ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD

449-1066 BCBY: TUMANA, WJ

Anglo-Saxons brief History

This period is traditionally known as the Dark Ages. It is a time of war, of the breaking up of Roman

Britannia into several separate kingdoms, of religious conversion.

“Anglo-Saxon England was born of warfare, remained forever a military society, and came to its end in battle.” - J. R. Lander

Pre-Historical/Pre-Roman The island we know as England -

occupied by a race of people called the Celts. Between 800 and 600 B.C., two groups of Celts from southern Europe invaded the British Isles.

One of the tribes was called Brythons or Britons. They actually settled on the largerst island, Britain.

Gaels, settled on the second largest island known to us as Ireland.

Celts were pagans -

believed in “animism,” from the Latin word spirits farmers and hunters organized themselves into

clans clans had fearsome loyalty to

chieftains Druids were their priests

Role: Go between the gods and the people

Results from Roman Occupation Military - Strong armed forces

Pushed the Celts into Wales and Ireland Prevented the Vikings from raiding for several hundred years

Infrastructure - Government fell apart when they left Language and Writing - Latin official language Religion - Mainly Christianity

Important Events in the First Anglo-Saxon Period 410-450 – Angles, Saxons, and

Jutes (Germanic tribes) invade from Baltic shores of Germany

Anglo-Saxon kingdoms eventually became the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy.

New land: “Angle-land”- small tribal kingdoms- no written language- supported themselves through farming and hunting

Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms

Seven Kingdoms

Kent Essex Sussex East Anglia Northumbria Mercia Wessex

Viking Invasions (787-1066) Were sea-faring

(explorers, traders, warriors)

Led to many cultural changes...

Viking Ship, dates 825 AD.

Results from Vikings Politically/Culturally - still unstable - no central government or

church Linguistically -

The English language is “born” and is known as Old English Lots of dialects of the language due to the seven kingdoms

Norman Invasion (1066) Battle of Hastings - the Normans

(powerful Norman Frenchmen) defeated the English and started a conquest of England

Two most important effects: French becomes official

language of politics and power; thus, enormous influence on Old English

England begins unifying under a French political system, much of which is still with us today

Anglo Saxon King and Warrior

Anglo-Saxon Hall

Anglo-Saxon Farmstead

Sutton Hoo Burial site discovered in 1939 Important links to Anglo-Saxon

world and Beowulf Remains of a boat were

discovered and large burial chamber containing numerous artifacts

Artifacts suggest a distinctly Christian element intermingled with pagan ritual

Constant Conflict

9th Century: Norway invaded Northumbria, Scotland,

Wales, and Ireland.The Danes of Denmark targeted eastern and

southern England

Alfred the GreatKing of Wessex 871-899

866—resisted Danish intrusion and earned “the great” title Saxons acknowledged Danish rule in East and North Danes respected Saxon rule in South

End of 10th Century—Danes want to widen Danelaw Forced Saxons to select Danish Kings

1042—Kingship returned to Alfred the Great’s descendent Edward

Edward the Confessor died in 1066. His death led to the end of the Anglo-Saxon Period.

Anglo-Saxon Literature Oral Tradition – poems and songs

committed to memory and performed by scops, bards, gleemen, or minstrels.

Written literature began to evolve. Two important traditions in

literatureheroic tradition – celebrates

heroeselegiac tradition – passing of

earlier better times

Anglo-Saxon Literature Beowulf Priests and monks were the only

ones who could write; stories survival depended upon them. The church was not too eager to preserve literature that was pagan in nature, so historians believe they either ignored it or changed it.