The Anglo-Saxons:

449-1066
Historical, Cultural and Literary Context
Note: B.C. means Before Christ
A.D. means In the year of our Lord

The Celts in Britain

* Led by King
Arthur (300BC)
Note: Britain names after
Celtic tribe Brythons

Celtic Religion - Gods/spirits in control

Form:
tree
thunder
fire
river

Julius Caesar invades Britain ~ 55 B.C.

Romans leave in
409 A.D.

The Anglo-Saxon Invasion

A.D. 449 - The
Anglo-Saxons
pushed the
Celts into the
far west of the
country.

The Anglo-Saxons
Warrior-based society
Fame achieved
through loyalty
Success was
measured by
guttural, language
gifts received
Old English
from leaders.

Anglo-Saxon Woman
had many rights
inherited and held property
offered substantial gifts of money and land
from prospective husbands.

The Anglo-Saxon Religion

offered no hope of an afterlife...only fame
offered immortality and provided a
defense against death
valued concepts of the heroic
ideal...earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty,
generosity, and friendship.

The Anglo-Saxon Bards

called scops
skilled storytellers and
honored members of society
sang of heroic deeds
regarded as equals to
warriors
warriors gained immortality
through songs preserved in
the collective memory

Anglo-Saxon
harp

The Vikings (Danes)

fearsome group of seafaring marauders
looted, killed and burned down entire
villages
King Alfred unifies the Anglo-Saxons against
the Danes and revives interest in learning
England becomes a nation

The Norman Conquest

Ended Anglo-Saxon dominance in England
Lost their land to the conquerors, noble
families sank into the peasantry and a new
class of privileged Normans took their place.
French replaces English as the language of
the ruling class.

Cultural Influences
Around A.D. 400 to A.D. 699
opened up a bright new possibility that the suffering
of this world was merely a prelude to the eternal
happiness of heaven
Roman missionary named Augustine established
a monastery at Canterbury.
Monasteries became centers of intellectual,
literary, artistic and social activity.

Literature of the times

Epic poems praised deeds of heroic warriors
Poems were recited by scops in mead halls
Poems instilled cultural pride
Lyric poems reflected everyday reality
Writing moved from Latin to English
Kings and nobles met in the great Mead
Halls

Terms:
Animism - Celtic belief that Gods/spirits controlled all aspects of life and could take the
form of trees, rivers, fire, thunder, etc.
Fatalism - Anglo-saxon belief that the course of ones life was pre-determined by fate.
Bards - skilled storytellers and honored members of society. The Anglo-Saxons called
them scops and they were not regarded as inferior to warriors. The Anglo-Saxons
viewed creating poetry as important as fighting, hunting, farming, and loving (because
of religion).
Vernacular - language of the people ~ Old English
Alliteration - repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words (ex: the wind
whips through the woods).
Caesura - rhythmical pause separating a line of verse into halves.
Kennings - descriptive compound words that evoke vivid images (sea-stallions and
whale-road).
Epic - a long, narrative poem that relates the great deeds of a larger than life hero who
embodies (is made up of and reflects) the values of a particular society.
Wyrd - or fate pagan religion was marked by a strong belief in fate