The Anglo-Saxon Arrival: How Pressure on All Sides Molded the English Culture
Colton Flowers
Senior
Individual Exhibit
Flowers 1
Works Cited
Primary Sources
Bandonicus, Gildas and John Allen, and et al. "Medieval Sourcebook: Gildas (c.504-570):
Works." Internet History Sourcebook. Fordam University Jesuit University of New York,
n.d. Web. 12 Jan 2013. <http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/basis/gildas-full.asp>. In his
account of the Anglo-Saxon conquest of the many Celtic tribes scattered across the Great
Britain, Gildas offers us a glance at the island’s religious background and also an
introduction to the Saxons, their settlement, and their religion. This qualifies as a Primary
Source because Gildas lived in the sixth century upon the island, making it straight out of
the period.
Gummere, Francis B., Paul Halsall, Fr. Klaeber, and et al, eds. "Medieval Sourcebook: Beowulf
(in Old English)." Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Fordam University Jesuit
University of New York, n.d. Web. 22 Jan 2013.
<http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/basis/beowulf-oe.asp>. I did not utilize this document
for its content and ideas, but more for the language inside. It presents Old English in the
way it would have been spoken since “it was composed, probably in the early 8th
century, by a Northumbrian poet.” (Halsall, Internet History Sourcebooks Project). This
also qualifies it as a primary source.
Halsall, Paul, ed. "The Laws of King Edmund I, 939-946 A.D.." Internet History Sourcebooks
Project. Fordham University Jesuit University of New York, n.d. Web. 9 Jan 2013.
<http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/index.asp>. These laws were used to show how
Christianity remained a deciding factor in political and social structure. Its morality lent
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much of its own to the law makers of the English. They were decreed during the time of
which I speak, the tenth century, qualifying it as a primary source.
---. "The Laws of King Wihtræd, 690-725 A.D.." Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Fordham
University Jesuit University of New York, n.d. Web. 9 Jan 2013.
<http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/index.asp>. This shows the initial transition in
Christianity as a political factor. It is a primary source because it is a set of laws from the
early eight the century: one of my periods of study.
---. "Livre des sources médiévales: LES CROISADES ." Internet History Sourcebooks Project .
Fordam University Jesuit University of New York, 4 Nov 2011. Web. 15 Jan 2013.
<http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/french/croisade.asp>. This source is an example of Old
French after the conquest of 1066 (Halsall, Internet Medieval Sourcebook, “Livre des
sources médiévales”). I utilized this to demonstrate the grammatical and verbal
similarities to Old English and how it influenced the language. This is a primary source
because it is a transcribed source from the 12th century.
Jolly, Karen. "Anglo-Saxon Charms." Medieval European History at the University of Hawaii at
Manoa. University of Hawaii. Web. 22 Jan 2013.
<http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kjolly/unc.htm>. This may be the main surviving document of
paganism. As such, it is utilized to show how the pagan gods also enter the realm of
mythology and medicine, with mythical creatures such as elves present in many of the
stories and spells as well as basic herbal remedies. The names of those gods also show
how closely-related Anglo-Saxon Paganism is to Nordic Paganism.. Lastly, it is definitely
a primary source, being a religious transcription of some of the Anglo-Saxons’ most
treasured myths.
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Killings, Douglas, G.C. Macauley, and et al, eds. "Confessio Amantis or Tales of the Seven
Deadly Sins." The Online Medieval and Classical Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan 2013.
<http://omacl.org/Confess/>. This page helped me to understand Middle English. It
demonstrates how Old French turned it into the language still utilized today. It is a
primary source because it comes from the era of which Middle English was created the
twelfth century.
Killings, Douglas, James Ingram, and et al, eds. "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Part 2: A.D. 750919." Online Medieval and Classical Library . N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan 2013.
<http://omacl.org/Anglo/part2.html> Although it is part of a larger set, It was impossible
to group them together because some are written as the events occurred while some are
merely a record of history. The third part of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle details the final
days leading up to the complete unification of England through the conquest of Danelaw
and the countries under their rule such as East Anglia. It is a primary source because the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was “Originally compiled on the orders of King Alfred the Great,
approximately A.D. 890…” (Killings, Douglas, and Roy Tennant). This means that the
authors lived through the eras spoken of.
---. "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Part 6: A.D. 1070 - 1101" Online Medieval and Classical
Library . N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan 2013. <http://omacl.org/Anglo/part4.html> This is a
source from which I gain my account of what actually occurred on the Great Britain
during the Norman Conquest: one of the great pressures placed on the Anglo-Saxons
because of their settlement in Great Britain. It is a record of everything that occurred in
the Anglo-Saxon history during the periods mentioned above. It was “...subsequently
maintained and added to by generations of anonymous scribes until the middle of the
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12th Century.” (Killings, Douglas, and Roy Tennant). Because of this given time frame
and the manor in which I have used it, the piece is a primary source.
Robinison, James, Jerome Akenberg, and Paul Halsall, eds. "Medieval Sourcebook: William of
Malmesbury, d. 1143?: The Battle of Hastings, 1066." Internet History Sourcebooks
Project. Fordam University Jesuit University of New York. Web. 22 Jan 2013.
