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The Anglo-Saxons 449 - 1066
The Anglo-Saxons: 449 - 1066
The Anglo-Saxon Invasion
A.D. 449 The Anglo-Saxons push the Celts into the far west of the country.
Anglo-Saxon Society
• Warrior-based society, led by strong warrior chief.
• Warfare was the order of the day between clans, tribes, and against 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.
The Anglo-Saxon Religion
• offered no hope of an afterlife…only fame offered immortality and provided a defense against death.
• valued the concept 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 • were regarded as equal to warriors
Why the Bards Were Important
• Anglo-Saxons did not believe in an afterlife • warriors gained immortality through songs
preserved in the collective memory • Anglo-Saxons viewed creating poetry as
important as fighting, hunting, farming, and loving
The Spread of Christianity
• around A.D. 400, Christian monks settled in Britain
• Christianity and Anglo-Saxon culture coexist • by A.D. 690, British pagan religions replaced
by Christianity
Terms to Know
• epic – a long narrative poem that relates the great deeds of a larger than life hero who embodies the values of a particular society
• fatalism – Anglo-Saxon belief that the course of one’s life was predetermined by fate
• wyrd--Anglo-Saxon term for fate • vernacular – language of the people = Old
English
Features of Old English Poetry
• Extensive use of alliteration • Use of caesura • Four-beat line • Liberal use of kennings
Literary Terms in Anglo-Saxon Literature
• Alliteration – repetition of beginning consonant sounds
• kennings – two-word metaphors used to replace a noun
• caesura – a pause in speech or meter • allusion – a reference used in literature
Wine-hall of warriors gleaming with gold.
caesura kenning
alliteration
half-line
A Brief Introduction to Beowulf
Beowulf
• 1st great work of English national literature • probably composed between 650 – 750, but
depicts an earlier time period • an example of “heroic literature” • the epic is a mythical and literary record of the
formative stages of English civilization
Beowulf
• story handed down orally for generations • poem is approximately 3200 lines long • poet is unknown…scholars believe it was
originally told by someone of pagan religion, but eventually recorded by a monk due to the Christian elements present in the story
Why is Beowulf Important Literature?
• It is an expression of Anglo-Saxon values and beliefs: – warfare was common – fatalism/wyrd – courage, loyalty, honor – Good versus Evil – boasting – storytelling
Why is Beowulf Important Literature?
• It is an archetypal example of the epic: – long – narrative – adventures of a central hero with supernatural
powers – worldwide or cosmic setting – major battle scenes – discussion of hero’s weaponry – participation by God(s) in the action
Why is Beowulf Important Literature?
• It is an example of Old-English poetry: – 4-beat rhythm – no rhyme – alliteration – kennings – caesuras
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