And sometimes a proud old soldier Who had heard songs of the ancient heroes And could sing them all through, story after story Would weave a net of words --Beowulf The Anglo-Saxons 449-1066 Songs of Ancient Heroes Essential Question: How do we define heroes today?
Timeline Questions Look at the timeline on pages 2-3 and be prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What four groups of people invaded Britain in the Anglo-Saxon time period? 2. What effects might a series of invasions one every three hundred to five hundred yearshave on culture? 3. What else sticks out to you? Political and Social Milestones Roman Occupation
British Isles, most of Europe, Asia Minor, Middle East, and North Africa (Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Armenia, parts of southern Russia, western Romania, Greece, Turkey, Persia, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco) Romans claim they only fought just warsmeaning they were provoked Romans withdrew completely and left Britain with no government, subject to invasion Anglo-Saxon Invasion Were first invited guests that were asked to help fight battles, and then never left Known for their tight-knit communities and loyalty to religion Big influence on British warrior culture The Spread of Christianity
Introduced by Romans Became major religion in seventh century The Norman Invasion William the Conqueror (duke of Normandy) claimed his cousin, King Edward, promised him the throne when he died Ended the Anglo-Saxon culture in Britain Background Information Read pages 6-17 and think about the following questions: 1. What specifically did America inherit from Britain? (political system, law, language)
2. What was the influence of Christianity on Britain? 3. What was the heroic ideal of the AngloSaxons? British Legacy Great Britain: England, Scotland, Wales For and by the people Parliamentary government Emphasis on personal rights and freedoms Invaded many times,
British culture is built on all of them The Celts Tall, blonde warriors who lived on an island and were discovered by the Greeks (included the Britons) Practiced animism (saw spirits every where) Priests were called Druids Spirits had to be constantly satisfied and controlled all
experiences Stonehenge Skilled artisansiron workers Celtic Mythology King Arthur (Sir Thomas Malory) Full of strong women tall and fierce (Queen Maeve) Fantastic animals
Love affairs Adventure Enchanted lands and magic The Romans Invasion led by Julius Caesar and Claudius Celts were conquered Provided armies Built roads and defensive wall, villas, and public baths Christianity became
prevalent religion Had troubles at home so they they pulled out of Great Britain and left no government The Anglo-Saxons Sweep Ashore Came from Germanic region (Angles and Saxons from Germany, Jutes from Denmark) Language became dominant language
Named the land Engla landEngland Celts put up a fight, but retreated to Wales Alfred the Great King Alfred of Wessex Led Anglo-Saxons against invading Danes Helped unite AngloSaxons with Christianity common faith, common system Christianity helped
connect England to Europe (world religion) The Anglo-Saxon Lifestyle Not barbarians Didnt lead luxurious lives, didnt focus on the arts or education Loyalty to the leader was importantsuccess was measured in gifts from the leader Women inherited property, in order to marry a woman a man
had to offer a gift to his future wife They lived close to their animals in single-family homeswooden buildings that surrounded a communal court and had a fence Anglo-Saxon Religion Dark, fatalistic religion Norse or Scandinavian mythology Odingod of death, poetry, and magic, had a somber
outlook on life Thumorsame as Thor, god of thunder and lightning Dragonprotector of a treasure Concerned with the earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship The Bards Skilled storytellerssang of gods and heroes Communal hall provided a
space for meetings and storytellers/bards Called scops The bards were just as important as fighters, hunters, and farmers Used harps Sang tales of war, disease, and old age Ireland Since it was isolated it was not overrun by
Germanic invaders Converted to Christianity While England sank in 432-750, Ireland had a Golden Age The English Language Latin was the language of study until ing Alfred Due to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, English began to gain respect
as a language and culture
