Download Anglo-Saxon Lecture Notes Fall 2011

Anglo-Saxon Lecture Notes Fall 2011
A towering circle of ancient stones, draped in the mist of centuries. The clatter of horses’ hooves, the clash of
swords and spears. A tiny island whose motley tongue would become the language of the world, and laws,
customs, and literature would help form Western civilization. This is England, and the story begins here.
England and Great Britain is the same thing!!!!!!
Britain’s early years were dominated by successive waves of invaders. Among them were the Anglo-Saxons—
a people who gave us the first masterpieces of English literature.
I. Anglo-Saxon period known as Dark Ages
a. Time of bloody conflicts, ignorance, violence, and barbarism
b. Life was difficult
c. Literature of the period reflects that reality
i. Brief English summers is slightly present
ii. Winter prevails
iii. Spring comes slowly if at all
d. Serious minded people
i. Little humor in literature
ii. Many stories and poems present heroic struggles where the strong only survive
II. Stonehenge—Archaeologists believe that the standing stones were erected around 2200 BC and the
surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have
been dated to about 3100 BC
a. 3 reasons Henge people believe it was built
i. religious rituals
ii. calendar
iii. way to contact extra terrestrial beings
b. There are many myths and rumors as to the original use of Stonehenge. Some believe that it was
an astronomical observatory or possible religious temple. During the winter equinox and
summer solstice, the sun lines up directly with the gaps in the stones of Stonehenge. Others
believe that Stonehenge was not built primarily as an astronomical observatory. They believe
that it is a misconception that it was built for this purpose because the Earth’s orbit was different
when Stonehenge was constructed and would not have lined up 5000 years ago.
c. Henge people were deeply religious
III. Julius Caesar—Romans
a. First invasion was Julius Caesar in 55 BC
i. Celtic warriors defeated him but Caesar claimed victory—false claim
1. Britons, Picts, and Gaels were in peace
b. First successful invasion is done by Claudius in 43 AD
c. Britain became a province of the Great Roman Empire
d. Romans introduced
i. Cities
ii. Roads
1. Roads facilitated trade, collection of taxes, & movement of troops
iii. Written scholarship
iv. Christianity
e. Rule lasted for more than 300 years
i. “Romanized” Britons adopted
1. Urban lifestyle
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Anglo-Saxon Lecture Notes Fall 2011
2. Lived in villas
3. Frequented public baths
4. Depend on Roman military for protection
f. Romans pulled out in early 5th century
i. Went back to Rome to defend empire against invaders
ii. Britain became target for invasion without Roman protection
IV. Anglo-Saxons
a. Arrived around 449 AD with other Germanic tribes
b. Celtic chieftain Arthur
i. Genius of King Arthur legend most likely
1. Country divided into separate independent principalities with own king
ii. Battled invaders
1. Britons driven to
a. West—Cornwall and Wales
b. North—Scotland
c. Across English Channel to Brittany in France
c. New name—Angle-land or England
d. Celts
i. Believed the human soul lied within the head
1. Would often keep sacred ancestors skulls as protection
2. Thought that the soul was immortal and passed from person to another.
ii. Celtic Legends
1. Full of strong women unlike male-dominated Anglo-Saxon stories.
e. Anglo-Saxon culture
i. Basis for English culture
ii. Vigorous language became the spoken language of the people
1. Known as Old English
V. Vikings—790s
a. Next invaders
b. Fearsome group of seafaring marauders from Denmark and Norway
i. Wild and waving giant battle-axes
ii. Raiders looted, killed, and burned down entire villages
1. Hit and run
2. Later decided that England was nicer place to spend the winters than home
iii. Danish invaders set up camps and gained control of much of north and east part of
country
c. Alfred the Great
i. Defeated the Danes
ii. Unified the English
iii. Learning and culture flourished
iv. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
1. Record of English history commissioned by Alfred
VI. Norman Conquest
a. Edward the Confessor
i. Descendent of Alfred
ii. Took throne in 1042
iii. Deeply religious
iv. No children
1. Swore to make French cousin William, Duke of Normandy, his heir
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Anglo-Saxon Lecture Notes Fall 2011
a. William claimed
v. Edward’s death
1. Council of nobles and church officials chose English earl Harold as successor
2. William led Norman army into England
a. Last successful invasion of Britain
b. Battle of Hastings—1066
i. Harold killed
ii. Christmas Day 1066
iii. William the Conqueror crowned king of England
iv. Ended Anglo-Saxon dominance in England
1. Noble families lost land
2. Became peasants
3. Privileged Normans took over
Cultural Influences
Early Anglo-Saxon literature reflected a fatalistic world view, while later works were influenced by rapidly
spreading Christianity
VII.
VIII.
