Strength and Honor: A
Heroes Journey
British Legends
The Anglo-Saxon Period
449-1066
Theme: Heroes and Heroism
Do Now: 9-19-12
• What are your prior experiences with
epics? What is an "epic"? What is a
"hero"?
Proto Indo European
IndoIranian
Greek
Albanian
Latin
Balto-Slavic
Baltic
Sanskrit
Hindi
Iranian
Persian
Bengali Kurdish
Slavic
Celtic
Welsh
Romanian
Bretan
French
Gælic
Russian
Spanish
Latvian
Portuguese
Lithuanian Ukrainian
Italian
Czech
Slovak
SerbCroatian
Germanic
Where did the Anglo-Saxons
come from?
• Between 800 and 600 B.C., two groups of
Celts from southern Europe invaded the
British Isles.
– Brythons (now spelled “Britons”) settled on
the largest Island, Britain.
– Gaels, settled on the second largest island,
known to us as Ireland.
The Celts
– farmers and hunters
– organized themselves into clans
– clans had fearsome loyalty to chieftains
– looked to priests, known as Druids, to settle
their disputes
Where did the Anglo-Saxons
come from?
• Roman conquest of Britain AD 43
– Britain annexed as a province in the Roman
Empire
– Difficult to control such a large piece of land
• Brought Christianity to Britain around AD
300
– Pagan vs. Christian themes throughout; never
fully indoctrinated at this time
• The last Romans left around 407 A.D.
– Needed to defend against rebelling European
countries; England left to its own devices
Roman Empire
Roman Gatehouse in Britain
Arbeia
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come
from?
• 449AD 3 Germanic tribes (Angles,
Saxons, and Jutes) invade.
• Destruction of Roman influence, including
Christianity
• New land: “Angle-land”
- small tribal kingdoms
- no written language
- supported themselves through
farming and hunting
Anglo Saxon King and Warrior
early 7th century
An Anglo-Saxon Hall
An Anglo-Saxon Farmstead
West Stow: reconstructed village
The Reemergence of Christianity
• 596AD: attempt to convert Anglo- Saxons to
Christianity
• 597AD: Saint Augustine
– converted King Ethelbert of Kent to Christianity.
– set up a monastery in Canterbury in Kent.
• 650AD: most of England is Christian; some hold
on to previous beliefs
– The church provided counsel to quarreling rulers in
efforts to unify the English people.
• At this time, the British Isles were not unified and
included separate kingdoms with separate rulers.
They fought continuously over the fertile, green
land
Constant Conflict
• 9th Century:
– Norway invaded Northumbria (Anglo-Saxon
kingdom in northern and central England),
Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
– The Danes of Denmark targeted eastern and
southern England
Do Now: 9-20-12
• What two groups of Celts, from southern
Europe, invaded the British Isles?
Alfred the Great
King of Wessex 871-899
• 866—resisted Danish intrusion and earned “the
great” title
– Saxons acknowledged Danish rule in East and North
– Danes respected Saxon rule in South
• End of 10th Century—Danes want to widen
Danelaw
– Forced Saxons to select Danish Kings
• 1042—Kingship returned to Alfred the Great’s
descendent Edward
• Edward the Confessor died in 1066. His death
led to the end of the Anglo-Saxon Period.
Literature of Anglo-Saxon Times
• 2 major influences
1) Germanic Traditions of the Anglo-Saxons
2) Christian Traditions of the Roman
Church
1) Germanic Traditions of the
Anglo-Saxons
• Germanic language
– Mixture of various Germanic dialects +
Old English
– Old English (often looks like a foreign
language)
Page of Beowulf manuscript in
Old English
Listen to me!
Heroic Ideals Dominate
• Warrior culture
– Poems and stories depict a society like the AngloSaxons
• Military and tribal loyalties
• Bravery of warriors
• Generosity of rulers
• Oral tradition - Scop
– Songs and stories often sung and told about the valiant
struggles of heroic warriors
• More than just entertainment – provided a model for
living and a form of immortality they could aspire to
• Note: all of these provided the foundation for early
written literature in Old English
Anglo-Saxon Literature cont.
