you wouldn’t want to be an anglo-saxon peasant!€¦ · activity 2: day in the life of an...

Teachers’ Information Sheet by Nicky Milsted

The book explores the daily life of an Anglo-Saxon peasant. He is ayoung farmer’s son living in the kingdom of Northumbria in theearly 7th century. He spends his time helping to maintain his home –a small, dark and smoky timber hut with a thatched roof that is partof a village of around 20 similar houses which surround a largergreat hall belonging to the village overlord. The Anglo-Saxonpeasant boy helps to plaster the walls (with a mixture of mud, strawand pig dung!) and thatch the roof, and looks after the vegetablepatch too. Other daily tasks include hunting, bee keeping, tending tothe animals and collecting poo (yes, human poo!) for use as afertiliser. It’s back-breaking, never-ending work, and if the weather is bad and crops don’t grow, everyone goes hungry. What is more,the villagers and their overlord must pay tribute to their minor king – basically this consists of all their hard-earned food and supplies!

The boy’s family is involved in a blood feud with a family from a nearby village. There has beenlots of violence and the whole family is at risk. Their home is set alight; when they escape theflames, the boy’s father is killed. Eventually the feud is stopped at a meeting of people from allthe surrounding villages, called a ‘folkmoot’, which rules that the other family is in the wrong.

It is a confusing time for many Anglo-Saxon peasants; the old gods who have been worshippedfor generations are being replaced by a new religion called Christianity. King Edwin (who rulesover all of the minor kings of Northumbria) has now declared that everyone must believe in onegod and change their ways of worshipping.

At the age of 12, the boy in the book is treated as an adult, and must join in with the fightingwhen a rival challenger wants to become king. It is a violent clash with hand-to-hand combat, and although the boy’s side are victorious, it has been a bloody battle with many men dying. With the blood feuds, fighting, endless physical work just to get enough to eat, and uncertaintyover religion and beliefs, it is clear that You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Anglo-Saxon Peasant!

Who were the Anglo-Saxons?

The Anglo-Saxon period covers the period of British history between about AD 450 and theNorman Conquest of 1066. Before this, Britain was part of the Roman Empire.

After the Roman military presence in Britain was called back to defend Rome, Britain wasinvaded and settled by peoples from northern Europe. These invaders included Jutes (fromJutland, which makes up modern-day mainland Denmark and part of northern Germany), Saxonsfrom northern Germany, and Angles from the border regions of Germany and Denmark. It is fromthe Angles and the Saxons that we get the term Anglo-Saxon.

You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Anglo-Saxon Peasant!

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BOOK HOUSE WWW.SALARIYA.COM

The Anglo-Saxons seized land from the native Britons and settled, building villages and farming the land. By AD 600, there were five main kingdoms, all ruled over by a

different king: Wessex, Kent, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. There was a developing social class system emerging too. Each village had an overlord, a band of thanes (high-

ranking men who formed the overlord’s loyal band of fighting men) and ceorls (pronounced‘churls’) who were the lowest ranking free people, and who were also bound to fight in the causeof their overlord and king. There were also slaves in Anglo-Saxon times; they were mostly peoplecaptured in battle.

Christianity spread across the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms after the arrival of a missionary calledAugustine in 597. Temples to the old gods were converted into Christian churches, with theaddition of crosses, and many wooden temples were rebuilt in stone. Some of the Anglo-Saxonkings still maintained their old religion alongside Christianity, and erected Christian altars in theirpagan shrines!

It was during the Anglo-Saxon period that a concept of England as a nation developed. Thedifferent Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were united under King Alfred as the Vikings first raided andthen invaded, settling large parts of northern and eastern England in the 9th century. The Anglo-Saxons eventually defeated the Vikings, but in 1066 the Normans invaded from Normandy inFrance. This time, the Anglo-Saxon armies could not repel them and the Anglo-Saxon periodcame to an end.

During the reign of King Alfred, many of the Anglo-Saxon laws and customs were written downin Old English. This language is the origin of our Modern English, although it looked andsounded very different. Many modern words have their origins in Anglo-Saxon words, with laterinfluences like Norman French, Latin and even Old Norse (spoken by the Vikings). Examples ofAnglo-Saxon words we use today include:

Activity 1: What is archaeology?

Much of the information that we know about Anglo-Saxon life has been collected and analysedby archaeologists. But what is archaeology?

