Anglo-Saxon Literature and Beowulf Introduction
Britain Before Recorded History
 Written history of Britain began in the year 55 BC, when the Roman general Julius Caesar wrote of
his campaigns in Britain.
 The Celts lived in a tribal society. The Anglo-Saxons and the vikings though different cultures, came
from a similar geography (Europe) and lived in tribal units as well. These tribal cultures had similar
structures, including:
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Each tribe had their own king
They built walled farms and wood-hut villages
They used bronze and iron tools, and grew crops
They also warred with each other
Since war was always a possibility, life was unstable and often violent
warriors were loyal to a king and would fight to the death for him, surrender was cowardly
these were oral cultures (there was no writing or recorded history)
these cultures were non-Christian; they were “pagans”, worshipping many gods
The Invasion of the Romans

Written history of Britain begins when Caesar writes of his expeditions to this land. Rome was a
great power at the time, and it ruled many lands. Some scholars say that Caesar’s troops came to
punish the Celtics in Britain for helping European Celts in their fighting against Rome.

One hundred years after Caesar, under the rule of the emperor Claudius, Rome successfully invaded
Britain. For about the next 400 years, Rome ruled much of Britain. Those tribal cultures whom
rebelled against Roman rule (generally the Celts) fled to the highlands of Wales and Scotland.

Early in the 2nd century (100’s) the emperor Hadrian built a wall 73 miles long to keep the Celts in
the Highlands. It is now known as Hadrian’s Wall.
Life in Roman Ruled Britain (43 - 410)

The Britons, who did not flee and succumbed to Roman rule, had an easier life than those who were
forced to the Highlands. For example under Roman rule, people enjoyed the following:
A. Peace, Stability, a less nomadic lifestyle. With safe towns protected by a strong Roman army,
there was no need to “pack up everything they owned” if they were to be forced from their
land--they wouldn’t be forced from their land.
B. In town and out of town INFRASTRUCTURE could be improved.
1. paved roads connected towns
2. More Stable Buildings (more often used the sturdier stone, brick, or concrete vs. wood
huts,
for example)
3. More people lived because of this peace, thus increasing the ability to build the
infrastructure and have professional soldiers due to able-bodied workers.
*Other benefits of Roman rule included sanitation systems providing for cleaner more healthy cities, public
baths (cleaner, healthier people) even public meeting houses, law courts, and amphitheaters.
Exodus of Rome/The Coming of Anglo-Saxon Invaders

After the year 300, however, the vast Roman Empire began to weaken. By the 5th century it had
collapsed, and the Romans were forced to withdraw their troops from Britain to fight battles at
home in Italy. This opened the previously peaceful areas of Roman rule in Britain to invasion.

Celts invaded from the highlands where they had been forced into living. Anglo-Saxon warriors
from Germany were hired to protect other Britons from Celts and to help preserve the Roman way
of life. In time though, the Anglo-Saxons decided this land was good for them as well, so they
invaded too. The ordered Roman way of life soon disappeared and tribal kingdoms (oral
cultures/no written history) once again reigned.

Another group of invaders, the Jutes, hailed from Denmark.

As had happened during the Roman occupation, defeated groups fled to the highlands of Scotland
and Wales. Anglo-Saxon’s settled in different areas throughout England. Some Britons did not flee
and thus were assimilated into Anglo-Saxon culture. By 441 these various Anglo-Saxon tribes
formed the new power in Britain. Interestingly, when the Anglo-Saxons were invaded by the Vikings
around 790, they didn’t go away. They would contribute to the culture of Britain for another 600
years; this is why we call them “the first Englishmen”. They provided customs that exist to this day:
the language (English, called Old English today), began its literature (becoming a written as opposed
to oral culture), and established traditions in law and government (monarchy: one king), and religion
(Christianity)
Anglo-Saxon England 441-793

In 441, the Anglo-Saxons were a tribal culture like the Celts. Their culture is chronicled in the epic
poem, Beowulf.

Though these Anglo-Saxon tribes were spread throughout much of England, more ambitious kings
began to assert authority over other rulers and their people. The first of these more powerful kings
was King Athelbert who ruled from 560-616. He appeared to have “dreamed of a nationwide
confederation of tribes which would bring unity and a measure of peace to the land” (McConnell, 4).

Between 632 and 796, this system appears to have worked well in the large area of Mercia in central
England. Violence and instability was reduced, and order, more comparable to the Roman days
existed, allowing the culture to flourish.

Partially because of this work towards peace in England, the Catholic Church in Rome became
interested in converting the Anglo-Saxons. Rome sent St. Augustine to try and convert England in
597.

Although Christianity had a great influence, the old Anglo-Saxon religion with its warrior gods
persisted. The Anglo-Saxon religion had a great deal in common with Norse or Scandinavian
mythology.

During the next 40 years, “Christian missionaries, despite setbacks, were able to convert most of the
Anglo-Saxon kings and their people to Christianity” (McConnell, 4).

