AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

The origins of Anglo Saxon England

Fun Facts English wasn’t spoken in England until the

fifth century Even then, you wouldn’t recognize it

English evolved from a synthetic toan analytic language

We lost a number of letters along the way Eth – ð (voiced th, “then”) Thorn – þ (unvoiced th, “with”) Ash – æ (that)

Oft him anhagaare gebideð,metudes miltse,þeah þe he modceariggeond laguladelonge sceoldehreran mid hondumhrimcealde sæwadan wræclastas.Wyrd bið ful aræd!

Nouns where once there was mūð, mūðes, mūðe and mūð in

the singular and mūðas, mūða, mūðum, and mūðas in the plural… By middle English there were just three: mūð, mūðes and mūðe Today there are just mouth and mouths

Strong and weak declension –s or –es vs. –en We used to have more en plurals like “oxen”

Decay of Inflectional endings (suffixes) Noun and adjective endings that made distinction in

number , case, and gender Now this is largely determined by where the word falls in the

sentence

Things we’ve lost

NOMINATIVE: The subject of a sentence and for the subject complement. Subject Complement = What something else is

Ben is a policeman The pie smells yummy.

GENITIVE: Used to indicate possession and other similar relations; it is usually helpful to begin by translating it with the Modern English 's form or using the preposition of. Not too different from el gato de juan, “the cat of juan”

DATIVE: Used for the indirect object of verbs They sent him a postcard

ACCUSATIVE: most commonly used for the direct object of a transitive verb. It is also used for the objects of some prepositions. You lifted the bag

INSTRUMENTAL: The instrumental case is only distinct from the dative case for a few pronouns and for strong adjectives. It is used to indicate the thing or person by means of which the action of the verb is accomplished. I wrote the note with a pen

Singular PluralMasc. Fem. Neut. All Genders

N. þēs þēos þis þās, þæsG. þisses þisse þisses þissaD. þissum þisse þissum þissumA. þisne þas þis þās, þæsI. þys þys

This is "this"

Analogy, in linguistics, is the process by which rare examples tend to follow the pattern of the common. Plural of cow used to be kine, now it’s just cows

With Verbs Oke was once the past tense of ache Stope for step Rew for row Clew for clawed Blowed and blew, knowed and knew, teared and tore all once

peacefully coexisted Kids do this all the time when learning the language

I blowed out my candles We fighted over the game

Strong verbs that became weak

Anglo Saxon History

Anyway…

Why the “Middle” Ages? Early Renaissance historians, who loved the

classical period (Ancient Greece, Rome), declared two periods in history, that of Ancient times and that of the "Dark Age".

By the early 15th century it was believed history had evolved from the Dark Age to a new period with its revival of all things classical.

Scholars began to write about a middle period between the Ancient and “Modern”, which became known as the Middle Age.

Medieval? From the latin

medium (middle) and aevum (age)

Refers to anything made, written or thought in that era

General Dates ca. 43 420 AD: Roman invasion and

occupation of Britain Initial Christianization (of the Celts) and burst

of Latin influence ca. 450 AD: Anglo Saxon Conquest

The English are German 597 AD: St. Augustine arrives in Kent

More Latin, More Jesus 871899 AD: Reign of King Alfred

The birth of Angleland

The Britons or Celts indigenous peoples inhabiting the island of

Great Britain from the late Iron Age into the late Middle Ages The first people on the island about who’s

language we have definite knowledge Worshipped gods and goddesses

gods were deities of particular skills goddesses were associated with natural features,

like rivers Triplicities

Converted to Christianity under Roman rule

Roman Occupation Occupied British isles

between AD 43 and 420. Referred to their province

as Britannia Brought roads and

highways, heating apparatus and water supply, the Latin language

Withdrew to deal with problems closer to home Invading Barbarians

Anglo-Saxon / Germanic Conquest Celts had come to rely on

Roman arms to keep invaders out

Ca. 449, Germanic tribes begin to invade England from the south (Anlges, Saxons, Jutes)

Celts also under siege by Picts and Scotts from the North

Cut deal with the Germanic people to keep the northern invaders out Fine, you can stay, just don’t

let anyone else come.

Germanic tribes made permanent settlement.

Romans had come to rule, the Jutes to disposes.

Celts relegated to the mountainous region of modern Wales.

Angles English Roman towns were

burned and abandoned

Anglo-Saxon/Germanic Paganism

Polytheistic Strong belief

in Wyrd, fate Essentially

worshipped the same gods of the Norse Woden =

Odin Donar = Thor

Anglo-Saxon Civilization Society organized around families and clans,

Two classes Eorls, a kind of hereditary aristocracy Ceorls, simple freemen

Justice administered through fines, the wergild Based on nature of crime, rank of injured party Often a fine paid to the relatives of a murdered

person to free the offender from further obligations or punishment

Guilt determined by ordeal (judicium Dei) or compurgation

Seven kingdoms, Heptarchy, shifting alliances, eventually unified into Angle-land Northumbria, Mercia,

East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex and Wessex

Alfred the Great

Conversion to Christianity Constantine converted to

Christianity following his victory in the Battle of Milvian Bridge 312

Romans brought faith to Celtic England with mild success

Gregory the Great (pope 590-604) dispatched Augustine (later to gain sainthood) to convert the Saxon kings of south England.

Augustine targeted the Kentish king, Ethelbert. His baptism inspired the conversion of his subjects.

Trend of subjects following a king's conversion

Literature and Culture epic poetry - long, narrative poem written in

elevated style to celebrates deeds of a legendary hero or god Like the Odyssey

epic hero - superhuman hero or god of an epic poem Like Odysseus

Germanic heroic code Warriors - strong, courageous and loyal Kings - hospitable, generous, and with political skill

Comitatus -Germanic code of loyalty Thanes, or warriors, swore loyalty to their

king, for whom they fought and whom they protected

the king was expected to be generous with gifts of treasure and land.

neither leaves the field of battle before the other

The Mead Hall An important cultural institution Provided…

light and warmth food and drink singing and revelry

safe haven for warriors returning from battle in a world where neighboring people were always attacking

Kenning - two-word metaphorical name for something “sea-road” for ocean “light-of-battle” for sword “battle-sweat” for blood Hrothgar “glory-spear” Heorogar “army-spear”

Scops - composers and storytellers who traveled from court to court, the entertainers of Anglo-Saxon times

Sutton Hoo site of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries of the

6th century and early 7th century undisturbed ship burial a wealth of artifacts of outstanding art-

historical and archaeological significance Very important to early medieval historians

because sheds light on a period of English history

which is on the margin between myth, legend and historical documentation