Challenge your pupils to write down a list of words that they think of when they think aboutarchaeology and what archaeologists do. These could be written onto a large sheet of paper oryour class whiteboard for discussion. Words that your pupils may come up with – or be promptedto list – could include: history, past, digging, detectives, rubbish, treasure, gold, excavation, finds,trowel, evidence, questions, science … and many more.

AppleBathChildDogEarField

GiveHiccupIntoJumpKeepLife

MonthNameOughtPlightQueen Read

ShopTime UnderWhoWhyYou

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For a good introduction to what archaeology is, see my blog post ‘What is archaeology?’ on the Young Archaeologists’ Club website: www.yac-uk.org/news/what-is-archaeology

Following your discussion, encourage your class to come up with an agreed definition ofarchaeology. “Archaeology is…”

Talking point: can your pupils talk about how archaeologists are different to historians? The maindistinction is that historians largely use written sources as their evidence for what happened in thepast, whereas archaeologists try to piece together stories of the past from a range of physicalevidence left behind by humans including pottery, jewellery, weapons, coins, building materialsand much more.

Archaeology is … Rubbish! Playing the Rubbish Game is a great way to get your pupils to thinklike an archaeologist. This game works by challenging your pupils to investigate the contents ofan imagined rubbish bin, using the evidence to try to answer some simple questions about thepeople who threw away the objects.

Below is an example bin for a family with young children and a cat:

● cat food tin● wrapper from a packet of nappies● old toy car / broken doll / pieces of Lego● worn children’s toothbrush● TV guide magazine● special-interest magazines – e.g. football, fishing, craft, baking, kids’ comics● empty nail varnish or make-up container● pair of laddered tights● blunt safety razor● food waste – e.g. apple cores, vegetable peelings, used tea bags● food packaging – e.g. empty food cans, wrappers, children’s yoghurt pots● takeaway menu and empty plastic/polystyrene containers

What can your pupils tell you about the people who threw away this selection of rubbish? Youcould prompt them with questions such as “did they have any pets?” or “do you think there werechildren living in this house?” or “do we know anything about what these people liked to do?”

Other questions to consider:

● How might the rubbish bin contents of a single person vary from that of a family?● Can you tell anything about the family’s wealth from the contents of the bin?● Can you identify their ethnic group or any religious beliefs from the remains?● How might the contents of this bin be affected by recycling or reusing items?● Would any of the objects rot or decompose over time?● What happens if you take away all the objects that could be recycled and those that

would decompose – what are you left with now? And how does this affect what youcan work out about the people who threw these objects away? © M

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The Jigsaw Game! This game is another way of trying to demonstrate the challenges facing archaeologists. Separate your class into small groups. Give each group a

different number of pieces of a jigsaw – but no indication of the pictures that they are trying to reconstruct, or the number of pieces in the complete jigsaw. Challenge them to build the

puzzle and work out what the picture is showing.

For example:

● One group should be give most of the pieces but missing an important part of thepicture (like one of the characters, for example)

● One group should be given around half of the pieces from across the whole jigsaw● One group could be given lots of pieces for one part of their picture but very little

from other parts of the jigsaw● One group should be given lots of pieces – but from two or more jigsaws!● One group should be given only a very small number of pieces

What challenges have your groups faced in trying to complete their jigsaw puzzles? Can theydescribe the whole picture accurately from the few pieces that they have been given? How is thislike being an archaeologist?

Extension activity: having played both the Rubbish Game and the Jigsaw Game, can your pupilsnow identify any problems that archaeologists might encounter when trying to investigate pastcultures? Challenge your pupils to write a short report to explain their ideas.

Activity 2: Day in the life of an Anglo-Saxon peasant

An Anglo-Saxon peasant’s day was full from dawn till nightfall. Men, women and children allhad important tasks to do to ensure that everyone was kept safe, warm and fed. It would havebeen a packed schedule! Tasks would have included:

● constructing and maintaining the timber buildings – including thatching roofs andplastering with wattle and daub (made of mud, straw and pig dung!)

● building and maintaining fences around animal enclosures● tending the vegetable patch● looking after animals – Anglo-Saxons farmed pigs, cows and sheep● ploughing fields and planting crops● hunting● bee-keeping● collecting manure (and even human poo!) to use as fertiliser● grinding grain for bread using a rotary quern or hand quern● preparing and cooking food – Anglo-Saxons had stew pots that would be hung above

the fire all the time, and added to regularly to make a dish called pottage, whichconsisted of a mixture of seasonally available produce (such as cereals, leeks, onions,peas and beans)

● weaving and spinning● butter and cheese making● and much more! ©

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Anglo-Saxons used querns to grind grain into flour for making breads. A rotary quern consisted of two circular-shaped stones sitting one on top of the other with a small gap

in between. The top stone had a central hole into which the grain was poured. The top stone was then turned using a wooden handle inserted vertically into a small hole. The turning of

one stone against the other grinds the grain into flour. Hand querns were much simpler, consistingsimply of two stones. The grain was placed on the surface of the flat bottom stone and ground bythe action of rubbing a second stone on top.

