The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages
Introduction to the Literary Period
Feature Menu
Fast Facts
Key Concept: The Anglo-Saxon Legacy
Key Concept: The Normans Invade Britain
Key Concept: Life in Medieval Society
Your Turn
The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages
Fast Facts
Historical Highlights
• The Romans invade Britain in 55 B.C. and create
a four-hundred-year period of political stability.
• King Alfred and his descendants unite AngloSaxon England in the late ninth century.
• William the Conqueror defeats the Anglo-Saxons
in 1066 and introduces feudalism to Britain.
The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages
Fast Facts
Literary Highlights
• The brooding fatalism of pagan Anglo-Saxon
culture gives the first British epic, Beowulf, its
melancholy tone and stress on earthly heroism.
• The bards ensure stories have an important
position in early British culture.
• Christian monks copy ancient manuscripts,
preserving classical and Anglo-Saxon texts.
• Chivalry gives rise to a new form of literature,
the romance.
[End of Section]
Key Concept:
The Anglo-Saxon Legacy
History of the Times
• After the legions of Rome conquered the Celts,
Roman armies kept Britain free from invaders.
• Troubles at home forced Rome to evacuate its
soldiers in A.D. 409, opening Britain to invasion.
Key Concept:
The Anglo-Saxon Legacy
History of the Times
• Angle and Saxon clans impose
warrior culture on the island
for six centuries.
• Until ninth century, Britain is
subject to constant invasions
and battles.
• King Alfred unites Anglo-Saxons
against the invading Danes.
• The spread of Christianity helps
unify the Anglo-Saxons.
Key Concept:
The Anglo-Saxon Legacy
•
•
•
•
Literature of the Times
Anglo-Saxon literature is
rooted in oral tradition.
Poetry, like fighting, hunting,
and farming, had great
significance.
Bards relied on sound devices
and repeated phrases to
remember their tales.
Old English epic poem Beowulf
combines Germanic heroism
and Anglo-Saxon fatalism.
Key Concept:
The Anglo-Saxon Legacy
Literature of the Times
• English emerges as a
written language.
• Christian monks copy
ancient manuscripts,
preserving classical and
Anglo-Saxon texts.
• Historical poems in AngloSaxon Chronicle detail events
of early English history.
Key Concept:
The Anglo-Saxon Legacy
Comprehension Check
What event led to the Anglo-Saxon invasion of the
British provinces?
[End of Section]
Key Concept:
The Normans Invade Britain
History of the Times
• In the Norman invasion of 1066, William the
Conqueror defeats the Anglo-Saxons.
• To squash revolts, William divided the land
among his loyal barons and built castles
around the country.
• By establishing a social structure called
feudalism, William created a hierarchy of
rulers under one lord and a network of
thousands of knights sworn to serve him.
Key Concept:
The Normans Invade Britain
Literature of the Times
• Old English disappears from laws and
literature after William makes French
the language of the state.
• Reflecting the chasm between the
British masses and the Norman rulers,
literature was usually written in Latin
or Norman French after 1066.
• Bibles and gospels created in monasteries were
celebrated for their brilliant illuminated
manuscripts, all created by hand.
Key Concept:
The Normans Invade Britain
Comprehension Check
How was William the Conqueror able to form such a
powerful army following his victory in 1066?
[End of Section]
Key Concept:
Life in Medieval Society
History of the Times
• Medieval society was dependent on strictly
defined social classes—nobility, knights, priests,
merchants, and peasants.
• The contributions of each group affected
how well villages and towns prospered.
• Villages, built around castles, were the
fundamental center of medieval society.
• Social mobility was nearly impossible in the
Middle Ages. Social rank remained fixed.
Key Concept:
Life in Medieval Society
Literature of the Times
• Some medieval writers began to use the
vernacular, or language of the people.
• Works written in English, such as ballads and
romances, helped to define England’s identity.
• A new literary form—the romance—becomes
popular, reflecting the concepts of courtly love
and chivalry.
• Scholarly works from monasteries and
universities reflect society’s interest in moral
instruction and morality plays.
Key Concept:
Life in Medieval Society
Comprehension Check
Describe the trends in English literature during the
Middle Ages. Were they reflective of life at the time?
[End of Section]
The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages
Introduction to the Literary Period
Your Turn
Copy the Academic Vocabulary list into a notebook.
Try to use the words as you outline the main ideas of
the selections in the collection that follows.
concept
status
diverse
attribute
emphasis
[End of Section]
The End