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The Anglo-Saxons

The Anglo-Saxons. 449-1066 English 12 Honors Mr. Raber. Geography #1 :. GREAT BRITIAN , or simply Britain, is an island comprising England Scotland Wales. Geography #2 :. The modern nation known as the UNITED KINGDOM (The entire light brown region)

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The Anglo-Saxons

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  1. The Anglo-Saxons 449-1066 English 12 Honors Mr. Raber

  2. Geography #1: GREAT BRITIAN, or simply Britain, is an island comprising • England • Scotland • Wales.

  3. Geography #2: The modern nation known as the UNITED KINGDOM (The entire light brown region) includes: • Great Britain • Northern Ireland, • Several smaller islands.

  4. Geography #3: Collectively, this group of large and small islands is also known as the BRITISH ISLES.

  5. Invaders/Settlers: The island of Great Britain has been invaded and settled by numerous groups of people: Iberians Celts Romans Angles, Saxons, and Jutes (Anglo-Saxons) Danes/Vikings Normans

  6. The Iberians • The earliest settlers in Britain were called IBERIANS because it is thought they originally came from the Iberian Peninsula. *this is the peninsula of present-day Portugal and Spain

  7. The Celts (K) • Among the Celts was a group called the BRYTHONS…sometimes called Britons. Brython flag • Their name was later adopted for the land name as BRITAIN.

  8. The Celts • The religion of the Celts was a form of ANIMISM ANIMISM = the Latin word for “Spirit” ANIMISM = belief in the existence of spirits separable from bodies

  9. The Celts • The Celts saw SPIRITS everywhere, and these spirits, or gods, controlled all aspects of existence.

  10. The Celts • The Celts believed these spirits/gods had to be constantly satisfied… sometimes this even made human sacrifice necessary :(

  11. The Celts • Priests, called DRUIDS, acted as intermediaries between the gods and the people. Some think Stonehenge was used by the Druids for certain religious functions

  12. Celtic Myths • The Celtic myths influenced many British and Irish writers such as Sir Thomas Malory and William Butler Yeats. • These myths were unlike later Anglo-Saxon stories in various ways. - For example, unlike the male-dominated Anglo-Saxon stories, the Celtic legends are full of strong women.

  13. The Romans • Beginning in 55 B.C., under the leadership of Julius Caesar, the Romans began to invade. Julius Caesar

  14. The Romans • Nearly 100 years later, under Emperor Claudius, the Celts were finally conquered. Emperor Claudius

  15. The Romans • The Romans provided the armies and organization that prevented further serious invasions of Britain for several hundred years. The Romans were strong and SMART!

  16. Thus… • Mr. Raber must be a Roman

  17. The Romans • They built a network of roads (some still used today) ** They also built a defensive wall 73 miles long

  18. The Romans • During Roman rule, CHRISTIANITY took hold under the leadership of European missionaries. • Christianity later became a UNIFYING force among the people. • The old Celtic religion began to vanish.

  19. The Roman Downfall • Despite the strong leadership and government of the Romans, due to ‘troubles at home,’ they evacuated all of their troupes out of Britain by A.D. 409. Romans

  20. The Separated Britain • Without Roman control, Britain was a country full of separate clans. Unity was gone

  21. The Weak Britain • The resulting weakness made the island prime for a series of SUCCESSFUL INVASIONS by non-Christian peoples from the Germanic regions of continental Europe. WEAK

  22. THE INVADERS • The ANGLES and SAXONS from Germany and JUTES from Denmark invaded across the North Sea. • They drove out the old Britons and settled the greater part of Britain.

  23. CHANGE • The LANGUAGE of the Anglo-Saxons became the dominant language • The Angles also changed the name of the land from Britain to…. • Engla land… and eventually ENGLAND

  24. Anglo-Saxon England • Was not any more unified than Celtic Britain had been until King Alfred of Wessex, ALFRED THE GREAT, led the Anglo-Saxons against the invading DANES, one of the Viking invaders from the cold North. Alfred the Great Viking Invaders

  25. The Danes • Eventually, the Danes, plundering and destroying anything in their path… • Took over and settled in parts of northeast and central England

  26. Christianity = Unity • It is possible even King Alfred would not have been able to unify the Anglo-Saxons without the REEMERGENCE OF CHRISTIANITY

  27. Christianity • Christianity provided: a COMMONFAITH 2) COMMON SYSTEM OF MORALITY and PROPER CONDUCT.

  28. Christianity • Christianity also LINKED England to Europe. • “Under Christianity and Alfred, the Anglo-Saxons fought to protect their people, their culture, and their church from the ravages of the Danes.”