Ask your pupils to use the activity sheet to create an itinerary of an Anglo-Saxon peasant’s day;they could choose to write as a woman, man, boy or girl.

Talking point: how does an Anglo-Saxon peasant’s day compare to your pupils’ daily itinerary?!

Activity 3: Anglo-Saxon diet: archaeological poo!

Anglo-Saxon peasants would have eaten foods that they either grew themselves or were able togather from the countryside around them. Their daily diet would have been mostly vegetarian,and would have included:

● bread made from wheat and rye● vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, cabbages, peas, beans and onions – usually as a

type of stew called pottage● fruit – such as apples, cherries and plums● fish caught in rivers and the sea (if the community lived on the coast)

Anglo-Saxons did eat some meat, but it would not have been eaten on a daily basis. It was oftenreserved for feasts. Pigs were the only animal reared just for meat; cows were kept for milk(which was also made into cheese and butter), and sheep were farmed for their wool which wasspun and weaved to make clothing and blankets. Both sheep and cows would only have beenkilled and eaten if they became old or ill.

This activity for investigating Anglo-Saxon diet is reproduced with the kind permission of theYoung Archaeologists’ Club (www.yac-uk.org)

It is an unusual way of encouraging your pupils to think about how archaeologists are able topiece together past diets by identifying and excavating human poo, otherwise known ascoprolites. Archaeologists that find toilet pits – or cess pits like those dug and used in Anglo-Saxon villages – are like pigs in muck (excuse the pun). The rich organic remains in the pooallow archaeologists to discover information about past climates and diets by recoveringmicroscopic evidence including seeds and grains that have passed through the human gut.

In this experiment, you can create some Anglo-Saxon poos for your pupils to excavate or dissect.The evidence that they recover will help them to piece together the diet of the Anglo-Saxons.

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The method for making your archaeological poos is given on the activity sheet. You should include some of the following evidence in your poos:

● Cereal grains (e.g. rye and wheat – you can buy these online or in a health food shop)● Tiny pieces of stone or grit (the Anglo-Saxons didn’t eat stones on purpose, but tiny

bits of the quern stones used to grind the grains would have rubbed off and ended upin the flour used for bread – this did mean that Anglo-Saxons often had bad teeth!)

● Apple pips● Cherry stones● Plum stones● Fish bones

Your pupils can excavate the poos using a wooden lolly stick. They should collect and record theevidence that they find. They might like to keep a tally of the different types of evidence (youcould use these tallies to create bar graphs and pie charts or to look at averages). What can theytell you about what Anglo-Saxons ate? Can they explain the tiny stones in the poos?!

Activity 4: Runes

Anglo-Saxons wrote in runes. However, not very many Anglo-Saxons could write – and certainlyAnglo-Saxon peasants would not have been able to!

The original runic alphabet was called the futhark after the first six runes (f, u, th, a, r, k) – in thesame way that alphabet is named after alpha and beta, the first two letters of the Greek alphabet.There are 24 runes in the futhark.

(NB – there were changes in the sounds made by some of the runes as the language developed.Some Anglo-Saxon scholars call the Anglo-Saxon version of the runic alphabet the futhorc.)

The activity sheet will help your pupils to write in runes. Can they decipher some of the runicmessages and write their own?

As well as being used to write inscriptions, Anglo-Saxons used runes for fortune-telling and ascharms. Fortune-tellers would have a set of rune stones, each marked with one of the runes. Bychoosing rune stones at random, and placing them in a set way, it was thought that it was possibleto tell a person’s future. Fortune-tellers also used bones thrown into the air to help to predictcoming events; the way that the bones landed and the patterns they made could be interpreted tohelp tell the future.

The activity sheet gives the names and meanings of Anglo-Saxon runes, and explains how theywere used for rune casting (or fortune-telling).

Your pupils can make their own rune stones (see Activity 8: Arty challenges).

