From Legend to HistoryA.D. 449-1485

The Old English and Medieval Periods

The Conquest of Britain

• Between 800 and 600 B.C. two groups of Celts from southern Europe, the Brythons and the Gaels, invaded the British Isles.

• The Brythons settled on the largest island, Britain.• The Celts were farmers and hunters. They

organized themselves into tightly knit clans, each with a fearsome loyalty to its chieftain.

• The next conquerors of Britain were the Romans in 55 B.C. led by General Julius Caesar. This conquest of Britain took nearly 100 years.

• The Roman rule of Britain lasted for more than 300 years and ended only when Roman troops withdrew to protect their homeland in Italy in 407 A.D.

• The Romans introduced Christianity to Britain around the 4th century.

• This Christianity differed greatly from the pagan beliefs of the Celts and from the beliefs of a new set of invaders, the Saxons.

The Anglo-Saxon Invaders

Saxon InvadersThese Germanic tribes were

nomadic, seafaring, and warlike.

They valued the individual warrior.

King was essentially the greatest warrior of the tribe.

Good kings were recognized for their generosity - hence the name “ring giver.”

Tribes were constantly warring with one another.

Warriors owed total loyalty to their king.

Women held little power in this society.

Saxon Terminology• Mead Hall – Large structure

where king’s warriors would gather to feast, drink, and be entertained.

• Mead- preferred drink of Saxon warriors. It was a strong mix of fermented honey and yeast.

• Warriors would often gather to hear stories shared by bards and challenge their minds with riddles.

Saxon Terminology cont…• Wergild- The Saxons were

extremely motivated by vengeance, which would lead to blood feuds between tribes. Wergilds were established to end these blood feuds. A Wergild was compensation given to a victim’s family when a member of their family or tribe had been killed.

• Witon- Group of King’s elders or wise men.

• Mail- flexible body armor made of metal.

The Danish Invasions• In the ninth century, the Norse

of Norway and the Danes of Denmark took to the seas. These Vikings carried their piracy to the British Isles.

• The Viking Invaders sacked and plundered monasteries, destroyed manuscripts, and stole sacred religious objects. They burned entire communities and put villagers to the sword.

“The Great King”King Alfred

• In 871, a king ascended to the Wessex throne who would be the only ruler in England’s history ever to be honored with the epithet “the Great.”

• King Alfred had earned this title partly by resisting further Danish encroachment.

• Under a truce concluded in 886, England was formally divided: The Saxons acknowledged Danish rule in the east and the north, and the Danes agreed to respect the Saxon rule in the south. As a result, Alfred became a national hero.

Alfred’s England

• Under his truce of 886, Alfred’s England was divided in this way.

• Alfred’s achievements went far beyond the battlefield. For example, he encouraged a rebirth of learning and education.

Anglo-Saxon Literature• Anglo-Saxon literature began not with books, but with spoken verse and

incantations.• Anglo-Saxon verse falls into two main categories: heroic poetry (recounting

the achievements of warriors), and elegiac poetry (lamenting the deaths ones and the loss of the past).

• Famous elegiac poems would be “The Seafarer” and “The Wanderer”.• Most famous heroic poem: Beowulf.• Anglo-Saxon prose: before the reign of Alfred the Great, all important prose

was written in Latin. The monks who transcribed these works regarded the vernacular, the language of the common people, as a “vulgar tongue.” The greatest of England’s Latin scholars was Venerable Bede (673-735), whose History of the English Church and People gives an account of England from the Roman invasion to his own time.

• Another great prose work from this time is The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. Unlike Bede’s History, these records were written in Old English, the earliest form of our own language.

Beowulf“The English National Epic”• This epic, or long heroic poem, is

the story of a great legendary warrior renowned for his courage, strength, and dignity.

• Like most Anglo-Saxon poets, the author of Beowulf is unknown.

• Likely recited as early as the 6th century, the text we have today was composed in the eighth century and not written down until the 11th century in Old English.

• The poem includes many references to Christian ideas.

• However, the values of Anglo-Saxon warrior society are most evident.

What is an epic???Characteristics of the epic: Call upon the muse In Medias res: begins in the midst of things Has a hero with superhuman characteristics who represents

his culture or era Theme of good vs. evil Presence of gods or semi-divine creatures Includes a descent to an underworld Story is told in a serious manner, and often in special,

elevated language

Literary terms to know: Kenning- a metaphor that uses compound words. For example,

“earth’s candle” may represent the sun. Allusion- reference to another literary work or historical event. Archetype – original pattern or model / perfect example Caesuras- rhythmic breaks in the middle of lines, where poet could

pause for breath. Assonance- the repetition of vowel sounds. Alliteration- the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Direct characterization- presents direct statements about a

character. Indirect characterization- uses actions, thoughts and dialogue to

reveal a character’s personality.

Huh?

Lots of ongoing tribal feuds and wars led to . . .

Lots of intermingling of similar but different Germanic languages . . . interrupted by . . .

MORE Viking invasions, which gave way to . . .

Some political unification (Alfred) . . .

. . . Which led to . . . OLD ENGLISH, the earliest form of

our language!!

Which of these does not belong and why?

Language Culture Government Religion

Respond in at least 4 sentences

Which of these does not belong and why?

Storyteller Warrior Fate Leader

Respond in at least 4 sentences

HomeworkRead p. 14-15 in your textbook

Read and annotate the following poems using sticky notes: “The Seafarer” on p. 17 “The Wanderer” on p. 21 “The Wife’s Lament” on p.25

Which one of these poems does not seem to belong with the others? Why? We will start with this tomorrow.

Begin reading Beowulf p.36. Due Tuesday, August 26th