anglo-saxon-old-english-history-and-literature-1.ppt

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1. Pre-Historical – 1066 A.D.

2. Overview of Periods of Early
English History
Pre-History—1066 A. D.
1.Pre-Roman/Pre-Historical  up to 55 B. C.
2.Roman Occupation  55 B. C. – 410 A. D.
3.Anglo-Saxon Period  (410)450 – 787 A. D.
4.Viking Invasions by Vikings 787 – 1066 A. D.
5.Norman Conquest begins in 1066

3. Pre-Historical / Pre-Roman
Stonehenge

4. Between 1700 and 55 B.C., two groups of Celts
from southern Europe invaded the British Isles.
Brythons (now spelled “Britons”) settled on the
largest Island, Britain.
Gaets, settled on the second largest island, known
to us as Ireland.

5. The Celts
farmers and hunters
organized themselves into clans
clans had fearsome loyalty to chieftains
looked to priests, known as Druids, to settle their
disputes

6. Pre-Historical / Pre-Roman
The island we know as England was occupied by a race
of people called the Celts (A group of Indo-European
peoples). One of the tribes was called they Brythons or
Britons (where we get the term Britain). The second was
Geats ( Goths were a large North Germanic tribe).
Both Celtic groups spoke languages from the Celtic
family which the Britons had been speaking before being
conquered by Rome.
The Celts were Pagans and their religion was known as
“animism” a Latin word for “spirit.” Celts saw spirits
everywhere.
They lived in closely tied clans and were farmers,
hunters.
Their leaders were Druids. Druids were their priests;
their role was to go between the gods and the people.

7. Roman Occupation
Hadrian’s Wall

8. Important Events During Roman Occupation
Julius Caesar begins invasion/occupation in 55
B.C.
Occupation completed by Claudius in 1
st
cent.
A.D.
Hadrian’s Wall built about 122 A.D.
They established roads and towns that served
the island for centuries.
Romans “leave” in 410 A.D. because Visigoths
attack Rome.
By 391 A.D. Christianity was the official Roman
religion.

9. Important Cultural and Historical Results of
the Roman Occupation
Military—strong armed forces (“legions”)
Pushed Celts into Wales and Ireland
Prevented Vikings from raiding for several hundred years: C.
Warren Hollister writes, “Rome’s greatest gift to Britain was
peace” (15).
Infrastructure
Government (fell apart when they left)
Walls, villas, public baths (some remains still exist)
Language and Writing
Latin was official language
Practice of recording history led to earliest English
“literature” being documentary
Religion
Christianity beginning to take hold, especially after St.
Augustine converts King Aethelbert

10. The Most Important Results of the Roman
Occupation
heavily influenced the English language
Celts and Romans lived together peacefully
London was a Roman city (Londinium)
Built Fort beside the River Thames
Their rule ended because Italy was under attack
from northern invaders. They left the stage to
Anglo-Saxons.

11. The Anglo-Saxon Period 450-787
The Anglo-Saxon period in Britain is considered to have started by about
450 and ended in 1066, with the
 Norman Conquest.

13. Routes Taken to Britain
New land: “Angle-land”
- small tribal kingdoms
- no written language
-supported themselves
through farming and
hunting

14. Important Events in the Anglo-Saxon Period
410- 450 Angles and Saxons invade from Baltic
shores of Germany, and the Jutes invade from the
Jutland peninsula in Denmark
Nine Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms eventually became the
Anglo-Saxon heptarchy (England not unified), or
“Seven Sovereign Kingdoms”.
They (pagan: one who has no religion) worshiped
ancient Germanic gods Tui, god of war and the sky;
Woden, chief of the gods; and Fia.
597AD: Saint Augustine
converted King Ethelbert of Kent to Christianity.
set up a monastery in Canterbury in Kent.
Britain's new language then became
Latin + German = Anglo-Saxon/Old English

15. Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy
Heptarchy = Seven Kingdoms
1.Kent
2.Essex (East Saxon)
3.Sussex (South Saxon)
4.East Anglia
5.Northumbria
6.Mercia
7.Wessex (West Saxon)

17. Anglo Saxon King and Warrior
early 7
th
century

18. An Anglo-Saxon Hall

19. An Anglo-Saxon Farmstead
West Stow: reconstructed village
Remember the 3
little pigs…

21. Britain was later re-named Englaland, meaning Land
of the Angles. Vocabulary of the Anglo-Saxons was
limited and dealt mainly with everyday life and
problems.
When the Romans abandoned Britain in 450 A.D., the Anglo-Saxons
of Germany invaded and settled England, This period was known
as the Dark Ages.
There were no Catholic priests remaining in England to teach reading
and writing to the people.
Most people were illiterate.
Much interest in the fine arts disappeared with the Romans.
Britain was cut off from Europe’s culture and trade.
There were no Roman legions keeping law and order.
Yet, stories and poems were
being created!

