The AngloSaxons 449 1066 AD The British Legacy

The Anglo-Saxons 449 -1066 AD

The British Legacy n Had been invaded and settled many times over and all contributed to what is now Great Britain n n Celts Romans Angles and Saxons Vikings Normans

The Spirit of the Celts n n n The Celts practiced Animism – saw spirits everywhere in rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire and thunder Spirits (Gods) controlled all aspects of existence Priests (Druids) acted as intermediaries between the gods and the people n Ritual dances took place to please the gods along with human sacrifices

Celtic Heroes and Heroines n n Celts idolized tall, strong women for their heroic tales (unlike current day) Celtic stories were full of magic and fantastic animals, passionate love affairs, and incredible adventures in enchanted lands

The Romans n n When the Romans evacuated in 409 Ad, they left roads, walls, villas, and great public baths, but no central government This left Britain vulnerable for invasion from the Germanic regions of continental Europe

The Anglo-Saxons n n n Angles and Saxons came from Germany Jutes came from Denmark The language of the Anglo-Saxons became the dominant language of the land which was renamed Engla Land – England

Alfred the Great and Christianity 871 -899 n n King Alfred of Wessex (aka Alfred the Great) led the Anglo-Saxons against the Danes and united England He was not defeated due to the gradual emergence of Christianity It created a common faith and common system of morality and right conduct Alfred was defeated in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy

Anglo-Saxon Religion n n Gods for Warriors Odin – Norse god of death, poetry, and magic Thor – god of thunder and lightning Gods possessed special qualities n n Bravery Loyalty Generosity Friendship

The Bards n n The Bards (Scops – pronounced Shops) sang the songs of the heroes Bards were not inferior to Warriors Creating poetry was as important as hunting, farming, or loving Non-Christian Anglo-Saxons did not believe in life after death so it was up to the bards to make them immortal through verse

The Monks n n n The Christian monks were the ones who wrote the stories into book form Preserved not only the Latin and Greek classics, but also some of the great works of popular literature, such as Beowulf The language of the church was Latin, but the Monks transcribed books in the language of the people - English

Beowulf n n An epic poem written by an anonymous source It is believed that it was written by a monk due to its Christian influences The oldest manuscript to date is from 1000 AD and is in the British Museum in London It survived the burning of the monastaries (Henry VIII) and is in decent condition now with little burns

Anglo-Saxon Poetry n The following poetic devices are essential features of A/S poetry: n n Alliteration Kennings

Alliteration n The Repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to one another. Alliteration may occur n n At the beginning or words, as in “bright blue” or “kind comment” Within words, as in “jacket pocket”

Alliterative Anglo-Saxons n Instead of rhymes, Anglo-Saxon oral poets used alliteration along with carefully placed pauses to add music and rhythm to their poems n Lines of Anglo-Saxon verse often are divided into two halves separated by a rhythmic pause, or caesura

Kennings n A metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly n n n 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 n Anglo-Saxon Kennings n n n Mead-hall Ring-giver Heaven’s high arch Shapes of darkness Shepherd of evil n Modern-Day Kennings n n n Gas guzzler Queen bee Headhunter King of the hill Snake in the grass

The Use of Alliteration and Kennings n Anglo-Saxon literature was part of an oral tradition. Poems, songs, and stones were passed from one generation to another orally n Anglo-Saxon poets and storytellers used alliteration and kennings because these devices Aided memory n Created sound effects n Pleased the audience n