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Activity 5: Anglo-Saxon burial

In 1939, archaeologists in Suffolk in East Anglia uncovered an amazing Anglo-Saxon burial in a landscape that has become known as England’s ‘Valley of the Kings’. Sutton Hoo

features at least 18 royal burial mounds that date to the 7th century AD. Archaeologists think that they probably belong to the royal family of Anglo-Saxon East Anglia, the Wuffingas. The Wuffingas claimed that they were actually descended from the king of the old gods, Woden.

In one of the burial mounds, archaeologists uncovered the richest burial ever discovered innorthern Europe. It was a ship burial; the king in this grave was laid to rest in a huge boat almost30m long and over 4m wide. The boat itself rotted away over the 1,400 years that it was buried,but archaeologists were able to identify its shape as a dark stain in the earth. Items found withinthe burial chamber in the ship included:

● a ceremonial helmet● a large round shield decorated with garnets and metal figures of a bird and a dragon● a beautiful sword with a gold and garnet pommel inside a decorated scabbard● a harness and belt for the sword with gold fittings● a musical instrument called a lyre● silver bowls and two silver spoons● spears● an elaborately decorated golden buckle● a golden, gem-encrusted purse containing money● a pair of drinking horns● folded textiles – including cloaks, blankets and hangings● a long coat of ring-mail● two hanging bowls● leather shoes● a cushion stuffed with feathers● a wooden platter● an iron axe with a long iron handle● combs made of antler● small metal knives● a bone gaming-piece, thought to be the ‘king piece’ from a set● a wooden bucket with iron bands● a bronze cauldron

It is thought that the person buried in this grave might have been King Rædwald of East Angliawho reigned from about 599 until his death in about 624.

Another burial mound at Sutton Hoo was found to contain the burial of a man and his horse!

These Anglo-Saxon kings were buried with huge ceremony and all of the items that befitted aking. The grave goods were intended to provide the king with everything he needed in the nextworld.

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Challenge your pupils to stock an Anglo-Saxon king’s grave – they can each put five items from the selection given on the activity sheet into the ship burial. What will they choose to include, and why?

Talking point: what objects might a modern-day person include as their grave goods?

Activity 6: A song for the scop

Anglo-Saxon people enjoyed feasting. In You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Anglo-Saxon Peasant!the people of the village have a large communal feast in the great hall to celebrate their victory in a battle.

An Anglo-Saxon scop (pronounced ‘shop’) is a story-telling musician. They were very popularentertainment at Anglo-Saxon feasts. Challenge your pupils to write a song for the scop.Remember that their songs are stories – so your pupils may find it easier to write a simple storyand then compose a tune that fits. Their song could describe the village’s victory over thechallenger to the king’s throne, or it could retell a story about earlier Anglo-Saxons who travelledto and invaded Britain from northern Europe.

Why not try… setting up your school hall as an Anglo-Saxon great hall (with a central hearth –albeit without the open fire! – and long benches) and performing your songs to an invitedaudience?

Research challenge: the Anglo-Saxons were great storytellers. One of their most famous tales isthat of Beowulf, which was first written down by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet at some pointbetween the 8th and 11th centuries. The story would have been shared for many generationsaround the fire before being written down. It tells of a hero called Beowulf who helps Hrothgar,the king of the Danes, when his hall is attacked by a monster called Grendel. Can your pupils findout more about the story of Beowulf, and retell it in their own words?

Extension activity: challenge your pupils to create their own play based on the story of Beowulfto perform to an invited audience.

Activity 7: Cord winding

Anglo-Saxons made cloth and cord by spinning and weaving. Woollen threads were dyed usingplants – colours available included blues, reds, oranges, and yellows.

There are instructions on the activity sheet for making cord by a method called cord winding,which would have been used by Anglo-Saxons (and later Vikings).

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Activity 8: Arty challenges

Make rune stones. Use air-drying clay to roll out a set of 24 small pebble shapes. Once they have dried, use a permanent marker pen to inscribe each one with a rune (see the activity

sheet for the rune ‘letter’ shapes). Your pupils could choose to just make one rune stone for theirinitial, which could be used as a charm.

Design an Anglo-Saxon shield. Use the activity sheet to design your own Anglo-Saxon shield.You could even make your own shields using strong cardboard from a packing box. The centralboss could be made with either an upturned yoghurt pot or a ball of tin foil.