  29. Later… • Both the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes were DEFEATED in 1066 by William, duke of Normandy (The NORMANS). Battle of Hastings

  30. Transition… OK…so we know the succession of differing peoples/groups leading up to, and after, the Anglo-Saxons: Iberians Celts Romans Angles, Saxons, and Jutes (Anglo-Saxons) Danes/Vikings Normans

  31. Now… Let us focus our attention back on the ANGLO-SAXONS since that is the time period we are studying, and the time period that Beowulf was often recited in. Different depictions of Beowulf

  32. Side Note: • The new Beowulf movie is not exactly the same as the epic we will be reading… Sorry guys…no Angelina Jolie Sorry girls…no bulging abs Censor Box Censor Box

  33. Sutton Hoo & The Anglo-Saxons • In 1939 a treasure laden ship-grave was found in Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, England • This Sutton Hoo treasure ship is said to have been buried for 1300 yrs. Helmet Ship Dig

  34. Thus… • The treasures of Sutton Hoo’s ship showed that the Anglo-Saxons were NOT barbarians Sutton Hoo Ship Treasures

  35. Anglo-Saxon Life • Even though the treasures proved them not barbarians… • The Anglo-Saxons did not lead a life of luxury • Nor were their lives dominated by learning or the arts

  36. Anglo-Saxon Life • Instead, WARFARE was the order of the day • As displayed in Beowulf, for the Anglo-Saxons, law and order were the responsibility of the leader of any given group • Groups: Family, Clan, Tribe, or Kingdom

  37. Anglo-Saxon Life • Fame and success, even survival, were gained only through loyalty to the leader • Success was measured in gifts from the leader • This WILL be seen in Beowulf

  38. Anglo-Saxon Life • This pattern of loyal dependency was basic to Anglo-Saxon life • Such loyalty grew out of a need to protect the group from the terrors of an enemy infested wilderness… (Grendel) • A wilderness that became particularly frightening during the long, bone-chilling nights of winter

  39. Anglo-Saxon Life • Anglo-Saxons tended to live… • close to their animals in single-family homesteads • these homesteads were wooden buildings that surrounded a communal court or warm, fire-lit chieftain’s hall. • This cluster of buildings was protected by a wooden stockade fence

  40. Anglo-Saxon Life Reconstructed Anglo-Saxon Buildings

  41. Anglo-Saxon Life • This arrangement, which WILL be seen in Beowulf, contributed to a sense of security and to the close relationship between leader and followers • It also encouraged community discussion and rule by consensus

  42. More on Religion #1 • Despite the influence of Christianity, some of the old Anglo-Saxon religion, with its warrior gods, persisted • The Anglo-Saxon religion that remained was a dark, fatalistic religion, that had been brought from Germany and is believed to have much in common with Norse or Scandinavian mythology

  43. More on Religion #2 • Norse Gods: • Odin: the god of death, poetry, and magic • The Anglo-Saxon name for Odin was “Woden” (Woden’s day=Wednesday) Odin/Woden

  44. More on Religion #3 • Norse Gods: • Thunor: the god of thunder and lightning • The Anglo-Saxon name for Thunor was “Thor” (Thor’s day=Thursday) Thunor/Thor

  45. Also… • Another significant figure in Anglo-Saxon mythology is the dragon • The dragon is the personification of “death and devourer” • The dragon is also theguardian of the grave mound in which a warrior’s ashes and treasure lay

  46. Overall… • The Anglo-Saxon religion seems to have been more concerned with ethics than mysticism • More specifically, they were concerned with the earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship

  47. The Singing of Gods and Heroes • Not only did the Anglo-Saxon communal hall provide a place for shelter and council meetings… • But also, it provided spaces for storytellers and their audiences

  48. The Singing of Gods and Heroes • These skilled storytellers/bards (such as the storytellers in Homeric Greece more than 1,000 years earlier) sang of gods and heroes • The Anglo-Saxons called these storytellers scops

  49. The Singing of Gods and Heroes • These scops were held in the same superiority as warriors • The Anglo-Saxons felt creating poetry was as important as fighting, hunting, farming, or loving

  50. Death & Poetry • For the non-Christian Anglo-Saxon, life is hard, ends only in death, and there is no hope of an afterlife • Thus, only fame, and its commemoration in poetry could provide a defense against death and a sense of lasting immortality. • Hence, why bards were considered so important

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