The%20Anglo-Saxons%20and%20Beowulf

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The Anglo-Saxons and Beowulf
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Table of Contents

• Anglo-Saxon Era Timeline
• Anglo-Saxon society
• Pagan vs. Christianity
• Anglo-Saxon Literature
• Beowulf
• Resources
• Authors slide
• Concept Map

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The Anglo-Saxon Era Timeline

• 43CE Romans invade Britain.
• Encountered the Celts.
• Romans build roads, villas, huge buildings, and
  forts.
• Introduced Christianity.
• 420CE Romans leave.

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Timeline Continued

• 450CE Jutes from Denmark, and the Angles and
  Saxons from Northern Germany invade England.
• 597CE Anglo-Saxons become Christian

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Timeline Continued

• 787CE Viking raids begin
• 871-899CE King Alfred the Great becomes King of
  England.
• Established education systems, rebuilt
  monasteries.
• Fought Danes and forced them from Wessex.
• Unified Anglo-Saxons under one king to resist the
  Viking invasions.
• Danes ruled in the North, Anglo-Saxons in the
  South.
• 1066CE Norman Conquest by William the Conqueror.
• From Norman French.
• Defeated Danes and Anglo-Saxons.
• Officially ended Anglo-Saxon era and brought
  about the beginning of the Medieval Period.

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Anglo-Saxon Society

• Anglo-Saxon society.
• Lived in tribal groups with a high class of
  warriors.
• Kings emerged as society developed.
• Spoke Old English. This was the language that
  Beowulf was written in.
• Became Christian but still valued heroic ideals
  and traditional heroes.
• Their culture valued human contact, family,
  virtue, and a good story. They feared
  humiliation and loneliness in their lives. In
  addition, the Anglo-Saxons desired richness,
  power, and appreciated heroic actions of
  warriors.

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Pagan vs. Christianity in Beowulf
The Anglo-Saxons mixed both pagan and Christian
traditions. Beowulf contains traces of both
beliefs.

• Pagan

• Christianity

• Strong nature presence
• Strength of the warrior

• God is mentioned by two of the main characters in
  the poem Beowulf and Hrothgar.
• Grendel as Lucifer
• Both are outcasts
• Perform a task for God
• Grendel is described as a son or descendant of
  Cain, a clear Biblical reference.

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Anglo-Saxon Literature

• Anglo-Saxon literature began as an oral
  tradition. Stories, poems, and songs were all
  told aloud and passed from generation to
  generation orally through minstrels (also called
  scops).
• Poems traditionally had a strong beat,
  alliteration, and no rhyme.
• Caesura a cutting. A break in a line of
  poetry, used in Old English to depict a half
  line. We use a comma for a modern effect.
• i.e. Da com of more under mistheleopum
• Out from the marsh, from the foot of the
  hills.
• Kenning derived from the Norse word kenna
  which means to know, to recognize. It is a
  compact metaphor that functions as a name.
• i.e. helmberend Helm bearer or warrior
• Old English example

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The Epic!

• Beowulf is the most well-known Anglo-Saxon poem,
  and is a form of poetry called the epic. Such
  other examples are Homers The Iliad and The
  Odessey.
• Long narrative that celebrates a heros long
  journeys and heroic deeds.
• J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Ring series and
  George Lucas Stars Wars could be called modern
  epics.
• Characteristics include a noble hero whose
  character traits reflect their societys ideals.
  The hero performs brave acts and appears
  superhuman.

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Heroic Code

• The epic poem Beowulf strengthens the Heroic
  Code. This code was derived from the
  Anglo-Saxons Germanic roots, and called for
  strength, courage, and loyalty in warriors. It
  also required kings to be hospitable, generous,
  and have great political skills. This code was a
  basis for Anglo-Saxon honor.

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Common Themes Of an Epic Poem

• Universal themes of epic poetry
• Good vs. evil
• Beowulf vs. Grendel
• Isolation
• Courage and honor
• Beowulf is fearless and brave while fighting the
  monsters.
• Gods or semi-divine creatures
• Grendel, Grendels mother, the dragon
• Tale involves the fate of an entire race
• Beowulf saves Hrothgars village from Grendel.

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Beowulf

• Most famous of early Germanic poems
• Written anywhere between 400-1000, but most
  likely after the 500s.
• The author is unknown, but likely to be
  Christian. It is likely that a few different
  authors elaborated on the tale.
• Takes place in Sweden, Denmark, and Frisia.
• The Norse were at this time attacking Britain,
  thus allowing knowledge of places, people, and
  ancestors to be available.

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Characters

• Beowulf main character, a hero featuring all the
  qualities of an epic hero. He has superhuman
  strength and is fearless and brave in battler.
• Hrothgar the king of the village that Beowulf
  saves from Grendel.
• Grendel a monster terrorizing Hrothgars
  village.
• Grendels mother a monster set out to avenge her
  sons death.

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Resources

• The Anglo-Saxon Invasions of Britain and The
  Spread of Christianity
• http//player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?gui
  dAssetId1A5DF869-F81A-463A-8E03-495F774C68EFblnF
  romSearch1productcodeUS
• Life After the Romans
• http//player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?gui
  dAssetIdBD1245FC-89CF-4423-A217-E0EBC8FF62A6blnF
  romSearch1productcodeUS
• Old English sample
• http//mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/fajardo/t
  eaching/eng520/lang-samples-small.jpg
• Information of the Anglo-Saxon period and of
  Beowulf
• Anderson, Rachel. Medieval Context Beowulf.
  ENG 220 British Literature I. Grand Valley State
  University, Allendale, MI. 10 Jan. 2008.
• Schneider, Daniel. English Literature
  Anglo-Saxon Era and Beowulf. Honors English
  Literature. Linden High School, Linden, MI. 30
  Aug. 2005.

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