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Anglo-Saxon Period

Anglo-Saxon Period. 449-1066. Where did the term Anglo-Saxon originate?. Anglo-Saxon Origins and Language. In 451 AD the Romans leave Britain This causes the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes to invade Britain They came from Denmark, Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia.

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Anglo-Saxon Period

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  1. Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066

  2. Where did the term Anglo-Saxon originate?

  3. Anglo-Saxon Origins and Language • In 451 AD the Romans leave Britain • This causes the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes to invade Britain • They came from Denmark, Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia. • Anglo-Saxon vocabulary was simple and useful • The Anglo-Saxon gods lend their names to days of the week: Tuesday from Tiw, the dark god; Wednesday from Woden, the war god; Thursday from Thor, the thunder god; Friday from Frigga, goddess of the home • In 597 AD Christianity is introduced to the Anglo-Saxons • They adopted some of Christianity’s Latin words • In 793 AD the Vikings invade • Their language was “manly” and barbaric • Basically, Old English was a plethora of dialects mixed together

  4. Anglo-Saxon Culture • The King • Villages were ruled by Kings • The King must be heroic, respected, and he attained this respect though experience in war and boasting • The King must also share his spoils of war with his men (a “ring giver”) • Fighting was a way of life, and not to avenge the death of a family member was a social disgrace • The Women • Known as “cup-bearers” because they served the mead • Enjoyed more freedom than women after their time • The Mead Hall • Great hall of the king / Central hub • A place for drinking mead, storytelling, and merrymaking • Community • Very strong sense of community • Many were poor, rural, farmers • Lived in villages for protection

  5. Characteristics of Anglo-Saxons • Hard fighters and bold sea warriors • Admired physical strength, bravery, loyalty, fairness, and honesty • Great love of personal freedom • Boastful, reckless, cruel, and bloodthirsty • Enjoyed conflict, swimming matches, horse races, banqueting, drinking mead, singing songs, and storytelling ***Basically, they never wrote literature because they would rather fight. Or drink.

  6. Anglo-Saxon Poetry ***Anglo-Saxon Poetry was not written down. It was told orally by storytellers called Scops. ***Two types of Anglo-Saxon poetry: • Heroic poetry, recounting the achievements of warriors—like Beowulf • Elegiac poetry, lamenting the deaths of loved ones and the loss of the past (elegy is the name of the type of poem that mourns the loss of someone or something)

  7. Anglo-Saxon Literary Elements • Alliteration: the repetition of initial consonant sounds • This helped Scops memorize the poems • Examples: • "The Hall of the Heart" • "His pledge and promise" • "Dragging the dead men home to his den" • Caesura: rhythmic breaks in the middle of lines • This helped Scops pause for breathe when storytelling This tale is true, and mine. It tells How the sea took me, swept me back And forth in sorrow and fear and pain, Showed me suffering in a hundred ships, In a thousand ports, and in me. • Kennings: two-word poetic renamings of people, places and things • Example: • “Whale-road” for the sea

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