Poetry UnitAnglo Saxon Era(to 1066)

Origins of our English Language

• Where does our language come from?• What influenced our language?• What is the first written work that has

survived from the Anglo Saxon era?• What does Anglo Saxon mean?

Words You’re Going to Need to Know• Stoicism• Caesura• Kennings• Alliteration• Wergild• Pagan• Hyperbole• Fatalism• Minstrel/scop/scald• Epic• Theme• Motif• Archetype• Foil• Anecdote• Didactic• Meadhall• Synecdoche• Anachronism• Wyrd• Foreshadowing• Patriarchal lineage

Anglo-Saxon Period

• First people were mainly Celts.• Romans arrived-built walled cities and roads. They tried

to take over. • Celts enlisted the help of the Jutes, a tribe from

Germany. They fought well, but they also refused to leave.

• Angles and Saxons arrive (Teutonic tribes-relatives of the Jutes.) They overran England and drove the Celts north.

• The period was a time of immense political and social upheaval.

Our Language Develops…

• First influences to our language comes from the Celts and the Romans.

• By mid 6th century, the Jutes, Angles and Saxons were the ones who mostly influenced our language. These tribes mainly spoke in dialects similar to Dutch or Low German.

• History has labeled the speech of all three as “Old English,” however, it was mainly the language of the Saxons. (More of their manuscripts survived for scholars to study. )

• Germanic words make up just 1/5 of our English vocabulary, but we use them more often than any other words; they are the core of the English language.

• Ex: • hand, leg, thumb• man, wife, child• sun, moon, stars• love, hate, friend• sleep, hungry, food, milk• Old English lasted from approx. 700 to 1150 AD.

Lifestyles of the Anglo Saxons

Religious Beliefs– At first, the Teutonic tribes were pagans (They worshipped

gods of nature and held springs, wells, rocks and trees in reverence.)

– They would pray to the gods/goddesses in order to secure a desired outcome in the material world. Ex: for a successful harvest, or for victory in battle.

– They believed in fatalism-that their fates were in the hands of these gods.

– The Romans brought Christianity with them and almost all of the empire was Christianized by 800 AD. This changed their beliefs from polytheistic to monotheistic.

• Everyday Life– Was rough! They lived during a very dangerous

time: • Feuds, famines, wars, capital punishment, epidemics.

– When they weren’t battling, leisure time included: dice/board games, elaborate riddles, horse racing, hunting, feasts, juggling balls/knives, church gatherings.

– Infant mortality was high.– Life expectancy was mid 30s.

Social Structure

• King• Thanes• Churls• Warriors• Farmers• Women• Slaves

– King• A war leader• Expected to provide opportunities for plunder and

glory for his followers.• The king who did not provide land, slaves, or plunder

might be overthrown/killed.• Each king had his company of warriors, chosen partly

from noble birth and partly for their military valor and skills.

• Thanes and Churls– Were freemen. Thanes were the upper class and

owned more land than the churls.

• Warriors– There were always other tribes that wanted to

pillage another village. Warriors were needed to protect themselves, their belongings, and their tribe.

– Warriors were paid by the king (with gifts of jewels, armor and/or the king’s protection.)

– Gifts from the king were signs of honor.– Sometimes the king gave gifts or boons so his

warriors would remain loyal.

• Farmers– Farmers • wheat, oats, rye, barley, peas, beans, honey, pigs,

cattle, goats, sheep.• They used horses and oxen for labor and

transportation.

– They would be called in to fight if another tribe came to pillage their village.

• Women– Had some independence. – Were entitled to wergild (price of a man) based

on social status.– Could defend themselves on oath against false

accusations or claims.– Could inherit parents’ wealth.– Age of majority was 10-12.

• Slaves– Were the lowest of the social ladder—obviously!– Could be men or women.– Were sometimes sacrificed and buried with their

masters to keep them company in the “afterlife,” or to serve as a boon to the pagan gods.

– There were 4 ways of becoming a slave:• Born into slavery• Prisoner of war• Unable to pay a fine• A family member could sell a child into slavery during a

time of famine to ensure the child’s survival

Slavery was not necessarily a lifetime sentence. Freedom could be gained by:

– A relative ransoming the slave.– Being granted freedom in an owner’s will.– Being granted freedom when the value of the

slave’s labor reached the value of their original debt.

• Law and Order– Women had some rights.– Wergild literally meant “the price of a man” and

was based on social status. If you killed someone, you had to pay a fine.

– Blood feuds was another way of instilling order (paying the penalty with someone’s life.)

– The church later introduced fines and a preference for mutilation over death (so the sinner could repent!)

What did the Anglo Saxons Value?