22. Anglo-Saxon literature was originally composed in Old English, which is
based on the Germanic language brought by the Anglo-Saxon
invaders.
The stories and poems of an illiterate people had to be passed on
orally by designated story-tellers called scops.
Gleemen = wandering minstrels
These scops, and the poems and
stories they created, defined the
values of their society and culture.
Through their art, they showed men
how they were expected to behave,
and the consequences of failure.
Bards - A bard is a professional story teller,
verse-maker, music composer, oral historian
and genealogist, employed by a patron (such
as a monarch or chieftain)

23. Some terms you’ll want to know
scop
A bard or story-teller.
The scop was
responsible for praising
deeds of past heroes, for
recording history, and
for providing
entertainment

24. Anglo-Saxon Literature
Anglo-Saxon poetry falls mainly into two
categories:
Heroic poetry – recounts the achievements
of warriors
Elegiac poetry – laments the deaths of
loved ones and the loss of the past.(The
elegy is a form of poetry in which the poet
or speaker expresses grief, sadness, or loss)
Beowulf is the most famous example of
heroic poetry.

25. Anglo-Saxon poetry takes two forms:
1. Heroic poetry
2. Elegiac poetry (the elegy). The
elegy is a form of poetry in which the poet
or speaker expresses grief, sadness, or
loss.

26. Religious poetry (Christian poetry)
mainly on biblical stories and the stories of the
saints
Caedmon (early 7 th century)
Hymn (poems)– 21 copies
Cynewolf (early 9
th
century)
The dream of the road –dream poem, religious
poem.

29. Anglo-Saxon prose
appeared in the 8
th
century
1.Venerable Bede (673-735) Writer, teacher, the first
scholar in English literature
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (in
Latin) – History of Britain for 8 century
The Lives of the Holy Abbots
A history of the English church and people – Describes
Anglo-Saxon times.
2. Alfred the Great (848-901) Father of English prose,
King of Wessex kingdom. Founded the 1
st
English
public school.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles---the monument of Old
English prose

31. Were it not for the scops, Anglo-Saxon
poetry would have been lost.
However, in 975 A.D., monks at a
monastery in Exeter, England,
translated the oral poetry into Latin and
copied it into a book.
The Exeter Book
The Exeter Book preserved the poetry
for future generations.

32. Viking Invasions 787-1066

33. Vikings
By definition, Vikings were sea-faring (explorers,
traders, and warriors) Scandinavians during the
8
th
through 11
th
centuries.
Oddly enough, the Anglo-Saxon (and Jute)
heritage was not much different from the
Vikings’: they, too, were Scandinavian invaders.
In fact, some Vikings were also called
“Northmen” which is related to yet another
culture (this one French) which made conquest of
England—the Normans, and William the
Conqueror in 1066.

34. However, when the Viking raids began around 787,
the Anglo-Saxons were different culturally from the
Viking invaders.
English king Alfred the Great was able to resist the
first invasion.
The Viking ended up practicing “hit and run” raids,
but their influence was not large.

35. Important Results of the Viking Invasions
Politically and Culturally
Continued political instability and conflict (i.e., tribal war):
there was no central government or church*
Linguistically (The English Language at its Earliest)
The English language is “born” during the first millennium and
is known as Old English (OE).
Old English is mainly Germanic** in grammar (syntax and
morphology) and lexicon (words) the core of our modern
English is vastly influenced by this early linguistic .
(**Remember: Vikings were Germanic people)
LOTS of dialects of Old-English, as one might imagine. This is
because there were several separate Kingdoms many founded
by essentially five or six different cultures: Angles, Saxons,
Frisians, Jutes, Danes, and Swedes
*Alfred the Great (ruled from approx. 871-899 A.D.) was one of
the first Anglo-Saxon kings to push Vikings back; in fact, he
was one of the first kings to begin consolidating power,
unifying several of the separate Anglo-Saxon kingdoms .

