Anglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxons

Introductory Guide to Introductory Guide to BeowulfBeowulf

TimelineTimeline

• 597 AD597 AD – Christianity – Christianity spreads among Anglo-spreads among Anglo-Saxons.Saxons.

• 750 AD750 AD – Approximate – Approximate date date BeowulfBeowulf was was composedcomposed

• 793 AD793 AD – Vikings – Vikings begin raiding Anglo-begin raiding Anglo-Saxon countryside.Saxon countryside.

• 1000 AD1000 AD – Surviving – Surviving version of version of BeowulfBeowulf written out by monks.written out by monks.

Beginnings of BritainBeginnings of Britain

• 55 BC55 BC – Caesar – Caesar attempts to conquer the attempts to conquer the British Isles, inhabited British Isles, inhabited by Celtic people called by Celtic people called Britons. He claimed the Britons. He claimed the Isles for Rome.Isles for Rome.

• Romans brought their Romans brought their technology and culture technology and culture to the island, but they to the island, but they abandoned it when abandoned it when Rome began to be Rome began to be invaded. The country invaded. The country was left to fend for was left to fend for itself.itself.

Anglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxons

• Around A.D. Around A.D. 449449 , , Germanic tribes Germanic tribes

(Angles, Saxons, Jutes)(Angles, Saxons, Jutes) invaded Britain. invaded Britain. The Germanic tribesThe Germanic tribes conquered much of conquered much of Britain andBritain and settled the land.settled the land.• Anglo-Saxon culture Anglo-Saxon culture

became the basis for became the basis for English culture.English culture.

• The area was called Angle-The area was called Angle-land (or England).land (or England).

The PeopleThe People

• The original Anglo-The original Anglo-Saxons were sea-faring Saxons were sea-faring wanderers whose lives wanderers whose lives were short, bleak, and were short, bleak, and violent. violent.

• They believed strongly They believed strongly in in wyrdwyrd (fate) and in (fate) and in heroic warriors whose heroic warriors whose wyrdwyrd was to prevail in was to prevail in battles.battles.

• Eventually, they Eventually, they became more peaceful became more peaceful and agricultural. and agricultural.

Growth of ChristianityGrowth of Christianity

• Christianity spread Christianity spread throughout Britain, throughout Britain, becoming a powerful becoming a powerful cultural force. However, cultural force. However, no one knows when the no one knows when the first missionaries first missionaries arrived.arrived.

• By A.D. By A.D. 690690, all of , all of Britain was at least Britain was at least somewhat Christian somewhat Christian although some people although some people held on to pagan beliefs.held on to pagan beliefs.

The Danish InvasionThe Danish Invasion

• Around A.D. 790, the Around A.D. 790, the Danes from Denmark and Danes from Denmark and Norway ( known as Norway ( known as Vikings) began to invade.Vikings) began to invade.

• At first they just looted, At first they just looted, but they soon began but they soon began conquering the land.conquering the land.

• However, their invasion However, their invasion into the southern part of into the southern part of England was halted by a England was halted by a powerful Anglo-Saxon powerful Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred the Great.king, Alfred the Great.

• After the king’s death, the After the king’s death, the land erupted back into land erupted back into war.war.

Effect on LiteratureEffect on Literature

• With all the invading With all the invading peoples, the language peoples, the language of the land kept of the land kept changing. changing.

• The Germanic tribes The Germanic tribes fused languages with fused languages with each other and formed each other and formed “Old English.”“Old English.”

• Today we speak Today we speak “Modern English” as “Modern English” as the language the language continued to change.continued to change.

Literature Literature

• Early Anglo-Saxon literature Early Anglo-Saxon literature was an oral art form., was an oral art form., memorized and performed, memorized and performed, but not written down. This but not written down. This oral telling was mostly done oral telling was mostly done in the in the mead hallsmead halls by the by the warriors and warriors and scopsscops. .

• They celebrated the deeds They celebrated the deeds of their greatest warriors in of their greatest warriors in epic poems and songs.epic poems and songs.

• Many of these poems and Many of these poems and songs reflected the bleak, songs reflected the bleak, violent nature of the early violent nature of the early people.people.

Christianity’s InfluenceChristianity’s Influence

• Christian themes/morals Christian themes/morals began to be infused in began to be infused in the literature as the literature as Christian influence Christian influence spread across the land.spread across the land.

• The monks brought The monks brought literacy to the land and literacy to the land and many of the many of the poems/songs began to poems/songs began to be written down by be written down by them.them.

• However, most of it was However, most of it was hand-written, so very hand-written, so very little of it has survived.little of it has survived.

BeowulfBeowulf• The most famous The most famous

surviving epic poem is surviving epic poem is BeowulfBeowulf, which was , which was written in England and written in England and composed in Old English.composed in Old English.

• Scholars believe it was Scholars believe it was composed between A.D. composed between A.D. 700 and A. D. 1000 700 and A. D. 1000 although it describes although it describes Scandinavian events in Scandinavian events in the A. D. 500s.the A. D. 500s.

• It tells the story of a It tells the story of a legendary, heroic warrior legendary, heroic warrior from northern Europe. from northern Europe.

• The name of the The name of the BeowulfBeowulf poet is unknown.poet is unknown.