• Anglo-Saxon poetry falls mainly into two
categories:
– Heroic poetry – recounts the achievements of
warriors
– Elegiac poetry – laments the deaths of loved
ones and the loss of the past
• Beowulf is the most famous example of
heroic poetry.
Sutton Hoo
• Burial site discovered in
1939
• Important links to AngloSaxon world and Beowulf
• Remains of a boat were
discovered and large burial
chamber containing
numerous artifacts
• Artifacts suggest a distinctly
Christian element
intermingled with pagan
ritual.
Epic Elements
Epic Element Definition
Epic Hero
the central character of an epic. This
character is a larger-than-life figure, typically
of noble or semi-divine birth, who pits his
courage, skill, and virtue against opposing,
often evil, forces.
Quest
a long, dangerous journey or mission
undertaken by the epic hero. The quest is the
hero’s opportunity to prove his heroism and
win honor and undying renown.
Valorous
deeds
something that is done or accomplished, by
being courageous, valiant, and brave.
Divine
intervention
In many epics, the hero receives help from a
god or another supernatural force who takes
an interest in his quest.
Great events
Important events from the history or
mythology of a nation or culture often
provide the backdrop for the epic narrative.
As seen in …
Epic
• Unknown author
• The national epic of England (first work to
be composed in English)
• A long heroic poem, about a great legendary
warrior renowned for his courage, strength,
and dignity.
The Epic Hero
Defeats his enemies using
Physical strength
Skill as a warrior
Nobility of character
Quick wits
A man of high
social status
whose fate affects
the destiny of his
people
Is not modest – boasting is a ritual
Embodies the ideals and values of his
people
Is eager for fame
Because the Germanic tribes believed
death was inevitable, warriors sought fame to
preserve the memory of their deeds after
death
Heroic Values in Beowulf
• Relationship between
king and his warriors
• The king rewards his
warriors with gifts
• If a kinsman is slain,
obligation to kill the
slayer or obtain
payment (wergeld) in
compensation
Courage in Beowulf

Courage - the foundation 
of the warrior culture that
underlies the story of
Beowulf.
 a true warrior's bravery 
comes from a
completely fatalistic

attitude toward life and
indifference to death.
 Someday, he will die and
be defeated. Everything
happens as God wills it.
All the warrior can do is
meet every challenge
fearlessly, increasing his
own reputation.
When he dies - renowned
for his bravery.
There are a lot of cowards
in Beowulf…or, if that's a
little harsh, people who
aren't willing to live by this
fatalistic code of honor.
Epic Hero Cycle
Are Modern Super Heroes
Epic?
Using the profile provided to your group and
your own prior knowledge fill out the epic
hero cycle chart for the super hero, then
answer the question at the bottom of the
page using the chart to back up your
opinion.
Characters
Danes
Geats
• Hrothgar
• Unferth
► Beowulf
Dane Monsters
► Ecgtheow
• Grendel
• Grendel’s Mother
Geats Monsters
Places:
► Wiglaf
Herot
► Hygelac
► Dragon
The Beowulf Poet
• Christian; reflects
•
•
•
•
•
established tradition
Allusions to the Old
Testament
Beowulf is a Redeemer who
is sent by God to save man
from sin:
Christ archetype:
Correspondences between
Beowulf’s death and the
death of Christ
The price of salvation is life
itself
Pagan; fate and human
will, offerings to
gods/shrines, come to aide.
Conflict Christian Values and Heroic
Values
• This tension is at the
heart of the poem
• Pagan history and
myth are made to point
to a Christian moral
• Beowulf is poised
between two value
systems
Mix of pagan and Christian Values
• Fate vs. choice of
good and evil
• Mythological
monsters vs.
references to God
and Jesus
• Ralph Waldo Emerson said that, "A hero
is no braver than an ordinary man, but he
is braver five minutes longer.”
– Do you agree or disagree with his statement and
why? Are heroes just ordinary men who do
something when other men have already given up?