Spread of Christianity
a. Anglo-Saxons changed over time
b. Early invaders
i. Seafaring wanderers
1. Bleak, violent, and short lives
c. Pagan religion
i. Marked by strong belief in wyrd
1. Wyrd=fate
ii. Admiration for heroic warriors whose fate it was to prevail in battle
iii. Days of the Week:
1. These conquerors were pagans, and they brought with them their pagan deities
whose names remain as our days of the week.
a. Tuesday: Tui—god of War
b. Wednesday: Woden—father of gods
c. Thurdsay: Thor—god of thunder
d. Anglo-Saxons became agricultural people
i. Less violent
ii. More secure
iii. More civilized
e. Bleak fatalism and early beliefs
i. Reflected in reality of their lives
ii. Offered little hope
iii. Life was harsh
iv. Only certainty was life would end in death
f. COMITATUS—bond between a warrior and his followers
Christianity arrival
a. Opened up bright new possibility
b. Suffering of the world was merely a prelude to the eternal happiness of heaven
c. 300 AD—significant number of Christians on island
i. Spread to Scotland and Ireland over next 200 years
1. Picts and Angles
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Anglo-Saxon Lecture Notes Fall 2011
d. 597 AD
i. Roman missionary Augustine arrived in Kent
ii. Established monastery in Canterbury
iii. Christianity spread rapidly
1. 690 AD most of England Christian
2. Some still held onto pagan traditions and beliefs
e. Monasteries
i. Centers of
1. Intellectual
2. Literary
3. Artistic
4. Social activity
ii. Schools and libraries unknown at this time
iii. Offered opportunities for education
iv. Scholars imported books from Europe
v. Original works written in scholarly Latin then later Old English
f. Earliest record of English people
i. Came from clergy at monastery
ii. Venerable Bede
1. A History of the English Church and People
g. Vikings
i. Plundered monasteries
ii. Threatened to obliterate all traces of cultural refinement
iii. Christianity dominant cultural force for more than a thousand years
Literature of the Times
Anglo-Saxon literature often focused on great heroes such as Beowulf, though sometimes it addresses everyday
concerns.
I. The Epic Tradition
a. Early literature took the form of epic poems that praised the deeds of heroic warriors
b. Reflect the reality of life at the time
c. Context in which the poems where delivered were not grim
i. Mead halls
1. Nobles and kings would gather on special occasions
2. Feasted on pies and roasted meats
3. Warmed themselves by a roaring fire
4. Listened to scops
a. Professional poets that brought the poems to life
b. Strumming a harp, the scop would chant in a clear voice that carried over
the shouts and laughter of the crowd
c. Captivated the audience for hours
i. Tales of courage, high drama, and tragedy
d. Epics are more than simple entertainment
i. History lesson
ii. Moral sermon
iii. Pep talk
iv. Instilled cultural pride
v. Taught how a true hero would behave
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Anglo-Saxon Lecture Notes Fall 2011
vi. Scops reminded the listeners that they were helpless in the hands of fate and that all
human ambition would end in death
vii. Epic could provide a measure of immorality due to no hope of an afterlife
e. Oral Art Form
i. Memorized and performed
ii. Not written down
f. Spread of Christianity led to spread of literature
i. Poems written down
ii. Hand written slowly and time consuming
g. Fraction of Anglo-Saxon poetry survived
II. Beowulf
a. Most famous Anglo-Saxon poem
i. Author unknown
ii. Hero of northern Europe
iii. More than 3000 miles
iv. Relates the tale of a heroic warrior who battles monsters and dragons to protect people
v. Not immortal despite performing superhuman deeds
vi. Death incurred in final fight
III. Reflections of Common Life
a. Mourn loss and death
b. Written of advent Christianity
c. Express religious faith
d. Offer moral instruction
IV. Early Authors
a. Authors unknown
b. Caedmon
i. Wrote in Latin
1. Language of the church
c. English as a language
i. Reign of Alfred the Great
1. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
a. Written in the language of the people
2. Encouraged English translations of the Bible and other Latin works
d. Literature captured the rhythms of everyday life
V. Epic
a. poem that tells the story of a great hero and reflects the values of the culture from which it comes
i. long narrative poem that celebrates a hero’s deeds
ii. Earliest survived as oral traditions before they were written down
1. Came into existence as spoken words and retold by scops
2. Passed down by generations
3. Most date to time before cultures that produced them developed written forms
b. Based on historical fact
i. Public performance provided
1. Entertainment
2. Education
ii. Scops
1. Master improvisers
2. Compose verse in their heads while singing and chanting the epic
c. Kennings
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Anglo-Saxon Lecture Notes Fall 2011
i. Descriptive phrase or compound word that substitutes for a noun
1. noun—William
kenning—Carl’s son
2. noun—Police
kenning—law enforcer or enforcer of laws
VI. Epic Proportions
a. Actions of a hero
i. Noble birth or high position
ii. Exhibit character traits that reflect important ideals of society
iii. Perform courageous or superhuman deeds
iv. Perform actions that often determine the fate of a nation or group of people
Beowulf Poet
I.
Oldest surviving epic poem in English
II.
Originally chanted or sung aloud
III.
Anonymous
a. Not sure which poet originally came up with the idea
b. Most likely lived between middle of 7th century to end of 10th century
IV.
Most Anglo-Saxons had converted to Christianity by the time it was written
a. Influence in the poem
V.
Location of events
a. Scandinavia
i. Danes—Denmark
ii. Geats—Sweden
VI.
Beowulf—character
a. Geat warrior
b. Crosses sea to defeat Grendel
i. Monster who terrorizes the Danes
VII. Warrior culture
a. Great strength and courage
b. Scops recited often after battle to praise warriors
VIII. Surviving copy
a. Around year 1000
b. Work of Christian monks
i. Preserved past literature by copying it
ii. Made some adjustments
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