The Anglo-Saxon Period

1. The Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066

2. Invasion of England • In 449 three Germanic bands of people invaded Britain: • The Jutes • The Angles • The Saxons • These 3 tribes brought a common language with them, the ancestor of our present-day English, which we call Old English or Anglo-Saxon

3. Anglo-Saxon England • These tribes created the Anglo-Saxon England that lasted until 1066, when the Normans, led by William, Duke of Normandy, successfully invaded and conquered the country.

4. Unity or Disunity? • During the Anglo-Saxon period, England was not the unified country it is today. • The country was divided into separate kingdoms. • The country was born in warfare, and essentially remained a military society until it ended in 1066.

5. King Alfred of Wessex • King Alfred of Wessex was able to unite his people and force the Danes (the Vikings and Norsemen trying to invade England during this period) to the northeastern half of England.

6. The Heroic Ideal • The Anglo-Saxons shared a Heroic Ideal and a set of traditional heroes. • Men of outstanding courage • Fierce Personal Valor- fearlessness, bravery, spirit • Persons of rank- They were received with grave courtesy, whatever their tribe or people • The ruler-he was generous to those who were loyal, and in return, the followers remained loyal

7. Anglo-Saxon Society • Well-developed society that started with the family unit and branched out to the clan, tribe, and then to the kingdom. • Although these people developed great loyalty to their leader, they had a natural tendency toward a democratic habit of mind. • They held meetings in which people could openly express what they thought and felt.

8. Anglo-Saxon Influence Today • The names of our weekdays came from the old Anglo-Saxon gods • Tuesday- Twi (god of war) • Thursday- Thor (god of thunder) • Many basic American Traditions in law, conduct, outlook, language, and literature are from the Anglo-Saxons

9. Religion • The Anglo-Saxons were pagans • polytheistic tradition- worshipped many gods • Christianity came to Britain in 314 A.D. and slowly spread across the continent. • Missionaries from the Continent strengthened the spread of Christianity

10. Synod of Whitby • In 664 there was a synod (council) at Whitby Abbey (a famous monastery) • This synod united the English Church with Roman Christianity • The church began to draw the kingdoms in Britain together and encouraged intellectual and commercial ties with the rest of Europe.

11. Poetry in Anglo-Saxon Culture • Poetry was an oral art • Poems were not written down until a much later period • Poems were sung, usually to the accompaniment of a harp • Poets recited well-known poems from memory • This is similar to the way American Indian tribes passed on oral traditions

12. The Scop • The scop was a professional poet • A scop’s function in society was to be the memory and historian of the tribe. • It was his job to remember important heroes, battles, kings, and the folklore of the tribe • This information was passed down from generation to generation through oral poetry.

13. Poetic Elements • Alliteration and a strong beat were important because of the oral nature of the poetry • These devices aided in the memorization of these long poems

14. Traditions in Anglo-Saxon Poetry • Heroic Tradition- focuses on bravery and a central hero • Example: Beowulf • Elegiac Tradition- Mourns the passing of earlier, better times • Example: The Seafarer

15. The Venerable Bede • The Father of English History • The most learned and productive writer of the period • He is associated with the work, A History of the English Church and People • An excellent historical authority of its time

16. Alfred The Great • He Came two centuries after Bede • He was the most remarkable of the English Kings/ Became author and translator • Anglo-Saxon prose and history owe most to his influence and example • He initiated the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the first historical record to be kept in English (before this they wrote in Latin)