British Literature Unit 1 Notes

an indigenous Celtic tribe on the island of Great Britain

Britons

invaded and retained power from AD 43-AD 410

Romans

(present-day London) became an administrative center for Rome

Londonium

influenced British culture

myths and legends

England's greatest legend

King Arthur

(449-1066)

Anglo-Saxon period

(1066-1033)

High Middle Ages

(1300-1486)

Late Middle Ages

invaded England during this period (Anglo-Saxon Britain 449-1066)

Germanic tribes and Vikings

places the British church under the rule of the Roman Catholic Church

The Synod of Whitney

dominated the Celtic tribes, as evidenced by names of people and places tending toward the Anglo-Saxon. (i.e. England based on Angles)

The Anglo-Saxons

did not change the culture much, but they created unity among the Britons. The Britons united against the invasion, and also developed a national identity, both politically and culturally 

The Viking invasions

• stabilized the country by providing a common worldview and a national structure that eventually dovetailed with the secular government

• created valuable ties between Britain and Continental Europe

• a source, preserver, and creator of learning and culture 

The Church

Surviving works of this period have been passed down to us in the languages of?

Medieval Latin and Old English

transposed Old English into the Latin alphabet which made it easier to compose and record works

Church scholars

promoted learning in word and deed, education promising leaders, spreading literacy, and ensuring that important works were translated into Old English

Alfred the Great

Anglo-Saxon poets

scops

what were the purposes of oral poetry?

to entertain, to preserve history, and to pass on cultural values 

The key genres of Anglo-Saxon literature were?

epic and elegy

used for many religious works during the period 

Medieval Latin

defeated King Harold and placed England under Norman rule. This ended the Anglo-Saxon rule and created a new Aristocracy, blending Anglo-Saxon and Norman into a new, distinct culture.

William, Duke of Normandy

became the official political and economic system of Medieval Europe after the Normans took control of England

Feudalism

(king/ruler) officially held all land but granted rulership of parts to certain land fief holders/vassals in return for homage and services.

One lord

was the basic unit of currency in a feudal economy

manor

consisted of the clergy. They served as spiritual leaders and could wield considerable political and economic power. 

 first estate

was the knights and nobility. They served the king and country in military, political, administrative, and patronage roles 

second estate

was the largest, primarily consisting of the peasantry who worked the land

third estate

England produced one of the most influential legal documents of all time, the Magna Carta

1215

who signed the Magna Carta in 1215?

King John

had limited ability to tax the nobility without their consent 

The king

This document brought England closer to a monarchy limited by Parliament (House of Commons and the House of Lords) 

Magna Carta

The entire country of Great Britain was divided into?

parishes

retained its level of power because it claimed to be the avenue for receiving salvation

The Church

led to urban centers forming around the markets, and as the people grew culturally, a middle class emerged that infringed on the first and second estates’ power

The rise of trade

brought learning from other parts of the world to Great Britain

Greek texts and Crusades

Two universities founded during the High Middle Ages

Oxford and Cambridge

were the pinnacle of medieval art

Great cathedrals

led to decline in the late Middle Ages. 

1. At least 30-45% of the population died 

2. Fewer workers meant that the feudal system started to break 

3. The church lost many clergy 

4. There was an increase in crime

The Great Famine and the Back Death

known as the Morning Star of the Reformation became his doctrinal stances affected the reformation thinking and occurred before the dawn of the Reformation

John Wycliffe

eroded royal power in Britain, further empowered the nobility, and exhausted British patience

The Hundred Years’ War

caused civil chaos that eventually exhausted the nation and brought down a dynasty

The Wars of the Roses

emerged at the conclusion of these wars (Hundred Years’ War, and the War of the Roses)

Tudor dynasty

After the Norman conquest, what languages were made the country’s official languages?

French and Latin

Three major poets who composed in Middle English were?

William Langland, the Pearl Poet, and Geoffrey Chaucer

prevailed as the standard because it was spoken in London where most of the works were printed

East Midland dialect

brought the printing press to London which helped spread cheaper texts of a wide variety of works, preserving many important texts helping increase general literacy and access to knowledge 

 William Caxton