The British are coming!The British are coming!…the British are coming, the British are coming, the British are coming…the British are coming, the British are coming, the British are coming

or….or….

the tribes who melded to the tribes who melded to become The British Isles.become The British Isles.

Southern Britain was invaded from 450 bce to 1066 ad.Southern Britain was invaded from 450 bce to 1066 ad.

• The land was rich, the climate was suited for agrarian culture, and the harbors were safe, protected, and good for trade.

• However, invasions brought bloodshed, new people, customs, and languages.

The Celts The PictsThe Celts The Picts

Arrive 600bce in Arrive 600bce in tribestribes

AgrarianAgrarian MigratoryMigratory Created villagesCreated villages Fought among Fought among

themselvesthemselves Organized Organized

themselves by familythemselves by family Used bronze and ironUsed bronze and iron

The Celts had their own The Celts had their own “mysteries”“mysteries”

DruidsDruids Erected shrinesErected shrines Stonehenge.. what Stonehenge.. what

was its purpose?was its purpose?

Fertility?Fertility?

Weather?Weather?

Astronomy?Astronomy?

Rome invades in 55 bcRome invades in 55 bc

Julius CaesarJulius Caesar Thought the Celts barbaricThought the Celts barbaric Rome was sacking the Celts as early Rome was sacking the Celts as early

as 264 bce.as 264 bce. Defeated the Celts and drove them Defeated the Celts and drove them

north to Scotland and Walesnorth to Scotland and Wales

Hadrian’s Wall

117-138 Emperor Hadrian built a wall to keep out the Celts

Impressive engineering skills

Hadrian probably helped build the Pantheon

Rome civilized these early tribes Rome civilized these early tribes for over 300 yearsfor over 300 years

The land prosperedThe land prospered Built roadsBuilt roads Built aqueductsBuilt aqueducts TownsTowns SanitationSanitation GovernmentGovernment LatinLatin

……but then Rome began but then Rome began pulling out legions to pulling out legions to fight battles all over fight battles all over the worldthe world

Rome becameRome becameVulnerableVulnerableWeakWeakDividedDivided

……and the Celts came backand the Celts came back

Welcome to Britain!Welcome to Britain!The Germanic Tribes arrive The Germanic Tribes arrive

441ad441adThe AnglesThe Angles

The SaxonsThe Saxons

The JutesThe Jutes

Angles Saxons and JutesAngles Saxons and Jutes

They came to England from an area They came to England from an area just below Denmark in the first just below Denmark in the first migration.migration.

They arrived in the fifth centuryThey arrived in the fifth centuryThey were “invited’ by Vortigen, King They were “invited’ by Vortigen, King

of Britain…why?of Britain…why?To drive off the Picts and the ScotsTo drive off the Picts and the Scots

Ah!Ah!

These new tribes were warriors and These new tribes were warriors and seamenseamen

………….not farmers. They didn’t rotate crops .not farmers. They didn’t rotate crops or take care of the land.or take care of the land.

……and the land was weakenedand the land was weakened

• ……..so the Celts flee yet again to Wales..so the Celts flee yet again to Wales

Stories of Arthur, a Celtic warrior, are sung by bards 741 ad

..so what is an epic?

A long narrative poem about a heroand his companions

It is set in the “idealic” past, a past imagined as greater than the present

The hero often has superhuman divine traits The style is elevated to the greatness of the

deeds

““Beowulf” Beowulf”

We know “Beowulf” comes from We know “Beowulf” comes from these Germanic Tribesthese Germanic Tribes

We know that Beowulf came out of We know that Beowulf came out of these warrior kings – that the warrior these warrior kings – that the warrior who survived enough battles was who survived enough battles was elevated to the title of kingelevated to the title of king

Thanes were warriors who pledged Thanes were warriors who pledged themselves to these kingsthemselves to these kings

First King was AethelbretFirst King was Aethelbret

““BeowulfBeowulf First masterpiece of English First masterpiece of English

LiteratureLiterature The true story of a hero who The true story of a hero who

comes from Sweden to help comes from Sweden to help the tribe in Denmarkthe tribe in Denmark

Hygelac real warrior dies in Hygelac real warrior dies in battle in 521battle in 521

The story was written down in The story was written down in 725725

Only surviving Old English Only surviving Old English poem first found in 10poem first found in 10thth cen cen

