British Legends
The Anglo-Saxon Period
449-1066
Theme: Heroes and Heroism
Fold your paper so you have 4
boxes
Using these boxes, tell the story of the 3 little pigs;
you can write or illustrate the story, but include as
many details as possible in the time allotted.
Where is the pigs’
father/mother?
Where did they get
materials?
Okay…So what?
1. Oral History—Lessons and
entertainment
2. British folktale
3. Anglo Saxon time period
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.
Similarities/Differences
• Stone Age weapons;
• Celts settled onto the largest island of
Britain
• Gaels settled onto the second largest
island of Ireland
– Different languages but related within the
Celtic family. Similarities of grammar, sound,
structure, and vocabulary.
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
Clans
• Tight knit with loyalty to their chief. Look to
Druids (group of priests) to settle
arguments.
• They presided over religious rituals and
also memorized and recited long, heroic
poems. This preserved the myths of the
past.
Celtic Druids
• Believed to have begun literature.
.
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
Celtic Druids
Literature began not with books, but
with spoken verse. Purpose was to pass
along history and values to a population
that mostly could not write or read. The
reciting of poems often occurred on
ceremonial occasions, such as the
celebration of a military victory.
Roman Empire
Roman Gatehouse in Britain
Arbeia
Entertainment in words by
Minstrels, Gleemen, Scops…
supposedly recited with harp.
Caesura-mid-line pause
Alliteration-repetition of consonant sound
Kenning-phrase replaces concrete noun
Four-beat line
Stock Epithets-adj. that point out special
traits of particular person
Reversal of word order
Spoken word
• Heroic poetry-recounting of the
achievements of warriors involved in battle
• Elegaic poetry-sorrowful laments that
mourn the death of loved ones
• Created the RUNES
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/write-yourname-in-runes.html
Roman invasion
Romans conquered Britain in 55
BC and again sporadically over
the following years.
Left behind Camps=Castras
Castras
• Looking at your map:
– Lancaster
– Winchester
Normally located on the main roadway, also
something left behind by the Romans.
CASTRAS=caster, chester, ceister.
Later formed into towns.
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come
from?
Also known as the DARK AGES
• 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
Remember the
3 little pigs…
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.
• Transferred their tribal units.
– Tribes were ruled by witans, council of elders.
– Still of pagan belief…grim look at life.
– Every human life was in the hands of Fate.
Whatever was meant to happen, was already
planned. No human can determine his or her
path.
– Eventually, worshipped Germanic gods:
• Tiu-god of war and sky
• Woden-chief of gods
• Fria-Woden’s wife and goddess of home
– weekdays
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
– Destroyed manuscripts
Remember the
3 little pigs…
Burned and plundered homes
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
• Denmark, Germany, Sweden
Remember the
3 little pigs…
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!
Monks worked as scribes,
recording and duplicating
manuscripts, by hand. At first
only in Latin, the language of
the church.
Venerable Bede, “Father of
English History,” was a master
of thorough research, tracking
of information by studying
earlier documents and
interviewing people. Wrote “A
History of the English Church
and People.”
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
– 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.
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
Epic
• Beowulf: 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.
Epic Elements
• Most epics are serious in tone and lofty in
style, a technique meant to convey the
importance of the events. Long speeches
by the characters suggest an impressive
formality.
• Use of kennings
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
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.
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 …
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
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
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
Element
Example
The main character is a hero, who is often possessed of super
natural abilities or qualities (STATUS QUO)
Epic Hero Cycle
The hero is charged with a quest (call to Adventure)
“Crossing the Threshold” Moving from the known to the
unknown (DEPARTURE)
The hero is tested, often to prove the worthiness of himself and
his quest
PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL (TRIALS)
The presence of numerous mythical beings, magical and helpful
animals, and/or human helpers and companions
The hero’s travels take him to a supernatural world, often one
that normal human beings are barred from entering
The cycle must reach a low point where the hero nearly gives up
his quest or appears defeated (APPROACH, CRISIS)
A resurrection (TREASURE)
Achieving the goal or the “boon” (RESULT)
Restitution. Often this takes the form of the hero regaining his
rightful place on the throne. Return to the ordinary world
(RETURN/NEW LIFE)
Applying the “boon” (RESULUTION/STATUS QUO)
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.
HELP! I need somebody!
• Think of a time when you helped someone in need
or someone helped you OR a time when you did
NOT render help and wish you had. Give a brief
summary of the incident then answer the following
analysis questions:
– What was your/their motivation (why was help
rendered?)?
– What was the result?
– What would have happened if help was not
rendered?
– Did anyone else offer help? Why/why not?