36. Except for the Celts* and the Romans,
all of the cultures who successfully
invaded England in the first
millennium were from Northern
Europe at one time or another. The
Angles, Saxons, Frisians, and Jutes
were from the Baltic region, and the
Normans (1066) were primarily from
Normandy and had originally been
from Norway.
*the Celts were indigenous at the time of the Roman
conquest, and are therefore considered England’s “natives”

37. The Anglo-Saxon period ranges from 449-
1066.
By 1042, the Danes were out of power, and
Edward the Confessor was on the throne.
Edward died in 1066, and that year found
the Normans overpower the Anglo-Saxons.
This was the last defeat.
It ends with the Battle of Hastings where the
French, under the leadership of William the
Conqueror invaded England.

38. Early England Created by Three Invasions
1. Roman Occupation 55 B.C.-410 A.D.
2. Anglo-Saxon
and Viking
Invasions
(410)450 – 1066
A.D.
3. The
Norman
Invasion
(The Battle
of Hastings)
in 1066 A.D.
LATINLATIN
GERMANGERMAN
FRENCHFRENCH

39. Periods in Review
Pre-Anglo-Saxon (really “pre” historical)
Celtic Peoples (approx 1700/400 B.C. – 55 B.C.)
Roman Occupation (55 B.C.-410 A.D.)
Anglo-Saxon/Viking
Angles, Saxons and Jutes ((410)450-787)
Viking Raids/Invasions begin 8
th
c. and end 10
th
c.
Norman Invasion/Occupation (really in the Middle Ages)
Battle of Hastings in 1066, then about four centuries of
French rule

40. Quick History of English Language
Old English (OE) dates from approximately* 400
A.D. to 1066
Middle English (ME) dates from approximately
1066-1485
They are quite different to the eye and ear. Old
English is nearly impossible to read or
understand without studying it much.
*The dating of the beginnings of OE is difficult; scholars only have written texts in OE
beginning in around 700 A.D., but peoples in England must have been speaking a version
of OE prior to works being written in the vernacular (as opposed to Latin)

41. Another Way of Looking at the History of English
Old EnglishOld English400-1066 400-1066 BeowulfBeowulf
(from (from
BeowulfBeowulf!)!)
““Gaæþ a wyrd swa hio scel” (OE)Gaæþ a wyrd swa hio scel” (OE)
==
““Fate goes ever as it must” (MnE)Fate goes ever as it must” (MnE)
Middle EnglishMiddle English1066-14851066-1485ChaucerChaucer
(from (from CTCT))
““Whan that Aprille with his shoures Whan that Aprille with his shoures
soote . . . ” (ME) =soote . . . ” (ME) =
““When that April with its sweet When that April with its sweet
showers . . .” (MnE) showers . . .” (MnE)
Early Modern Early Modern
EnglishEnglish
1485-18001485-1800Shakespeare Shakespeare
(from (from KLKL))
““Sir, I loue you more than words Sir, I loue you more than words
can weild ye matter” (EMnE) =can weild ye matter” (EMnE) =
““Sir, I love you more than word Sir, I love you more than word
can wield the matter” (MnE)can wield the matter” (MnE)
Modern Modern
EnglishEnglish
1800-1800-
presentpresent
AustenAusten
(from (from P&PP&P))
It is a truth universally acknowledged, It is a truth universally acknowledged,
that a single man in possession of a that a single man in possession of a
good fortune must be in want of a wife.good fortune must be in want of a wife.
OE=Old English ME=Middle English EMnE=Early Modern English MnE=Modern English

42. English language= ?
Celtic [Gaelic](from 1700 or 400 B.C. to 55 B.C.) +
Latin (from 55 B. C. to 410 A. D.) +
German (from (410)450 A.D. to 1066 A.D.) +
French (from 1066 A.D. to 1485 A.D.) =
OLD ENGLISH and MIDDLE ENGLISH
VERY DIFFICULT LANGUAGE, BUT ONE PERFECT
FOR LIMITLESS AND BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSION

43. English is a Melting Pot of Indo-European
Languages
Celtic Latin German French

44. 1. Heroic Poetry: poems about heroes &
warriors!
Beowulf is an Heroic Poem, the story of an heroic warrior.
The author is unknown. The story was passed on orally
from. It shows a blend of Christian and classical Roman
religions (belief in Fate.)
Original purpose: to provide a guide to
“manly living”; to teach about loyalty
and courage.
Beowulf is the story of a Scandinavian
(Geat) “thane” (warrior or knight) who
comes to help a neighboring tribe, the
Danes, who are being attacked by a
monster.

