BRITAIN FROM THE ANGLO SAXON ERA

1. BRITAIN FROM THE ANGLO SAXON ERA BEOWULF

2. Early Britain • The names "Saxons", "Anglo-Saxons", and "English" have been used interchangeably for the early Germanic invaders of England. In a famous passage towards the beginning of his History The Venerable Bede states that the invaders who arrived as the Romans legions were recalled came from three strong Germanic tribes, the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes around 450 a.d.

3. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles • A.D. 509. This year St. Benedict, the abbot, father of all the monks, ascended to heaven. • A.D. 514. This year came the West-Saxons into Britain, with three ships, at the place that is called Cerdic's-ore. And Stuff and Wihtgar fought with the Britons, and put them to flight.

4. Anglo- Saxon society • These Germanic tribes considered the family the basic unit of society. • The Comitatus- was a group of men bound by loyalty and bravery for the mutual protection of their families. Warfare was a constant state of existence as tribes battled one another throughout the Germanic lands.

5. The Cyning • Though the Comitatus structure had a lord or King, his role was to provide his retainers with goods and treasure in exchange for their services. The societal structure was communal.

6. Anglo Saxon Culture • The Witan- was a council of advisors to the king from which some scholars date the present day Parliament. They made all decisions related to the comitatus and their word was final. ( Moot)

7. The Meade Hall • A central hall or communal court where victory celebrations were held nightly and around which the comitatus built their homes. • Meade- an alcoholic ale made with honey herbs and water was served nightly as the men celebrated their successes.

8. The Scop • The Poet or Bard’s sole job was to create songs of praise for deserving members of the comitatus and commit to memory the stories of the tribal society. • The Scop performed in the Meade Hall and was a highly respected keeper of the communal song.

9. Primary Values • LOYALTY- warriors were expected to fight to the death to protect their Cyning, their community and their treasure. • BRAVERY- they were loathe to show fear and often boasted of their prowess in battle. • TREASURE- a symbol of pride and respect. ( the Anglo- Saxons were excellent goldsmiths and wore ornaments encrusted with jewels)

10. The Wergild • “man-price-” because of the need for dependency on one another the ultimate crime in Anglo-Saxon society was to kill a member of your own comitatus. If such a thing happened the Witan assessed a wergild- an amount of treasure owed to the family of the deceased.

11. Early Religious Beliefs • Norse Mythology- polytheistic • Wodin- Chief God in the Norse Pantheon. God of Poetry and Death ( from which we have woden’s day or Wednesday) • Thor-(Old Norse: Þórr) was a widely worshipped deity among the Viking peoples and revered as the "God of Thunder." or God of weather for whom we have Thors-day or Thursday • If a man was brave enough on earth the god’s may give him the honor of battling under their own name in a form of afterlife

12. Wyrd- Fate • Anglo Saxons carried their Norse heritage to Britain along with their understanding that man’s life was controlled by outside forces. There was no after life unless attained through bravery in battle. A man’s valor was acknowledged and sung forever in the poetry of the scop.

13. The Advent of Christianity • The conversion of the Anglo- Saxons began in 597 when Pope Gregory the Great sent St. Augustine with instructions to proceed slowly with his conversions. After St. Augustine converted Kent, Canterbury was established as the center of the Roman church activity in England. • Monasteries were established across the country which became centers of learning and of Latin and Greek scholarship. It is in these monasteries that scribes copied and preserved the Epic poem of Beowulf as well as the elegiac poems such as “Deor,” “The Wanderer” and the “Seafarer.” • The Viking’s attack on Lindisfarne on Britain’s north eastern coast shocked and appalled the Anglo Saxons.

14. Old English Poetic Verse • Iambic Tetrameter- 4 primary syllables are stressed per line • Alliteration- used heavily as a memory device for the Scop\ (Reinforces the rhythmic effect- binds lines togerther. Key syllable is the third stress) • Caesura- each line is divided into two parts with an equal number of stresses on each side of the break.

15. Old English Verse con’t. • Kennings- familiar phrasings that form mental images through compound nouns Examples: Woman= peace weaver Stag= heath stepper Warrior= helmet bearer Ship= sea stallion ( metonomy and synechdoche is common)

16. Old English Verse con’t • Variation- multiple statements of the same idea. ( ie. seven epithets for God) • Litotes- forms of understatement • End stopping of lines • An elevated, aristocratic tone • A rapid narrative style • Sochronous- the use of the harp as a musical “rest” to insure the 4/8 time of the verse. ( 4/4 for hypermetric lines)

17. Characteristics of the Epic Hero • He represents the ideals and values of a group, nation or race. • His courageous, even super-human actions determine the fate of his nation or people • He engages in interactions with supernatural beings and events

18. The Epic Poem • The Hero is of noble birth • The settings are vast and often contain super- natural elements • The tone and diction are formal • The plot involves a dangerous journey • The themes reflect timeless values and universal themes such as good verses evil. • The hero delivers long formal speeches

19. The Epic of Beowulf SUSPEND YOUR DISBELIEF AND ENJOY THE ADVENTURES!