The Anglo-Saxons449 - 1066

An Invaded Island

Great Britain has been invaded and settled many times, and each invading group has helped shape the nation today: Iberians Celts Romans Angles and Saxons Vikings Normans

The Celtic Legacy

Their religion seemed to be a form of animism, which emphasizes a belief in spirits – in rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire, and thunder.

These gods controlled everything and therefore had to be pleased at all times.

Celtic stories differ from that of Anglo-Saxon tales – they are more mystical and oftentimes focus on strong women. Stories of fantastic animals, passionate

love affairs, and adventures

A Roman Administration

The Britons (Celts) were conquered by legions of Rome (starting with Julius Caesar in 55 B.C.)

Romans provided armies and organization that prevented further serious invasions of Britain for hundreds of years

Built a network of roads and a seventy-three-mile-long protective wall

Celtic religion began to vanish in favor of Christianity

Life after the Romans

Romans started having troubles back home (around A.D. 409), so they left Britain Left behind the roads, walls, villas,

and public baths, but no central government

Britain became overran by separate clans rather than a centralized government

Left Britain ripe for invasion by non-Christian peoples from continental Europe

The Arrival of the Anglo-Saxons

Middle of the 5th century – Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade and drive out the old Britons

Language of the Anglo-Saxons became dominant

Celts put up a fight before finally retreating to Wales, where traces of their culture can still be found

Anglo-Saxon England was divided into several independent principalities, until King Alfred of Wessex (Alfred the Great) united the Anglo-Saxons against the invading Danes

Danes (Vikings) eventually took over and settled in parts of England

The Warm Hall vs. the Cold World

Warfare was the way of life

Law and order were the responsibility of the leader of any clan

Fame and success were gained through loyalty to the leader, especially in times of war

Success was measured in gifts from the leader

Led to a pattern of loyal dependency

Led to community discussion and rule by consensus

Gods for Warriors

One of the most important [Norse] gods was Odin, the god of death, poetry, and magic Anglo-Saxon name for Odin was Woden This god of both poetry and death helped contribute to a

people who produced great poetry but also maintained a somber outlook on life

Thunor (or Thor) was the god of thunder and lightning

The dragon = protector of treasure

Religion of Anglo-Saxons was more about ethics (bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship) than mysticism

The Life of a Bard Communal halls offered shelter and a

meeting place, but also a space for storytellers

Sang of gods and heroes

Bards (or scops) were not viewed as inferior to warriors – creating poetry was equal to fighting, hunting, farming, or loving

Since Anglo-Saxon religion offered no hope of an afterlife, fame could only be found through the bards’ ability to preserve a collective memory

Alfred the Great fends off the Vikings

Scandinavian Vikings started invading and conquering much of England during the 8th and 9th centuries

Tide turned in 878 in the Battle of Edington - won by Alfred, the Saxon king of Wessex - led to a century of peace in England

Vikings

A Warrior Society Warfare = way of life for early Anglo-Saxons

Each family or tribe had a warrior chief, who served a noble or royal warlord

Warlord / followers formed a close group (comitatus) Warlords rewarded the bravest followers

with treasure Warriors responded with absolute loyalty

“…to leave a battle alive after their chief has fallen means life-long infamy and shame.”

Oral Literature

Anglo-Saxon storytellers created heroic songs about their warriors’ great deeds Celebrated strength, courage, and loyalty

Minstrels performed these songs in mead-halls

Songs served as literary entertainment

Songs provided models for warriors to emulate and a goal to pursue

Germanic and Christian Traditions

Germanic traditions and Christian religion were huge influences on Anglo-Saxon literature Based on dark, heroic tales of

Germanic mythology Beliefs held no promise of an afterlife Therefore, warriors’ primary goal was

to achieve fame in this life Christianity came with a belief in an

omnipotent God and eternal life Germanic and Christian elements

coexist (as in Beowulf)

Importance of Wyrd Life in early Anglo-Saxon times was brief and full of hardship

A belief develops that fate, which they called wyrd, controlled human destiny Everyone’s inescapable fate was to die

The hero’s only appropriate response was to face destiny with courage

Christianizing England

596 – Pope Gregory I sent missionaries to convert Anglo-Saxons to Christianity

Most of England was Christian in name by 650

Celtic monks from Ireland brought Christianity to other parts of England and established England’s first monastery

Christianity brought the beginnings of education and culture

Monasteries As Christianity spread, some chose to

dedicate their lives to work and prayer

Monks and nuns joined religious orders

Many demanded poverty, fasting, absolute obedience, and manual labor

Monks established libraries and schools, establishing the importance of written word

Earliest work of this kind was the Venerable Bede’s Ecclesiastic History of the English People

Feudal England After Alfred the Great defeated the invading Vikings at the Battle of

Edington in 878, peace persisted and England was largely unified until 1066, when King Edward died. William, duke of Normandy, claimed the English throne and defeated

the Anglo-Saxons in the Battle of Hastings, thus ending the era of the Anglo-Saxons

Anglo-Saxons were now subjects of the Normans William, duke of Normandy, became first Norman king of England

Normans introduced social, economic, and political system called feudalism, under which land (wealth) was divided among noble overlords, or barons

Lesser lords (knights) served the overlords in exchange for use of the land

Serfs (peasants) were at low end of social scale

1215 - Magna Carta dictates that King John could not raise taxes without the consent of the barons - beginnings of constitutional government in England

War and Plague

Beginning in 1337 - English and French fought for control of lands in France Known as the Hundred Years' War -

drained England financially

During Hundred Years' War, the Black Death swept through Europe Killed almost a third of England's people Loss of life eroded the feudal system and

shifted power to the urban middle class - led to the Renaissance