Pupils’ pack contents

● ‘An Anglo-Saxon peasant’s day’ activity sheet● How to make Anglo-Saxon poo● ‘Writing in runes’ information sheet● ‘Messages in runes’ activity sheet● How to use runes for fortune-telling● ‘Anglo-Saxon burial’ activity sheet● Anglo-Saxon cord winding● Design an Anglo-Saxon shield● Blank sheet with the border top and bottom for your pupils’ own artwork and writing

Messages in runes: Answers

1) Runes are great

2) I love learning

3) The dog ate my homework©

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An Anglo-Saxon peasant’s day was full from dawn till nightfall. Men, women and children allhad important tasks to do to ensure that everyone was kept safe, warm and fed. Use this sheet tocreate an itinerary of a day in the life of an Anglo-Saxon peasant.

Name: ________________________________________________________________

TIME TASK

___________ ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

___________ ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

___________ ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

___________ ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

___________ ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

___________ ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

___________ ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

___________ ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

An Anglo-Saxon peasant’s day

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How to make Anglo-Saxon poo This activity is reproduced with kind permission from the Young Archaeologists’ Club(www.yac-uk.org)

This experiment will encourage you to think about the microscopic evidence that archaeologistsfind in human poo, and what it tells them about the diets of people from different periods ofhistory and from different places too. In this experiment you will be making Anglo-Saxon poos!

You will need:

● 2 cups of flour● 1 cup of salt● 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (plus a bit extra for oiling the finished poos!)● Beefy stock cubes (to add colour and a realistic smell!)● Brown paint (optional)● Warm water● Cereal grains (e.g. rye and wheat – you can buy these online or in a health food shop)● Tiny pieces of stone or grit (the Anglo-Saxons didn’t eat stones on purpose, but tiny

bits of the quern stones used to grind the grains would have rubbed off and ended upin the flour used for bread – this did mean that Anglo-Saxons often had bad teeth!)

● Apple pips● Cherry stones● Plum stones● Fish bones

Method:

1. Measure out 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of salt and put it intoa big bowl.

Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and mix together.

2. Add warm water to the stock cubes to make a thick andgloopy dark brown paste

3. Add this into the floury mixture; you’ll need to get your hands in!

You can also add extra water and brown poster paint at thisstage if you need to. ©

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How to make Anglo-Saxon poo (continued) 4. Mix and knead until you have a solid brown lump

5. Add the dietary evidence listed in ‘You will need’ from thefirst page of these instructions.

Then carefully roll out sausage shapes for your poos!Make sure that the dietary evidence is hidden inside your poos.

6. Put a little bit of oil on your hands and rub this onto your finishedpoos; this will make them look really realistic and a bit icky!

Congratulations! You’ve made an Anglo-Saxon poo.

7. It’s time to excavate the poos and collect the dietary evidence!

You’ll need to use a wooden lolly stick or a blunt cocktail stick tomake sure that you don’t miss anything.

● Collect and record the evidence that you find.

● Keep a tally of the different types of evidence.

● What does the dietary evidence tell you about what Anglo-Saxons ate?

● Can you explain the tiny stones in the poos?!

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Writing in runes

Fehu – F Uruz – U Thurizaz – TH Ansuz – A Raido – R Kano – C / K

Gebo – G Wunjo – W / V Hagalaz – H Nauthiz – N Isa – I Jera – J

Eihwaz – Y Perth – P Algiz – Z Sowilo – S Teiwaz – T Berkana – B

Ehwaz – E Mannaz – M Laguz – L Ingwaz – NG Othila – O Dagaz – D

The table below shows the rune alphabet, which was called the futhark after the sounds made bythe first six letters. Under each rune symbol, you can find the name of the rune, and the modernletter that it sounded most like.

Note: two of the runes are used to represent sounds that are now written using two letters.Thurizaz made a ‘TH’ sound, and Ingwaz made a ‘NG’ sound. There are no runes for the modernletters Q and X.

The Anglo-Saxon alphabet was sometimes called the futhorc beacuse some of the runes changedtheir sounds over time. For example, the fourth letter, Ansuz, originally made an ‘A’ sound, butlater became used to represent a sound that was more like our modern ‘O’ sound.

Use the table to help you translate the runes on the activity sheet!

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Messages in runes Name: ________________________________________________________________

Use the table on the information sheet to help you translate these messages written in runes:

1)

______________________________________________________________________

2)

______________________________________________________________________

3)

______________________________________________________________________

My name in runes is:

______________________________________________________________________

Write your own message in runes in this box. Challenge a friend to read your message!©

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How to use runes for fortune-telling As well as being used to write inscriptions, Anglo-Saxons used runes for fortune-telling and ascharms. Fortune-tellers would have a set of rune stones, each marked with one of the runes. Bychoosing rune stones at random, and placing them in a set way, it was thought that it was possibleto tell a person’s future. Fortune-tellers also used bones thrown into the air to help to predictcoming events; the way that the bones landed and the patterns they made could be interpreted tohelp tell the future.

