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

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The Anglo-Saxons and Beowulf
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The Anglo-Saxon Era Timeline

• 43BC Romans invade Britain.
• Encountered the Celts.
• Romans build roads, villas, huge buildings, and
  forts.
• Introduced Christianity.
• 420AD Romans leave.
• Link to video of life after the Romans

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Timeline Continued

• 450AD Jutes from Denmark, and the Angles and
  Saxons from Northern Germany invade England.
• Germanic tribes.
• Anglo-Saxons push out Celts
• Link to video of The Anglo-Saxon Invasion of
  Britain
• 597AD Anglo-Saxons become Christian
• Link to video of The Spread of Christianity

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Timeline Continued

• 787AD Viking raids begin
• 871-899AD 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.
• 1066AD 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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The Plotin six sentences.

• Beowulf travels to Hrothgars village to save
  them from Grendel, a terrifying monster eating
  their warriors. An epic battle ensues with
  Beowulf is the winner. Of course, Grendels
  mother comes seeking vengeance for her sons
  death. Again, Beowulf is called upon to save them
  all, and he fights heroically and defeats the
  evil monster. After being vastly rewarded and
  refusing an offer from Hrothgar to be his heir,
  Beowulf makes the long trek back to his homeland
  where he becomes a mighty and generous king for
  many years. He fights a massive dragon who is
  threatening his people. He and the dragon both
  die in the struggle, but he is heroic until the
  end.

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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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Concept Map
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Old English Example
Old English circa 500BC-1100AD
Cyning means king, so Cyningas must mean
kings. What other words look familiar to
todays language?