The spread of CHRISTIANITY to the Anglo-Saxon’s, benefited the Anglo-Saxon culture in many ways:
1. it brought writing to this formerly oral culture, an essential skill for an “advanced culture”
2. it brought new values (peace, compassion, cooperation--instead of arrogance and violence)
3. books were copied, records were written by monks, thus preserving their culture in writing
The Viking Invasions (793 - 1066)

While Anglo-Saxon England became a more peaceful, organized, and advanced culture over 300
years, the new invaders, the Vikings, were more like the tribal cultures of hundreds of years before.
What’s worse, these Viking invaders were all professional soldiers. They were not followed by
peasants and farmers, as were the Anglo-Saxons. They were fierce warriors led by a warrior-king.

The Viking raids went on in Britain and Europe for almost 300 years (from 793-1066).The AngloSaxon’s did not disappear, remember, but they were now ruled by the pagan Vikings.
Alfred the Great
On a side note, there was one English king who was able to avoid having his land ruled by the Vikings. He
was Alfred the Great who ruled from 849 - 899.Though his kingdom was much smaller than Viking-ruled
Britain, he is greatly responsible for keeping the more advanced Anglo-Saxon way of life thriving.
Final Reminder

As we read Beowulf, we are in Denmark and Sweden, around 500 AD, before the move towards one
king, Christianity, peace, and literacy. Though we are in Denmark and Sweden, these tribal cultures
(the Geats and the Scyldings) are much like those in early Anglo-Saxon England.
BEOWULF BACKGROUND
Literary Genre of Beowulf

Epic: A long narrative poem in elevated style. It presents a character (s) of high degree and details
important events that have a national, worldwide, or cosmic setting. (The Odyssey, the Star Wars
films etc.) Traditionally, epics came from oral cultures, were passed down orally, and were of
importance to a nation. With the spread of literacy and writing, single authors began to write epics.
Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon Poetry (The skill and style of the Scop)
An important fact to remember about the style of Beowulf is the matter of ANCESTRY. The writer of Beowulf
often mentions details that do not seem to relate to the main plot, (mainly commentary on ancestors:“son
of...”; so-and-so’s “thane”).This is done for a few reasons:
A. as an oral marker -- stories were often told in more than one sitting. The scop might leave off one
spot and repeat some information the next day to remind listeners were he left off.
B. as a retelling of history and a chronicle of ancestry .When the writer mentions relationships (i.e.
calling Beowulf “Hygelac’s thane” in line 131 or calling Hrothgar “the son of Healfdene” in line 125) he
may do this to remind listeners of who came from where and who is related to who. They had no
writing or history books to chronicle these things. Being remembered was very important in AngloSaxon society.
C. to keep rhythm. The scop told the poem to a beat, rhythm, and with alliteration. Words may
be shortened or elongated for this purpose.
D. The comment on ANCESTRY is more trivial, perhaps less important than the three techniques found
in ANGLO-SAXON POETRY listed below:
1. Kenning: two or more words which, when put together, serve as a symbol or metaphor for
another word.
 These were often used for entertainment, variety, and to keep the beat and rhythm.
Sometimes they are obvious to us. Other times, they are more obscure. Examples:
candle of heaven -- the sun
peace-weaver -- women
light of battle-- sword
2. Alliteration: the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Also used for entertainment, variety, and
to keep the beat and rhythm.(Incidentally, Beowulf doesn’t rhyme--not all poems have to rhyme.
Anglo-Saxon poetry is known more for alliteration than rhyme).Example from lines (4-7):
3. Caesura: the building block of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Each line had a pause in the middle to
create a kind of beat. By my count, each line had 8 syllables with the pause or the caesura in the
middle
Other characteristics:
 Fame and success, even survival, were gained only through loyalty to the leader.
 Although Christianity had a great influence, the old Anglo-Saxon religion with its warrior gods
persisted. The Anglo-Saxon religion had a great deal in common with Norse or Scandinavian
mythology.
 Another significant figure in Anglo-Saxon mythology is the dragon, which seems to always be a
protector of a treasure.
 The Anglo-Saxon communal hall, besides offering shelter and a place for holding council meetings,
also provided space for storytellers and their audience.
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They sang of gods and heroes.
Bards, known as scops by the Anglo-Saxons, were not regarded as inferior to warriors.
They sang to the strumming of a harp.
Monks probably recorded (and rewrote) the great works of popular literature
Epic Hero
1.) an epic hero of imposing stature and who is meaningful as a legend or historical figure
2.) their actions take place on a grand scale and are important nationally, internationally, or worldwide
3.) their actions consists of a great deed( s) requiring superhuman courage & maybe superhuman strength
4.) supernatural forces (gods, angels, demons) are involved or interested in the action
5.) the style is grand or elevated
Background on the Poem Beowulf

Oral story guessed to have been written down around 725.(The events take place hundreds of years
earlier, circa 500 - 600, in Sweden and Denmark).

The original manuscript had no title; it wasn’t until after it was published (c. 1815) that it received the
title, Beowulf.

the author is unknown, though it was probably copied down by a Christian monk in England.

the main plot surrounds a warrior-hero named Beowulf and his men. They are from a tribe called
the Geats (pronounced yai-ots) who live in Sweden. They have crossed the ocean to Denmark to
help a tribe called the Scyldings (pronounced Shildings). The Scyldings are being eaten and killed by
an evil monster called Grendel.

the story captures customs, traditions and values of the Anglo-Saxon Society