• Courage (physical)– Warlike; they lived in a dangerous world– Lots of bloodshed– Took “law” into their own hands– Difficult climate-had to fight for everything they

got

• Endurance– The ability to fight on, regardless of what has

happened to you.– “A good warrior is courageous and able to

withstand to the end of battle.”- anon

• Heroes & Heroism– Having a hero gave the AS a sense of safety &

continuity of life, tribe and heritage.– Heroes helped to sustain the tribe

(food/safety/wealth)

• Tradition– Sense of family/fellowship in religion– Social structure and ORDER (as a form of safety.)• King gives safety to his followers.• Followers are loyal to the king.

• Riches and Portable Wealth– Pillaged and purged other villages and kept

wealthy objects to show for their brave deeds.– Received gifts from the king as a sign of

honor/loyalty.

• Fate…and then God– At first they believed in pagan gods and believed

their fates were in the hands of these gods (fatalism.)

– After they were Christianized by the Romans, they believed in God.

• Pattern and Word Flow in Their Poetry– An oral tradition that would let their names live on– kennings, alliteration, rhythm

Literature During the Anglo Saxon Era

• Oral tradition prevailed until well after the Romans came.• Monks were the first educated men. They mostly wrote in

Latin, but by as early as 700 AD, some monks were writing in the language of the people.

• In the earliest part of the period, writing was generally pagan in flavor, although Christian elements were added to these texts later.

• The poetry that was written at the end of the period was entirely Christian in origin.

• One of the most important poems which survived from this period is Beowulf.

Poetry

• The poetry written during the period did not generally rhyme, but used alliteration and a metrical structure consisting of equal numbers of accented syllables and a varying number of unaccented syllables in each line.

• A line of poetry fell into two hemistichs, each having two accented syllables.

• A caesura, or pause, separated each hemistich. This was the place where the minstrel reciting the poem strummed a harp, or paused to remember the next line.

Then girded with thanes a fine company,Then GIRDed with THANES a FINE comPANy,

• Poets also relied on kennings-elaborate and unusual comparisons that substituted for simpler nouns.

Simple noun Kenning King ring-lord, treasure-giver God world-shaper Fighter sword-wielder, shield-breaker

Beowulf

Beowulf

• Believed to be written in the 900s.• West Saxon dialect• 5” x 8” parchment paper• Bound together with 4 other works in which

monsters were a common theme• Now rests in the British Library in London

• Epic (a long narrative poem presenting heroic characters who take part in a series of adventures, usually over an extended period of time.

• Created as an oral poem-passed down through generations

• Would have been performed at mead halls• Beowulf’s character seems to be fictional, but some

events do come from history.• Christian elements were added on after it was

recorded

• Uses caesuras, kennings, alliteration, hyperbole.

• Includes anecdotes (short accounts of interesting or entertaining incidents.)

• Much of the poem is didactic (intended to teach a moral .)

The Plot…

• Beowulf travels across the sea to help a kinsman, King Hrothgar, who has been losing warriors for 12 long years to a monster named Grendel . (Grendel needs to be a beast of mythic proportions to make the struggle greater.)

• Most of the action takes place in the mead hall which Hrothgar had constructed for merriment and protection.

Characters• Scyld Scefing - Founder of Hrothgar's mighty Danish royal

house. • Beowulf the Dane - Not the hero of the poem. A Danish king,

son of Scyld Scefing; this Beowulf is sometimes called "Beow".

• Healfdene - Danish king; son of Beow the Dane; father of Hrothgar, Heoroga, and Halga.

• Hrothgar-Danish king who needs Beowulf’s help with Grendel.

• Unferth - Son of Ecglaf; slew his brother; taunts Beowulf early in the poem

• Wealhtheow - Hrothgar's queen; mother of Hrethric and Hrothmund.

• Ecgtheow - Beowulf's father; married to King Hrethel's only daughter; slays a man and escapes to Denmark. Hrothgar pays his wergild.

• Hygelac - Geatish king and uncle to Beowulf. Hygelac is an historical character verified by external evidence.

• Geats – tribe that lived in southern Sweden; Beowulf belongs to this tribe.

• Let’s read an excerpt from Beowulf and apply what we’ve learned about the Anglo Saxons to the text.

• Find a partner. In pairs, try to decipher what is happening from lines 1 to 58. Paraphrase (in your own words) these lines.– Hint: It’s about patriarchal lineage.

• Scyld• Beow• Healefdane• Hrothgar

• Find the sententia/aphorism/maxim (a brief statement about an important truth.)

• Find 4 kennings.

Sections:• 1-58• 59-175• 176-233• 234-295 kennings worksheet• paraphrasing 295-442• Backpack activity/ Three Bears• Beowulf’s father activity/anecdote 443-479)• 480-637 placemat strategy on anecdote• 637-705 • 706-847 Qualities of a hero questions• 848-885 & 935-1045 (2 liner exercise)• 1046-end• Vocab. quiz

Beowulf as the hero…

• What are the qualities of a hero nowadays?• Does Beowulf possess any of these qualities?

