The Anglo-Saxon Period & Beowulf

1. The Anglo-Saxon Period&Beowulf

2. The Anglo-Saxon Period A.D. 449-1066

3. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes • Germanic tribes (such as the Angles, Saxons and Jutes) crossed the North Sea and came to Britain • Formed Anglo-Saxon England

4. The Settling of England • The Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Frisiis (Frisians) (all Germanic tribes) left their homeland and began to settle on the southern and eastern shores of Briton. • Briton, a remnant of the Roman empire long since abandoned in A.D. 410, was easy prey for the invading tribes. • The Anglo-Saxons were originally recruited to defend Briton, but rebelled in A.D. 442.

5. The Britons • Formerly the Celts, a tribe taken over by the Romans and civilized, the Britons were possibly led by a king named Arthur. • The Britons attempted to fight against the invaders, but later fled to Wales. • Others fled to Scotland, home of the Gaels, who would later settle in Ireland.

6. The Germanic Kingdoms • The Germanic tribes united under seven kingdoms: • The Jutes – Kent • The Saxons – Sussex, Essex, and Wessex • The Angles – East Anglia (Norfolk and Suffolk), Mercia, Deira, and Bernicia • The settlement eventually became known as Angle-land, or England.

8. The Anglo-Saxons • The Anglo-Saxons believed in a pagan religion, often known as Wodenism, which was polytheistic, and believed in gods such as Woden, Thunor, and Tiw. • They also believed in mythological being such as elves, dragons, and water monsters. • Wyrd (fate) was a major influence in their faith.

9. The Anglo-Saxons • Anglo-Saxons greatly supported fierce warriors whose “wyrd” led them to victory in battle. • However, as the Anglo-Saxons settled on the land, they relied less on fighting and more on farming and agriculture. • Later, Christianity would became a major force in uniting the Anglo-Saxons in the sixth century.

10. Christianity in England • Christianity was first practiced in Briton following the rise of the Roman empire. • The faith never died, but was nearly washed out by the Anglo-Saxon invasion. • Romanized Briton Patrick converted Ireland’s Gaels to Christianity. • In 597, a Roman missionary named St. Augustine visited Kent, converting the reigning king of the Anglo-Saxons.

11. The Conversion to Christianity • St. Augustine established a monastery at Canterbury, later home of the famous Canterbury Cathedral. • Ethelbert of Kent, the leader of the Jutes and king of England, converted to Christianity in 597 A.D. • By 690 A.D., most of Britain converted to Christianity.

12. The Danish Invasions • In the 790s, a new group of invaders landed on the eastern shores of England: the Danes. • The Danes were also known as the Vikings. • Alfred the Great, the king of Wessex, halted the invasion of the Danes. • Alfred and his descendents defeated the Danes and converted them to Christianity.

13. The Danish Invasions • Following Alfred’s death, another war with the Danes began. • In the early 1000’s, a Dane named Canute (Cnut) led the Vikings to victory and seized control of England, becoming king in 1017. • Edward the Confessor succeeded Canute and his tyrannical sons to the throne in 1042, proving to be a less successful king.

14. The Danish Invasions • There was dispute as to who was Edward’s heir, William the Duke of Normandy (a region of France), who was a cousin of Edward’s; or Harold, the Earl of Wessex. • Upon Edward’s death in 1066, Harold seized the crown, despite an arranged loyalty to William. • Outraged, William led the Normans into battle with the English.

15. William of Normandy • Harold, the newly crowned king, was killed at the Battle of Hastings. • On Christmas Day of 1066, William, who and earned the nickname “the Conqueror,” was crowned king in Edward’s newly built church, Westminster Abbey. • William’s crowning officially ended the house of Godwin (Harold’s house) as well as the reign of the Anglo-Saxons.

16. Anglo-Saxon Writing • Anglo-Saxon writing (Old English) differed greatly from Modern English. • Anglo-Saxons wrote in runes, typically on clay tablets, and later on manuscripts. • The language was more Germanic, and Old English does not translate directly into Middle or Modern English.

17. Beowulf An Anglo-Saxon Epic

18. Beowulf and Oral Tradition • Beowulf was the first great work of national (British) literature • Beowulf was originally passed down through oral tradition • Before writing became a common skill, stories were passed from generation to generation by speech – story telling.

19. About Beowulf • Beowulf was composed around A.D. 700-750 • The story is set in the sixth century (during the rule of Higlac, who was killed in 594) • The writer is most likely from Northumbria (a region of England) based on scenery depicted in the story. • The story contains many Christian references – leading us to believe that the author was possibly a monk.

20. About Beowulf • Beowulf is a heroic Scandinavian epic – the type that a scop (pronounced shope), or bard would chant in great halls, such as Heorot • It is the only epic written in Old English. • It is 3,182 lines (for comparison, the Iliad and Odyssey written by Homer are approximately 15,000 lines)

21. Beowulf’s Epic Properties • Beowulf is an epic hero • He is a dragon slayer • He exhibits superior physical prowess compared to normal men • He is supremely ethical • He risks his life for his community and others • He is a representative of the community against satanic forces • The primary villain, or antagonist, is Grendel • Grendel is not a legendary figure, but a symbol of real evil

22. The Beowulf Manuscript A Tragedy and a Miracle

23. The Beowulf Manuscript • ~1700 – Great interest arose in England for old manuscripts to be gathered and archived. • 1700 – Sir Robert Cotton’s family gave several Old English manuscripts to the English nation, one of which was the Beowulf manuscript – the only copy in existence. • 1731 – The Ashburnham House at Westminster, which housed the Beowulf manuscript, burned. The manuscript was recovered, though it was slightly damaged.

24. The Beowulf Manuscript • 1786 – Icelandic scholar G. J. Thorkelin worked on a translation of Beowulf for nearly 20 years. • 1807 – After finishing his translation, Thorkelin’s works were burned during a British bombardment on Copenhagen during the Napoleonic Wars, which included his translation of Beowulf. • 1815 – Thorkelin started over and in 1815 his new translation of Beowulf was published. • Many translations have been released since the first in 1815, most notably Seamus Heaney’s translation, which stays true to the poetic form of the epic.

25. The Beowulf Manuscript • The Author undoubtedly had heard the story many times and from different sources, yet managed to fuse scattered pieces into an artistic whole. • Beowulf’s themes are universal: • Unending struggle of man against a hostile environment • Brave leaders try to save their people from evil or peril • Beowulf is an embodiment of Anglo-Saxon ideals and heroes: • He exhibits courage, loyalty, strength, and devotion to duty • He is pitted against savage monsters

26. What does Beowulf mean? • Many people make the assumption that Beowulf’s name translates to something related to a wolf. • In Anglo-Saxon, beo translates to bee. • Wulf does indeed translate to wolf. • Literally, his name means Bee-wolf. This is a term the Anglo-Saxons used to refer to bears, who had snouts like a wolf, and often ate honey from bee hives.