The three rune cast

To make a three rune cast, ask the person who is having their fortune read to come up with aquestion or issue that they would like to know the answer to.

They then need to take three rune stones from the bag, and place them in a row. Rune stones areread from right to left. The first (right hand) rune describes the current situation. The middle runesuggests what should be done, and the final (left hand) rune explains what will happen next.

It is important to place the runes without turning them; some of the runes have different(opposite) meanings when they are inverted (or placed upside down).

Below you will find the list of meanings for each rune:

FEHU – The Rune of Wealth and FulfilmentMeaning: wealth or success. Inverted (upside down) it means the opposite – bad luck or poverty

URUZ – The Rune of StrengthMeaning: Strength, beginnings and endings. Inverted it means beware missed chances

THURIZAZ – The Rune of Chaos, Evil and TemptationMeaning: time to start something new. Inverted it means beware of false starts and over-reaching

ANSUZ – Odin’s Rune, the Messenger RuneMeaning: knowledge, wisdom, and advice. Inverted it means bad advice and confusing messages

RAIDO – The Traveller’s RuneMeaning: travel, action and starting a quest. Inverted it means beware of losing your way

KANO – The Rune of Fire, the Torch of EnlightenmentMeaning: truth and enlightenment. Inverted it means beware of confusion and gossip

GEBO – The Rune of Love and ForgivenessMeaning: love, partnership, forgiveness, gift, talent, skill or ability.

WUNJO – The Rune of JoyMeaning: happiness and satisfaction; all will be well. Inverted it means you are being tested

HAGALAZ – The Rune of DisruptionMeaning: disruption and interference through natural forces.

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How to use runes for fortune-telling (cont) Meanings of the runes (continued)

NAUTHIZ – The Rune of Necessity Meaning: need, want, craving, demand and desire, and being driven to great deeds by necessity.

ISA – The Ice RuneMeaning: lack of change, delays and helplessness.

JERA – The Rune of Success and ContinuityMeaning: harvest and hope for the future. Hard work will see rewards

EIHWAZ – The Rune of DefenceMeaning: defence and prevention, and being strong enough to handle difficult situations.

PERTH – The Rune of Chance, Mystery and ScienceMeaning: taking chances. Inverted it means beware of hoping for too much or taking risks

ALGIZ – The Rune of Protection and OpportunityMeaning: protection and strength. Inverted it means beware of your weaknesses

SOWILO – The Rune of Energy and RevelationMeaning: wholeness, light, energy, victory and discovery

TEIWAZ – The Warrior’s RuneMeaning: courage and protection against evil. Inverted it means beware of rage and anger

BERKANA – The Rune of Growth and FertilityMeaning: growth and development. Inverted it means beware of faults within yourself

EHWAZ – The Rune of MomentumMeaning: movement, travel and progress. Inverted it means beware of barriers

MANNAZ – The Rune of HumanityMeaning: rely on yourself. Inverted it means beware of your weaknesses

LAGUZ – The Water RuneMeaning: go with the flow, follow your instincts. Inverted it means beware of ignoring feelings

INGWAZ – The Rune of Peace and HarmonyMeaning: harmony and returning.

OTHILA – The Rune of Family, Home & AcquisitionMeaning: home and comfort. Inverted it means beware of being tied to old habits and places

DAGAZ – The Rune of TransformationMeaning: breakthrough, change, opportunities, a new start.

You will need to be creative and imaginative when reading the runes. The meanings aboveneed to be interpreted depending on the question being asked.

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Anglo-Saxon burialYou’ve been asked to choose objects as grave goods for an Anglo-Saxon king.

The king is being buried inside a huge ship, with all of his favourite possessions.

You can put five things from the list below into the burial mound. What will you choose – and why?

Name: ____________________________________

Tick the five items that you have chosen to putinside the Anglo-Saxon king’s grave:

□ Large round shield decorated with garnetsand metal figures of a bird and a dragon

□ Ceremonial helmet

□ Spears

□ Pair of drinking horns

□ Leather shoes

□ Antler combs

□ Horse

□ Textiles – cloaks, blankets and hangings

□ Beautiful sword with a gold and garnetpommel inside a decorated scabbard

□ Musical instrument called a lyre

□ Gem-encrusted purse containing money

□ Long coat of ring-mail

□ Iron axe with a long iron handle

□ Bronze cauldron

□ Carved bone ‘king piece’ from a set ofgame pieces

Use this box to explain your choices:©

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Anglo-Saxon cord winding This activity is reproduced with kind permission from the Young Archaeologists’ Club(www.yac-uk.org)

Cords have been made for many thousands of years. One method for making cords was using acord-winding tablet. Anglo-Saxons used cord-winding tablets to make lengths of strong cord fromwool that they had spun. Try our experiment to have a go yourself!

