The Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066AD презентация

Loyalty
Poets (Scops) & Monks
Religious aspects
Christian vs. Pagan
Wyrd=fate
Aggressive society

Britain

597: King Ethelbert converted to Christianity at Canterbury

793: Vikings come

1066: William the Conqueror becomes English king

valued bravery, loyalty, dedication to the king/queen, & fame/success in battle.

Heroes have fabulous adventures that are remembered and retold forever (think King Arthur).

by the warriors in a clan; loyalty, honor & respect to their lord and to one another.

Blood vengeance – fight to the death; avenge leader or die trying.

order kept a clan alive

clan loyalty was valued above all else.

The Leader (king, ruler, father-figure) was responsible for everyone’s safety.

a warrior was to his lord.

communal hall –
shelter/protection
meetings
entertainment.

warriors and heroes in their songs/poetry.

Old English (the Germanic language of the Angles & Saxons)

preserved the original language of the people.

(meaning no afterlife) view of the world.

“Wyrd” means fate. guided in all things.

Christianity spread and unified the Anglo-Saxons.

to control Britain.

Angles & Saxons from Germany, & Jutes from Denmark come to Britain in hopes of conquering for themselves.

warriors and lords had to defend against attacks and other clans to establish dominance.

the Jutes (Danes), unifying those clans.
“Angle-land” became England.
In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy invaded, and finally unified the country under one king.

more words that are close together
In Beowulf, this happens in almost every line of the poem, & there is no consistent pattern of rhyme.

compound expression to name a person or thing.
Ex: “whale road” = _______________ ; “life-lord” = ______________; “ring giver” = ______________

the positive of a statement to mean something negative.
Ex: Getting your wisdom teeth removed with pliers would not be fun! = It would be horrible!
Ex: About the monster Grendel’s home, the king Hrothgar says “Not a pleasant place” = a horrific place!

Developed out of various influences (folk tales & traditions)
Performed by scops (“shops”)
a. Traveling bard/poet
b. Good ones made the most effective use of the common arsenals of oral storytelling formulas
c. Borrowing images or phrases was accepted and expected
May have changed as developed

to make story appealing to Christians?)
Omnipotent God figure
Symbolic rebirth
Christ’s 12 apostles (Beowulf’s12 associates)

hero’s own ethics & mortality
2. Heroic values = comitatus = Germanic honor system that existed in Scandinavian countries in the 5th & 6th centuries between a king & his thanes (warriors).
a. Virtues of thanes = courage, loyalty, reputation
b. Lifelong devotion of thanes = protection, treasure, & land from king
Classic epic
a. journey/quest
b. tests/trials
c. divine intervention

Swede
Scylding – Dane
Higlac/Hygelac – King of Geats / uncle to Beowulf
Higd/Hygd – Higlac’s queen
Hrunting – sword given to Beowulf by Unferth
Naegling – Beowulf’s own sword
Brecca – Beowulf’s friend & swimming competitor

the story; has superhuman powers/strength; owes a debt to Hrothgar (King of Danes)
Grendel – Monster who is terrorizing the Danes; cannot be hurt by human weapons
Herot – Mead/Communal Hall of the Danes
Hrothgar – (King of the Danes – “Scylding”) Owed a debt from Beowulf for saving B’s father’s life

jealous of Beowulf
Welthow – Hrothgar’s wife, queen of the Danes
Wiglaf – Symbol of loyalty to Beowulf; B’s cousin  

of the Geats

&

the Geats

Saved life long ago

the Geats

Saved life long ago

Grendel attacks

Sends nephew Beowulf to defeat Grendel

the Geats

Saved life long ago

Grendel attacks

Sends nephew Beowulf to defeat Grendel

Beowulf defeats Grendel

Debt is paid