<http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/1066malmesbury.asp>. I used this peace to
demonstrate how oppressive the Normans were and why such a combination of languages
could have occurred through close hierarchal relationships with the English. It is a
primary source because it created during the Norman Conquest one of my main topics.
Secondary Sources
Bartholomew, J. G. A literary & historical atlas of Europe. 1st ed. New York: Dent, 1914. 23.
eBook.
<http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7218156M/A_literary_historical_atlas_of_Europe>. I
simply used this book to demonstrate the heptarchy of the English settlement and to allow
for a comparison to other maps as to how the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons changed
over time. It is a secondary source because of how it was created in 1914.
Bede, and Paul Halsall. "Medieval Sourcebook: Bede (673735): Ecclesiastical History of the
English Nation, Book I." Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Fordam University Jesuit
University of New York, n.d. Web. 8 Jan
2013.<http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/bede-book1.asp>. This secondary source
gives a history of Christianity in the British Isles. It pulls from the works of Gildas to
illustrate the Gregorian mission and its implications. It is a secondary because it describes
event prior to the author’s existence.
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. Britains Bayeux Tapestry at the Museum of Reading. Reading Museum Service, n.d. Web. 15
Jan 2013. <http://www.bayeuxtapestry.org.uk/>. The Bayeux tapestry was simply shown
to demonstrate the ferocity of the Norman Conquest. It shows how brutal they were and
alludes to the overlord role they would soon fill over the English, altering the island’s
language with their own. It is a secondary source, for it is a modern scan of an artifact
that is considered a primary source
Crompton, Samuel Willard. "Chapter 1: Angles, Saxons, And Vikings: The Island Kingdom
Between A.D. 400 And 1000." Hastings. 6. US: Facts on File, 2002. History Reference
Center. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. This small excerpt helps to explain the Anglo-Saxon’s
geographic setting and political setting in modern terms. It shows how the Viking raids
influenced the island as well. It is a secondary source because it was created in a time
nowhere near the period I am studying.
Ellis, Siân. "How The Normans Changed England." British Heritage 33.4 (2012): 42-48. History
Reference Center. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. Like the document directly above, this peace also
helps to elucidate their history through modern vocabulary. Set off by the title, this peace
explains the implications that the Norman Conquest had on the Anglo-Saxon settlement.
It was created just last year so I would qualify this as a secondary source.
. "The Franks Casket / The Auzon Casket." The British Museum. The Trustees of the Bristish
Museum. Web. 15 Jan 2013.
<http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_
details.aspx?objectid=92560&partid=1&searchText=franks
casket&fromADBC=ad&toADBC=ad&titleSubject=on&productionInfo=on&numpages=
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10&images=on&orig=/research/search_the_collection_database.asp&xcurrentPage=1>.
This is a photograph is of the Franks Casket created during the early days of English
Great Britain. It contains Anglo-Saxon runes, which I show to help in understanding how
drastic Latin was on Old English with its characters. Lastly, it presents Anglo-Saxon
mythology on one of its sides. It is a secondary source because it is a photograph taken
recently of an artifact that could be considered a primary source.
Halsall, Paul, ed. Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Fordam University Jesuit University of
New York, 4 Nov 2011. Web. 25 Jan 2013.
<http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/index.asp>. Like the OMACL cite, this page is utilized
primarily in my bibliography to date many of my primary sources. Through these dates, I
can show when exactly there was a certain change, and show wether the changes were
gradual or immediate. It was updated 2011, so I certainly would classify it as a secondary
source.
"List of English-Speaking Countries." Oral English Proficiency Program. Perdue University,
n.d. Web. 12 Jan 2013. <http://www.purdue.edu/oepp/resources/countries.html>.
Obviously, this piece was used to create a globe of the English-speaking countries. It
showed how the English language was not only changed but was spread throughout the
world after the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes landed on the islands, making this turning point
that branches out even into modern times. It is a secondary source because it does not
come from the period I am studying.
Killings, Douglas, James Ingram, and et al, eds. "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Part 1: A.D. 1 748." Online Medieval and Classical Library . N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan 2013.
<http://omacl.org/Anglo/part1.html>. My final entry from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle,
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this page illustrates Great Britain before the Anglo-Saxons arrived, their influence on the
island, and how they were influenced over the first centuries after their settlement. It is a
secondary source because the information was not known until recently.
Killings, Douglas, and Roy Tennant, eds. The Online Medieval and Classical Library. N.p., n.d.
Web. 12 Jan 2013. <http://omacl.org/> Like the Internet History Sourcebook, this cite
primarily gives the reader an understanding of the primary documents they are reading,
such as date. Reason for creation, and probable author. As such, this is a secondary
source because it gives information not contained in the texts of the period.
. "Sutton Hoo" The British Museum. The Trustees of the Bristish Museum. Web. 15 Jan 2013.
<http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/young_explorers/childrens_online_tours/sutton_
hoo/sutton_hoo.aspx>. This page contains a photo I use to show one of the relics of
Anglo-Saxon migration. This photo of a warrior’s helmet shows the Germanic Tribe
tradition and way of life before they settled Great Britain. It also gives us some insightful
information as to the meaning for their migration. It is a secondary source because it is a
photograph taken recently of an artifact that is considered a primary source.