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Quote Journal: On a piece of notebook paper (keep the holes in tact so you can keep it in your binder), write today’s date, copy the quote and respond to the prompt after it. “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” -Leo Tolstoy Would the Anglo-Saxons agree with this quote? Why or why not? Do you agree with the quote? Explain. Quote journal expectations: Your response should be written in short paragraph form: complete sentences, 4-5 sentences. Write your response under the quote after you copy it. Anglo-Saxon Notes The Dark Ages (the Anglo-Saxon period) was a time of bloody conflicts, ignorance, violence and barbarism. Life was difficult and the literature reflects reality. Winter prevails – conveys harshness, death Many of the stories and poems present a heroic tale - only the strong survive. These are known as EPICS – an epic requires that a hero be seen fighting in several battles Usually has several locations Hero usually has superhuman strength Hero embodies characteristics held in high regard by his society Early Britain History, culture, and literature of Britain weren’t molded by one particular group of people but rather a series of invaders. Picts and Gaels – present on the British Isles before the Anglo-Saxons. Lived to the north and west of the Britons. It is believed that the first person to ever write about England may have been the great Roman general, Julius Caesar, who attempted to conquer the British Isles. Britons/Celts – also lived in England before A-S. The fierce Celtic warriors defeated Julius Caesar who attempted to conquer them in 55 BC. Romans came back and conquered a century later and ruled for more than 300 yrs. Introduced cities, roads, written scholarship, and Christianity. After Romans left to defend empire, Britain was a target for invasion. Anglo-Saxons Angles, Saxons, Jutes – began arriving in England from northern Europe around 449 AD. Britain took on the new name: Angle-land or England. Anglo-Saxon culture became the basis for English culture. Their language (Anglish) became what we know as Old English. The first Anglo-Saxons had a strong belief in fate (wyrd). Anglo-Saxon life was dominated by warfare. Historical Celtic King Arthur may have led the Britons in a series of battles against the Anglo-Saxon invaders, but they were driven to the west (Cornwall and Wales), the north (Scotland), and across the English Channel. Warriors Need Entertainment Too… While the men were not at war they needed some type of entertainment. Poets and storytellers who entertained the warriors were called scops. The scops would orally narrate epic poems. In order to be considered epic, the hero must be seen fighting several battles and meet other requirements. Warriors gathered in mead halls for feasts and entertainment. Vikings Vikings – Next wave of invaders to England; fearsome seafaring marauders from Denmark and Norway; looted, killed, and burned down entire villages. Pagan Religion – This old religion was the hardest to give up. Wyrd – means FATE; fatalistic view of life The modern English word weird comes from the Old English word for fate. The pagan religion was marked by a strong belief in fate. Alfred the Great Alfred the Great DEFEATED the Danes (Vikings) in the south and unified the English under his rule; learning and culture flourished! Anglo-Saxon Chronicles – a written record of English history initiated by Alfred the Great Normans – they were led by William the Conqueror; the last successful invasion of the British Island is the Norman Conquest at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and William was crowned the King of England St. Augustine – arrived in 597 as a Roman missionary and established a monastery at Canterbury. 650 AD – Christians have converted these pagans to Christianity. This was a very slow process. The Spread of Christianity St. Patrick was responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland. Monasteries became the center of education, art, literary achievements Venerable Bede – monk who wrote (scribe) A History of the English Church and People, the first original written work in Old English The Book of Kells is an early Bible manuscript. Literary Terms Hyperbole – exaggeration for effect Epic simile – lengthy comparison that does not always use “like” or “as.” Ex: “Conspicuous as the evening star that comes, amid the first in heaven, at fall of night, and stands most lovely in the west, so shone the fine-pointed spear Achilles poised in his right hand….” compares the point of Achilles spear to the evening star at nightfall. Epic – story about the actions of a hero Epic hero – A larger than life hero who embodies the values of his culture, has superhuman strength, and perhaps the favor of the gods. Actions often determine fate of his people. Exs. Beowulf, Achilles, Superman Literary Terms CONT… Kenning – poetic synonym substituted for noun or name. Ex. “mankind’s enemy” in place of “Grendel.” Litotes – understatement Mood – atmosphere of the selection Simile – comparison of two unlike items using “like” or “as” Literary Terms CONT… Stock epithets – adjectives that point out specific traits of a particular character. Ex. “swift-footed” to describe Achilles. Tone – writer’s attitude toward their work Alliteration – repetition of sounds at the beginning of several words. Ex. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” Caesura – poetic pause Universal theme – recurring themes present in many works from different cultures and time periods.