You will need:

● 7 pieces of wool or embroidery silk, each about 50cm long● Piece of strong cardboard to make your cord-winding tablet● Scissors● Marker pen● Sharp pencil, single hole punch or awl to make the hole

Method:

1) Draw an octagon like the one pictured (left)onto a piece of strong card. on a piece of strong cardboard and cut it out.

Each side should be about 3.5cm long.

You could cut out this octagon and use it asa template to draw around.

Cut a short slit in the middle of each edge(as marked) and ask an adult to help youto make a hole in the centre of the octagon.

You have now made your cord-windingtablet and are ready to start making cord!

2) Cut out 7 lengths of coloured wool or embroidery silk.Each piece should be about 50cm long. Pull all of yourpieces of wool through the central hole and tie a knotnear the end to stop them pulling back through the hole!

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3) Turn your cord-winding tablet back over, put onepiece of wool into each slit. You will have one slitleft over. Draw an arrow onto your tablet to showwhich way you will turn it when you start to makeyour cord. (Most people find it easiest to turn in aclockwise direction, but it is up to you!

4) Hold your tablet horizontally so that the empty slit is facing you and the lengths of wool arehanging down around the outside of the tablet. Count back three slits (in the oppositedirection from your arrow). Take the piece of wool out from that slit and move it overthe next two pieces of wool, and tuck it in to the empty slit facing you.

5) Now you need to turn your tablet in the direction of the arrow until the new empty slit isfacing you. Count back three slits again (remember to count back in the opposite direction toyour arrow) and once again remove the piece of wool from that slit and move it over into thenew empty slit.

Keep on repeating this process. Remember to always turn your tablet in the same direction!

6) Your cord will be emerging from the underside ofyour tablet. It is important to keep on gently pullingthe cord through from the underside.

The threads will tangle easily, so run your fingersthrough them regularly to avoid getting knots!

7) When you only have about 5cm of each piece of wool left over in the slits, take all of thepieces out of the slits and pull the cord through the tablet from the underside.

Tie the loose pieces of wool into a knot and trim the ends. You now have a cord!

What happens if you experiment with a different pattern of counting? You could try countingback four slits then two slits, then four slits then two slits, for example.

Does this method of making cords work if you use a tablet with a different number of sides? You could try making a hexagon-shaped tablet instead of this one shaped like an octagon.

Anglo-Saxon cord winding (continued)

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Design your own Anglo-Saxon shield!Name: _____________________________________________________________________

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The Anglo-SaxonHip-Hop Rap

Parts:

Durwin:

Flair:

Durwin:

Durwin An Anglo Saxon peasant boyFlair His delightful sisterSeward An Anglo Saxon CeorlDevona His loud sister Kenric An Anglo Saxon Thane Ora His rather snooty daughter

I am an Anglo Saxon,A simple farmer’s sonAnd I’ve a hip hop rap to tellSo listen everyone!

My Saxon name is DurwinMy sister’s name is FlairAnd she’s an Anglo Saxon, too!With lots of golden hair.

Hi yer!Today it is my birthday,I’ve not had any presents,That’s because we’re very poor... We’re Anglo Saxon peasants!

Life isn’t very easy,We’ve all got jobs to doI have to grow our vegetables...

And I’m in charge of poo!

That means I’m ‘Head of cow pats’I scoop them up all dayThen throw them on Flair’s vegetables,So best keep out my way!

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Flair:

Durwin:

This can be performed to a regular beat, performers clapping in rhythm or to music.

I’m very good with turnips,My radishes are fine.I put dung on my beans and peas...

And gravy over mine! For all us Anglo Saxons,Cow dung’s the best, we thinkFor building huts and growing stuffSo now I’ve caused a stink,As sometimes I will sell itTo make a bit of cashFor where’s there’s muck, there’s gold, they sayAnd that’s not balderdash!I also use our loo wasteFor adding to the mixTo make a wattle and daub pasteIt’s great with mud and sticks!I am an Ang-loo Saxon(It’s a joke but hey, it fits!)I scoop out all the loo-holes,It really is the pits! But we have got a problem,And please don’t think me rude,Our neighbours treat us worse than dung...We’re in a bad blood-feud. They raid us in the night timeThey often steal our stuffWe try to fight them off with sticksYes, peasant life is tough.

