Anglo-Saxon Introduction August 28, 2013
Anglo-Saxon Introduction
August 28, 2013
Anglo-Saxon Timeline 449-1066
• 300 B.C.-Celts in Britain
• 55 B.C.-A.D. 409-Roman Invasion
• A.D. 449-Anglo-Saxon Invasion
• A.D. 400-699-Spread of Christianity
• A.D. 878-King Alfred against the Danes
• A.D. 1066-Norman Invasion
The Celts Before and During the 4th Century B.C.
• Britain was the home to many Celt Tribes
• King Arthur-was a famous Celtic King
• Celtic Religion-a form of animism, which is a belief that gods/spirits controlled all aspects of life and could take the form of trees, rivers fire, thunder, etc.
Roman Invasion
• 55 B.C.-Julius Ceasar invades Britain
• A.D. 43-Celts defeated by Claudius-Romans build walls, villas, baths, roads, etc.
• A.D. 409-Romans evacuate their troops
• Britain is vulnerable to attack
• The central government breaks down
Hadrian’s Wall
• It was built by the Roman emperor, Hadrian, to protect the Romans from the Celts.
• The wall was built all the way across northern England to protect the Romans from the celtic tribes in the north.
• The Romans ruled ended because Italy was invaded and they were called home.
The Anglo-Saxon Invasion
The Anglo-Saxons • They were the new settlers.
• They are were a mixture of people from Germany, Denmark, and northern Holland.
• The countries they came from were the Saxons, Franks, and Frisians were the German-Dutch, the Angles were southern Danish, and the Jutes were northern Danish.
A.D. 449 The Anglo-Saxons pushed the Celts into the far west country
The Anglo-Saxon Tribes Three Tribes
• The Anglo-Saxons were made up of three tribes:
• Angles-Southern Danish
• Saxons-German-Dutch
• Jutes-Northern Danish
Anglo-Saxon Society
• Warrior-based society, led by a strong warrior chief.
• “Warfare was the order of the day” (between clans, tribes, and outside invaders)
• Anglo-Saxon life was dominated by the need to protect the clan and home from enemies.
• Fame and success were achieved through loyalty to a leader and success was measured by gifts received from leaders
• English emerged as a language.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Women in the Anglo-Saxon Society
• The women in the Anglo-Saxon society had rights.
• They inherited and held property (even when married) and were offered substantial gifts of money and land from prospective husbands.
Anglo-Saxon Women
Anglo-Saxon Life
• After their arrival many stayed away from Roman towns
• They preferred to live in small villages
• Some Saxons built wooden houses inside the walls of Roman towns
• English emerged as a written language
The Anglo-Saxon Religion
• They were pagan, they believed in many gods.
• It offered no hope of afterlife…..only fame offered immortality and provided a defense against death
• It valued the concept of the “Heroic Ideal”…..earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship.
• They were superstitious. They believed in lucky charms. They thought magic rhymes, potions, stones or jewels would protect them from evil spirits or sickness.
Anglo-Saxon’s Scops Why were they important?
• The Anglo-Saxons had “scops”, they were skilled storytellers.
• They sang of heroic deeds and were regarded as equal to warriors.
• The Anglo-Saxons valued storytelling as equal to fighting, hunting, and farming.
• Anglo-Saxons did not believe in the afterlife
• They believed that warriors gain immortality through songs preserved in collective memory
King Alfred the Great against the Danes
• Between the 9th and 12th centuries the Vikings, called the Danes, invade Britain
• They came from the European mainland: Denmark, Southern Norway, and Southern Sweden
• 871 Alfred of Wessex becomes king of England
• 878 King Alfred unifies the Anglo-Saxons against the Danes.
• England becomes a nation.
• Alfred was also known for reviving an interest in learning the English language.
The Spread of Christianity
• Around A.D. 400 Christian monks settled in Britain
• Christianity and Anglo-Saxon culture co-exist
• By A.D. 699 British pagan religion is replaced by Christianity
Christianity and Literature
• The church brought education and written literature to England.
• Monks established churches, monasteries, and libraries.
• Monks recorded and duplicated illuminated manuscripts, at first only written in Latin.
• Oral literature was transcribed into written form.
• Monks preserved not only Latin and Greek classics but also popular literature (Beowulf).
The Norman Invasion 1066
• William of Normandy (first Norman King of England) crosses the English Channel
• William defeats Harold and the Anglo-Saxon army
• French replaces English as the language of the ruling class
The End