANIC WARRIOR • SETTING IS SCANDINAVIA DURING THE 5 TH CENTURY • AROUND THE TIME THE ANGLO-SAXONS LEFT TO COME TO BRITTANIA

HE IS A WARRIORS, WARRIOR • HE FIGHTS MONSTERS AND DRAGONS • HE MAKES WOMAN SWOON • HE COMMANDS THE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION OF EVERY MAN HE MEETS • HE FIGHTS BRAVELY IN THE PURSUIT OF GLORY FOR HIMSELF, HIS PEOPLE, AND HIS KING

VIDEO (STOP AT 9: 35)