Explain your reasoning. • Can we conclude, then, that the qualities of a

hero hasn’t necessarily changed that much over centuries???

Lines 848-885 & 935-1045

• Reduce the text excerpt to TWO lines about each of the following:

• Heorot Hall• Grendel• Beowulf• Unferth• Hrothgar & the Danes

Points to ponder…really, it’s your homework

• Find an example of one anecdote in Beowulf. • Beowulf contains advice for kings, the qualities of a

hero, and the qualities of a villain. Find 2 examples of each from the poem.

• Beowulf’s boasting- how is boasting during the Anglo-Saxon era different than nowadays? When was it acceptable to boast?

…Yes, there are more questions!

• How does Beowulf present the roles and place of women? Has the Anglo-Saxons’ viewpoints contributed to those society has had regarding women's roles today? Explain.

• How did men deal with the emotions of anger, revenge and fear?

…just when you thought you were done!

• The existence of almost continual feuds is prevalent in Beowulf. Discuss how those feuds can be seen as similar to those between some nations and peoples today.

• With the existence of monsters, pillaging and feuds, we are presented with differing attitudes that the Anglo-Saxons must have possessed toward life, death, and material possessions. Discuss.

• Archetype—the original pattern or model of all things of the same type.– Explain how Beowulf fits the archetype of the

Anglo-Saxon hero.

– How is Hrothgar the archetype of the Anglo-Saxon king?

• Foil-one who serves as a contrast to another.

– Who is the foil for Beowulf?– List their similarities.– List their differences.

• Theme-fundamental ideas explored in a literary work– One of the prevalent themes in Beowulf is: the

importance of establishing identity (ancestral heritage & individual reputation). Discuss.

• Motifs-are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

• Discuss how these motifs help to develop the theme of establishing identity:

• Monsters• The oral tradition• The mead-hall

Caedmon’s Hymn

• You have read Beowulf, a pagan poem with Christian add-ons.

• Caedmon’s Hymn is a lyric poem that was written after the Anglo-Saxons were Christianized.

• Check out the difference for yourself…the poem is not nearly as disjointed!

Cædmon's Hymn c. 737

• Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uard• metudæs maecti end his modgidanc• uerc uuldurfadur sue he uundra gihuaes• eci dryctin or astelidæ• he aerist scop aelda barnum• heben til hrofe haleg scepen.• tha middungeard moncynnæs uard• eci dryctin æfter tiadæ• firum foldu frea allmectig

Caedmon’s Hymn

Now let me praise the keeper of Heaven’s kingdom,the might of the Creator, and his thought,the work of the Father of glory, how each of wondersthe Eternal Lord established in the beginning. He first created for the sons of menHeaven as a roof, the holy Creator, then Middle-earth the keeper of mankind, the Eternal Lord, afterwards made, the earth for men, the Almighty Lord.

Background info…

• Who is Caedmon? – A guy who tended to livestock at a monastery.– He and his co-workers would sit around, eat their

meal together and entertain each other by singing lyrics (while a hand-held harp was passed around.)

– They sang about battles, mythic heroes like Beowulf, lonely wanderers by land and sea and riddles.

– Caedmon never wanted to sing, and would often depart before his turn came.

– One night, while he slept, he had a dream…a man told him to sing about the “creation of all things.” Upon awakening, he remembered the whole song and added more to it.

– He probably never wrote it down (it’s unlikely that a herdsman was educated-therefore, he was most likely illiterate.) However, this poem is astonishing in the fact that it keeps with the Anglo-Saxons’ divided hemistichs with two accented syllables and alliteration.

– When he performed it later for the religious monks, they attributed his singing as a gift by God’s grace.

Analysis of form/content:

• Find 2 kennings and translate them. • Determine where the hemistichs would be.• Find the alliteration in 2 lines of this poem.• How is this poem typical of the Anglo-Saxon

period?• What is the theme or main idea of this poem?• What is a lyric? How does this poem fit the

definition of a lyric?

• Lyric-a type of poem marked by emotion, melody, imagination and a unified effect. (In informal English, lyrics are the words of a song.)

• Originally, lyric poetry was sung to the accompaniment of a lyre.

Say goodbye to the Anglo Saxon Period…and hello to the Middle English Period!

Just how does the Anglo Saxon period end?

• Vikings became an enormous threat to the differing tribes during the 700s.

• Alfred the Great (871-899)- King of the West Saxons- offered the only effective defense against the invading Danes (Vikings). He established a treaty with the Danes and united the Anglo-Saxons into a single nation under his rule. (Danes ruled the north; AS ruled the south.)

This treaty with the Danes worked for awhile until…• In 1066 William the Conqueror defeated the Danes

and the Anglo Saxons. It was called the Norman Conquest (Norman meaning French. )

• Can you guess how this influenced our English language???– This officially ended the Anglo-Saxon era and

brought about the beginning of the Medieval Period/ Middle English.