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Devona:

Flair:

Devona:

Flair:

Devona:

Durwin:

Seward:

Their granddad stole my grandad’s sheepBack in the bad old days.

All I want’s a woolly fleeceTo lie back and relax onFor that’s the only aim in lifeWhen you’re an Anglo Saxon.

We’ve never owned a sheep, though,We’ve only got a cowTo give us milk and piles of dungSo stop your feuding now.

I’ve just slipped in your cow pat (falls on her back)And landed with a thwack...

Unlucky, Miss Devona,But a big pat on the back!

That Flair thinks she’s so specialWith all her golden curlsShe acts so high and mighty butThey’re nothing more than coerls (like us)

The thing with Anglo Saxons,However much we try,There’s so much fighting going on,So many people die.

We fight with swords and axesOr anything at handI’ll battle till the death of meJust to defend our land.

I have to be aggressive

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Devona:

Flair:

Seward:

Flair:

Durwin:

Kelvin:

Devona:

And wrestle in the mudWith anyone who I don’t like...Aggression’s in my blood (So watch out!)

I do like boys with attitudeI find them very pleasantAnd Seward’s such a churlish ceorl...

An Anglo Saxon peasant!

(Threatening) I don’t care who I threaten,I’ll beat up any girlOr anyone who I don’t like...

He’s an Anglo Saxon ceorl!

Hey, here comes master Kenric,An Anglo Saxon Thane.That means he’s from a higher classBut let me first explain...The Thanes are kind of bossyThey own big plots of landAnd treat us like we’re worthless scum,Which I don’t understand.

Durwin, you’re a helpful lad,My loo-hole’s getting full.I need a ceorl to clear it out,I’ll pay you with some wool.I’ve lots of sheep for shearingAnd one’s not mine, but lentI’ve no idea who loaned it, though

So that’s where grandad’s went!

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Seward:

Flair:

Durwin:

Kelvin:

Ora:

Durwin:

(Oops!) It wasn’t Durwin’s grandadWho stole my grandad’s eweWe got it wrong, there’s no blood-feud,Whatever shall we do?

You just say you are sorryThen we can call it quits.And maybe then we’ll live in peace...

(Shaking Seward’s hand) We’re really chuffed to bits!

So will you come and help me?My daughter Ora’s here...She thinks you’re cute and ‘peasanty’Don’t blush so, Ora, dear!

These Anglo Saxon peasantsJust make me smile, that’s allThey all look pale and hungry,So filthy, thin and small. This Durwin looks so smelly,And though he’s only young,He walks just like a poor old manUp to his neck in dung!

(Thanks a lot!)I am an Anglo Saxon,A simple farmer’s sonAnd I’ve a final thing to saySo listen everyone!

I’m glad we’ve sorted our disputeWith Seward and his kinAt last our blood-feud’s at an endAnd friendship can begin.

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All:

Durwin:

Yes, Thane, I’ll come and help youAs well as you, sweet OraWho, though she’s upper class, I likedThe instant that I saw-‘er! (winks)

Which goes to show, good Saxons,That still the fairer sex,And wealthy Thanes, need ceorls like meWhen right up to their necks (in unmentionables!)

So now I’ll get my bucketAnd come to work for youFor nothing will be quite so poshAs really classy poo!

But can I ask a favourFrom all of you today?My hip hop rap is over nowThere’s one thing left to say...

My sister is quite specialWith all her golden curlsAnd bright blue eyes, she’s typicalOf Anglo Saxon girls.Today it is her birthdaySo, people everywherePlease join me in a big ‘Hooray’And ‘Happy birthday, Flair!’

Happy birthday, Flair!

I am an Anglo Saxon,A simple farmer’s sonAnd now my hip hop rap is wrappedOur little play is done!

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All:

Enough to say, we’re finishedAnd don’t forget my plea,An Anglo Saxon peasantYou wouldn’t wanna be!

You wouldn’t wanna live hereYou wouldn’t wanna beAn Anglo Saxon peasantIn Britain, our country...

You wouldn’t wanna beYou wouldn’t wanna beYou wouldn’t wanna beAnglo Saxon peasantry! YAY!!!

you wouldn’t want to be an anglo-saxon peasant!€¦ · activity 2: day in the life of an...

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