45. thane
A warrior
mead-hall
The large hall where the
lord and his warriors
slept, ate, held
ceremonies, etc.
Some terms you’ll want to know

46. Why is Beowulf so important?
It is “the national EPIC of England.”
It was the first English Epic.
It was written down in Old English in the 11
th
century and helped
preserve that language.
It is our best picture of Anglo-Saxon life/culture/values/beliefs
before there were written records.
What is an Epic?
An Epic is a long heroic narrative poem that tells a story and celebrates the
deeds of an heroic figure.
Common features of the Epic:
1. A larger-than-life hero battles forces that threaten world order.
(Good versus Evil)
2. Story is told in a serious way, using elevated language.
3. Hero upholds cultural values of his era. (Here, these values are
loyalty, bravery, honor, and fighting skills)

47. Setting: Beowulf’s time and place
Although Beowulf was written in
English, it is set in what is now
Sweden, where a tribe called the Geats
lived.
The story may take place as early as
400 or 500 A.D.

48. Beowulf’s Provenance
What we don’t know:
who wrote it
when exactly it was
written
how much, exactly, is
based on historical truth

49. Beowulf’s Provenance
What we do know:
Beowulf is the oldest surviving English
poem. It’s written in Old English (or Anglo-
Saxon), which is the basis for the language
we speak today.
Some of the characters in the poem
actually existed.
The only copy of the manuscript was
written sometime around the 11
th
century
A.D. (1000’s), however…

50. Beowulf’s Provenance
So why wasn’t it written
down in the first place?
This story was probably passed down
orally for centuries before it was first
written down.
It wasn’t until after the Norman Invasion
(1066) that writing stories down became
common in this part of the world.

51. Beowulf’s Provenance
So what’s happened to the
manuscript since the 11
th

century?
Eventually, it ended
up in the library of this
guy.
Robert Cotton (1571-
1631)

52. Beowulf’s Provenance
Unfortunately, Cotton’s library burned
in 1731. Many manuscripts were
entirely destroyed. Beowulf was
partially damaged.
The manuscript is now preserved
and carefully cared for in the British
Museum.

53. There is only one original Beowulf manuscript
existing today. It is in the British History
Museum in London.

54. BEOWULF is an EPIC poem.
EPIC – a long, narrative poem
that relates the great deeds of a
larger-than-life hero who
embodies the values of a
particular society.

55. Examples of other EPICS are…
Greek “Illiad” and
“Odyssey” – Homer

56. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings – Tolkien

57. Setting: Beowulf’s time and place
Europe today Insert: Time of Beowulf

58. Beowulf is an Old English poem, an epic in the tradition of Germanic
heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines, contained in
the Nowell Codex (one of the four major Old English poetic
manuscripts). It is one of the most important and most often
translated works of Old English literature. The date of composition is
a matter of contention among scholars; the only certain dating is for
the manuscript, which was produced between 975 and 1025
AD. Scholars call the anonymous author the "Beowulf poet". 

59. The story is set in pagan Scandinavia in the 5th and 6th
centuries. Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar,
the king of the Danes, whose mead hall Heorot has been under attack
by the monster Grendel for twelve years. After Beowulf slays
him, Grendel's mother takes revenge and is in turn defeated. Victorious,
Beowulf goes home to Geatland and becomes king of the Geats. Fifty
years later, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is mortally wounded in the
battle.

60. This EPIC poem of BEOWULF is
often divided into 3 sections; it
is about Beowulf’s 3 epic battles
with evil.

61. …the Battle with
Grendel
(Grendel represents evil)

62. …the Battle with Grendel’s
Mother
(She also represents evil.)

63. …the Battle with the Dragon
(It not only represents evil but also Greed.)

64. More on the Epic Poem
Characteristics of:
Hero of high rank, noble birth
Hero embodies ideas of society
Performs superhuman deeds
Actions determine fate of a nation
Vast setting
Addresses universal themes
Action begins in medias res (in the middle)
Characters speak in long, formal speeches
Supernatural beings
Reflects timeless values (ex: courage and honor)

65. More on Beowulf …
Much of the story is based on Celtic and
Swedish folk legends.
Since the only people who could read or
write during the Dark Ages were priests,
and since Beowulf has some Christian
elements in it, we assume that the
person(s) who wrote the story down was
a monk.
Despite Beowulf’s Christian elements, it is
still considered a pagan tale (pagan: one
who has no religion)