Henry VIII ordered all Henry VIII ordered all manuscripts/monasteriesmanuscripts/monasteriesdestroyed./16destroyed./16thth c c

Lawrence Nowell, 16Lawrence Nowell, 16thth c c scholar credited with scholar credited with preservationpreservation

3,182 lines survive a fire in 3,182 lines survive a fire in 17311731

2 additional copies were 2 additional copies were made in 1786-87/Frimur made in 1786-87/Frimur Thorkelin/Danish scholar Thorkelin/Danish scholar who guessed at words and who guessed at words and lineslines

The author knows Anglo-The author knows Anglo-Saxon customsSaxon customs

May be a priest, cleric, or May be a priest, cleric, or tutortutor

In love with wordsIn love with words Blends the pagan and newly Blends the pagan and newly

emerging Christianityemerging Christianity Intense/excitingIntense/exciting Themes of loyalty, success, Themes of loyalty, success,

fate, friendship, and legacy fate, friendship, and legacy Lived in West Mercia-Lived in West Mercia-

midlands of England midlands of England (dialect)(dialect)

Important themes

Fate Goes ever as fate must It is better to avenge dear ones than

to mourn Justice must be served (weirgild-

manprice)

..so what is an epic?..so what is an epic?

A long narrative poem about a hero A long narrative poem about a hero and his companionsand his companions

It is set in the “ideal” past, a past It is set in the “ideal” past, a past imagined as greater than the presentimagined as greater than the present

The hero often has superhuman The hero often has superhuman divine traitsdivine traits

The style is elevated to the greatness The style is elevated to the greatness of the deedsof the deeds

The epic is divided into 2 speciesThe epic is divided into 2 species

The primary epic is a stately The primary epic is a stately narrative about nobility and recited narrative about nobility and recited to nobility.to nobility.

It is spoken by a bard who speaks It is spoken by a bard who speaks impersonally as the voice of the impersonally as the voice of the communitycommunity

The Iliad, the Odyssey, BeowulfThe Iliad, the Odyssey, Beowulf

..(cont)..(cont)

The poet of the secondary epic has The poet of the secondary epic has more individualitymore individuality

Virgil’s Virgil’s AeneidAeneid Milton’s Milton’s Paradise LostParadise Lost

Ed.Barnet, Berman, Burto, “The Dictionary of Literary Terms. Boston: Little Brown Ed.Barnet, Berman, Burto, “The Dictionary of Literary Terms. Boston: Little Brown and company, 1960and company, 1960

Elements of an EpicElements of an Epic((you will need to know this for the rest of your life)you will need to know this for the rest of your life)

Journey of a heroJourney of a hero Battles/monstersBattles/monsters BlazonBlazon PageantryPageantry Oratory/rhetoricOratory/rhetoric catalogingcataloging Honor/loyaltyHonor/loyalty DestinyDestiny Assembly scenesAssembly scenes PerseverancePerseverance Common senseCommon sense Tragic wasteTragic waste

RepetitionRepetition SymbolismSymbolism Long involved Long involved

sentencessentences ParallelismsParallelisms HyperboleHyperbole LitotesLitotes Sung by bards to Sung by bards to

illiteratesilliterates Heroic leaders on both Heroic leaders on both

sidessides One’s legacy after One’s legacy after

death is importantdeath is important

Old English PoeticsOld English Poetics Varies from the principle of iambic foot in modern EnglishVaries from the principle of iambic foot in modern EnglishPoems constructed of phrasal lines (this just means groups of words Poems constructed of phrasal lines (this just means groups of words

that relate)that relate)Two half lines linked by alliteration on stressed syllablesTwo half lines linked by alliteration on stressed syllablesHalf-lines linked by alliteration on stressed syllablesHalf-lines linked by alliteration on stressed syllablesEach half-line has two primary stresses, so four per line “ God-cursed Each half-line has two primary stresses, so four per line “ God-cursed

Grendel came greedily loping.”Grendel came greedily loping.”A ceasura separates the two partsA ceasura separates the two partsAlliterative sounds are not necessarily repeatedAlliterative sounds are not necessarily repeatedKennings are highly compressed figures of speech, which are usually Kennings are highly compressed figures of speech, which are usually

alliterativealliterativeCharacteristic of Old Norse poetryCharacteristic of Old Norse poetry

““that dark death-shadow”that dark death-shadow”““edges of iron”edges of iron”““remnants of hammers”remnants of hammers”