How long did the Celts (Brythons and Gaels) last?
from 700 B.C. to 45 A.D.
Where did the Celts come from and where did they settle?
they came from southern Europe and settled on the island of Britain
Celts were originally _______ and _________ and lived in ________.
farmers; hunters; clans
What did the Celts call their leaders and priests?
They called their leaders chieftains and they called their priests druids.
What was a Druids job in Celtic society?
they memorized long histories in poems and preformed sacrifices and prayers
How long did the Romans last?
45 A.D. to 450 A.D.
Romans were always thought to be very _________.
sophisticated
When did Julius Caesar invade? Why didn't he stay?
he invaded in 45 A.D. but he left because he didn't like the weather
What did Emperor Claudius contribute to Anglo-Saxon culture?
He established camps that eventually became towns
When and Why did Roman rule on the islands end?
It ended in 407 A.D. (lasted 300 years) when Romans left to protect Rome
What did Rome in general contribute to Anglo-Saxon culture?
they contributed good infrastructure (roads) and skill in warfare
How long did the Anglo-Saxons last?
from 450 A.D. to 1066 A.D.
What languages did the Celts speak?
Cornish, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish-Gaelic (Cornish is the only language not spoken still)
What are the three groups that form the Anglo-Saxons?
Angles, Saxons, and Jutes (3 different tribes that attacked Britain and then joined together)
Who is the ruler of Anglo-Saxon society? How is he chosen?
The king rules but the king is chosen by the witan (a council of elders who are older and wiser advisors to the king)
What were kings of that time often called? Why?
they were called ring-givers for being a generous King who gave back to his people
What are the 4 classes of Anglo-Saxon society?
- Earls
- Freeman
- Churls
- Thralls
What are earls?
hereditary class of ruling war lords and they owe their position to the king. They were the king's close-knit friends and were usually related to the king in some way. They were put into position by the king so they would supply warriors for the king beca
What are freeman?
allowed to own land and engage in commerce. Not all Freeman were Thanes, but a Thane was always a Freeman.
What is a thane?
early barren and were granted their status in reward for military service. They are known as early English barren. A thane was an Earl's warrior. The earl or king would give them the position because of what they did in battle.
What is a Churl?
a bonded servant who worked for military protection; known as serfs in the Middle Ages; peasants
What is a Thrall?
slaves; usually military prisoners or people being punished; usually came from an invasion/overthrow of another tribe where they took all the men, women, and children and made them slaves (they didn't speak in the same dialect so they had no way out)
Was there a way to switch your social class?
No, there was no way out of the class you were in
What was the role of women in Anglo-Saxon society?
Women had no opinions or considered in their plan except to have babies, be a trinket, or to be slaves.
What were Anglo-Saxon religious beliefs?
They were pagans that believed in fate and did not believe in an afterlife
What did Anglo-Saxons believe about fate?
they believed that their lives were in the hand of fate (predetermined)
Why did Anglo-Saxons have such a grim view on life?
because they were from Scandinavia (had harsh winters) and people died constantly (at sea, in war, or of illness)
Why was their belief an important part of Anglo-Saxon society?
- it is why warriors fought to the death
Why was their belief that there wasn't an afterlife important to Anglo-Saxon culture?
why they tried to make a name for themselves in war (so they would be kept "alive" through reputation)
What gods did they believe in?
they believed in ancient germanic Gods
When did Christianity come to the British Isles?
it came in the 4th century and was brought by the Romans
What happened with Christianity during the 5th century?
The Anglo-Saxons that had been Christianized fled to to Whales and Ireland (where we get the legend of St. Patrick)
What happened in 650 A.D.?
most of England became Christian. This was a big deal for the Anglo-Saxons.
Who was Columbia?
he was an abbot and soldier that help the Anglo-Saxons accept Christianity (more willing to accept it because he was a soldier)
What were two contributions of Christianity?
education and the written word
How did Christian values affect Anglo-Saxon culture?
- they softened the ferocity of the warrior people
- husbands stopped beating their wives (realized it was wrong)
- people stopped beating their slaves
- promoted peace and unified the English people
Who was St. Augustine?
he was a Roman cleric who converted Anglo-Saxon kings
Why was it so important that St. Augustine converted the Kings?
because if you converted the King his people would become Christian
What kind of society were Anglo-Saxons?
they were a warrior society
What were some of the values Anglo-Saxons had?
bravery, dignity, and prowess in battle
Who were Scops?
- they were Anglo-Saxon version of Druids
- wise men who kept history alive by reciting long poems
What was the Anglo-Saxon idea of immortality?
They didn't believe in everlasting heaven (Christianity) but they thought they could get immortality if they were a good warrior and were remembered by the Scops
What is Wergild?
- means "man-price" or "revenge"
- believed if you killed someone in battle you would have to pay money
- it was a way of making battle fair
When was the Viking Invasions?
they took place from the 8th century through the 12th century
What were the Viking invasions?
Scandinavian countries (Finland, Denmark, and Norway) would attack the island of Britain with vicious raids
What were the people who did these raids called?
Norsemen
What did the Viking Invasions lead to?
the fall of Anglo-Saxons around the 9th century and the land became known as Dane land
What law did the Norsemen follow?
they followed the Dane law (still in a lot of laws used today)
How many lines of Anglo-Saxon poetry still exist? How many of those are in Beowulf?
30,000 lines and 3,000 of those are Beowulf
What is heroic poetry?
poetry that recounts the achievement of warriors involved in great battle (most important form of Anglo-Saxon poetry).
What is Elegiac poetry?
poetry characterized by sorrowful laments that mourn the death of loved ones or the loss of the past.
What is prose?
it is just the regular written word
Who used prose? and why was this uncommon?
Alfred the Great and Bede used prose, however most monks believed that vernacular (or language of the common people) to be vulgar
What was significant about Alfred the Great and Bede using prose?
- They decided to put their works in the common language so that the common people could understand it
-Some of the first people to not use Latin
Who is the author of Beowulf?
it is unknown because most Anglo-Saxon works don't have authors
Who wrote the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle? What was it about?
- Alfred the Great
- it told the English history
What language was the Anglo-Saxon chronicle translated from?
it was translated from Latin to everyday language
Who translated stories found in the History of the English People?
the venerable Bede
Why is the History of the English People so important?
- This was a monumental work because it offers the clearest account we have of Anglo-Saxon times (went into detail about how they cooked, what they ate, types of jobs)
- Translated into Old English
Why was oral tradition so important to Anglo-Saxon culture?
- The Scops recited poems about battles or history of the nations and sometimes they took hours or days
- The Scops provided entertainment and history for the common people
What are some of the literary techniques Anglo-Saxons used?
alliteration, caesura, and kennings
What is alliteration?
- when you used the first consonant sound and you repeat it in a line
- Important because it started off as oral tradition and alliteration is easier to remember
What is Caesura?
- it is a midline pause
- a way for the Scops to take a quick break and go back and to create suspense
What is a kenning?
- is a metaphorical renaming of something (ex: "gift-giver" for the chieftain)
- Normally hyphenated w/ two words like the ocean was called "whale-path