Winters in the world

Who did Pope Gregory send to convert England

St Augustine of Canterbury

What religion was England at the time

pagan

What did the fall of the Roman Empire do to the British Isles

left them fragmented and resistant to external influences

Britons

• Were an anglosaxon tribal group

• overwhelmed by the first wave of Celtic migration in ukraine

• 2 waves of migration

Julius caesars

54 and 55 BCE

• Before England became part of roman empire

• Warriors waiting to meet caesar’s and caesar retreated yet he returned a year later

• had several wins yet did not add to Roman Empire and Britain remained free for another two centuries

Britain when Caesar invaded

• many different groups with different ties

• Common language and religion of druidism

• Heavily civilised and sophisticated society with jewellery, heavily built up villages and agriculture and had ties to communities outside of England

• Caesar just conquered gaul where some britons were also fighting against him

• could have been efforts to try and secure territory (gaul not at peace until britons subdued), political (be in public eye and booty)

Roman conquest in 43 AD

• Had to get across wide river medway and face briton army on other side

• Claudius won the battle

• New roman province Britannia was established

• not entire conquest mainly just England and Wales

Hadrians wall

• Built by emperor Hadrian when he toured the territory in the middle of England to dissuade attacks from the north

• allowed them to monitor traders and travellors

• certified frontier but not necessarily a border since they travelled farther north as well

Bede

673-735

• one of the most important writers in church history

• mainly studied Scripture and monastic teachings

• wrote extended history of this material and early anglo Saxon life

• vulnerable because he was halfway to being a saint

• wanted to christianise all of England immediately

• no stable terms for spring or fall the way there was for summer or winter

King Alfred

• King Alfred had unified many of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms

• consolidation of power started north and moved south

• not until 8th century was there the king

Viking invasion of England

• attack on lindisfarne started it

• targeted poorly defended and unsuspecting coastal communities

• had massive mobile encampments

• Wessex was the only anglosaxon community to weather the storm with King Alfred

• After Alfred died Athelstan united all the English communties

• started tumultuous battles with vikings

Pope Gregory

• story saws he saw a bunch of six year olds and saw one blond hair blue eyed boy and asked where he came from- said de anglica

• King Ethelbert of Kent had married Bertha, a Christian princess

Augustine’s mission to convert

• initially didn’t want to

• asked Gregory to stop the mission

• Pope urged them on to preach Gods word

• Augustine strengthened returned to Kent

• In Kent told Ethelbert that he could have salvation of heaven and Ethelbert told them to stay and be taken care of

• Said that they were free to preach and convert as needed and they went to Canterburry

• No one was recruited by him

• Paulinas converted north Umbria

Simile of the sparrow

• Reflects lifestyle fleeting nature and variability

• Used to convince king to convince

Syncretism

If theres a pagan holiday put a christian festival on top of it so the pagan beliefs slowly fade out

Importance of the calendar

• Gregorian calendar originated in Julian calendar

• Kings had to know the calendar because of the harvest and when labourers were working therefore no soldiers available

• started out pagan then turned into christian which brought a new calendar

• ultimately two seasons existed- winter and summer

• calendars were liturgical, agricultural and seasonal

St. Aethelthryth

• Royal princess

• refused to sleep with king

• refused to get goiter seen

• died August 6

• site of late summer fair

• Audrey fair=taudry

Alfred the Great

• system of having everyone in 5 miles from safe shelter

• wanted to do 2.5 mile

• taxation

• system of schools

• fought at least one major battle per year

• boats were made for defending shores not deep sea

Aefric of Egnsham

• wrote about the lives of saints

• Told in church

• Was made about of Egnsham and then was deposed

Byrhtferth

• teacher

• wrote about computus (method to calculate date of easter)

664 North Umbria

• Officially decided to convert the area to Christianity instead of Celtic ones and align the kingdom with the practices of medieval Europe

Wyrd

• past participlr

• “to be”

• idea of fate

Seasons

1. winter

2. lencten

3. sumor

4. haerfest (huge apocalyptic thinking and advent)

Barrows and burial mounds

• Richest and most powerful

• top 1-2%

• willingness to spend the money

• pockmarks at top of grave indicate grave robbers

• government tried to say meant to be dug up but Ms. Pritty won in court that there was no intent to dig

Ademar

• Created entire mass for martial sung at Easter

• worked out easter calculations starting at 1062 then found evidence of martial

Neumes

Indicates both pitch and relative pitch

Dream of the Rood

• Ruthwell cross: massive and 40 lines from dream of the rood done in runes because its easier to carve

• Standing stone crosses must have been very popular at crossroads

• told from perspective of the warrior and could have been a warrior

Synaesthesia

• senses explicitly described and shows four corners of the earth

• cloth is liturgical element of crosses

• still in 7th century where iconoclasm issue

harrowing of hell

• christ as the role of harrower

• idea that Jesus went to the underworld to free those trapped there

• imagined as triumphant militant expedition

• during Christs resurrection all are set free including those he freed from hell

Quem Quatritis Trope

• developed medieval drama

• different cycles of plays

• regularis concordia

Winter

• Viewed as apocalyptic and coming of God

• describes the aging body

• advent is both apocalyptic because it welcomes Christs second coming

• first coming was a man into human time

• second coming was bringing time into itself

• advent lyrics crying for help but are easier and emotional intense with yearning and desire

• hall stands for all thats good with society

Moondraniht

• winter solstice

• nine months after spring equinox

• celebrates the birth of the creator on this day because hes the creator of light

• supposed to be on December 21

• called moodraniht because of pagan mothers night and the rituals they held

• rituals midwinter provide hope and light

Yule

• another celebration

• connected to the solstice

• Christmas as a term arrives relatively late

• midwinter likely to describe Christmas long before pagan celebrations

• image of christ of the sun

• biblical origin and common christian writing

• sun/son identical in writing of old English therefore double meaning

• definitely religious celebration

• excess drinking and eating was warned against

New year

• anglo saxons start new year on Dec 25 adopted Roman practice on Jan 1

• Christmas first day of the year and yet January is first month of the year

• this new year only mattered to religious individuals

• Aelfric wanted to make date march first because it is when the instructions were given to Moses by God for start of new year and thought to be when God created sun and moon on fourth day of creation

• Fitting to start new year in spring

• In later medieval England March 25 is beginning of new year in sprin

Return to work in new year

• 12th night was big celebration before return to work

• Plough Monday celebrated after 12th month for return to work

• Ploughs would be decorated and carted around

Candlemas

• February 2 last feast of winter and first of spring

• commemorates Jesus recognised in the temple by simeon

• represents meeting between childhood and old age, old age and death

• association with light inspired by words of Simeon’s prayer which hailed Christ as at the light to lighten gentiles

• candle service has each flame representing the light of baby christ and St. Dunstans mothers candle relit while everyone else went out

Spring

• associated with liberation and freedom from shackles of winter

• beowulf is a story and was told to be the mightiest man in the world in his day

• association between Gods supreme power and spring thaw

• spring announces its arrival in chaos

• “hylda” the name for March imagined with last blast of winter

• breath of wind awakens life

• cuckoo represents spring

• sea described as a place that represents wild creatures

Lenten

Spring or refers to Lent

• So intertwined in medieval language that was hard to tell which lent was referring to

• low food stocks at end of spring that was a fast was likely unavoidable

• lent gives spiritual reason for unavoidable scarcity

• representations of the world might be buried in mock funerals

• connected to season when Israelites lost their songs of joy

• Beowulf reflects the idea of buying gold in heaven when he is slain by the monster that stole his countries treasures

• Heart draws parallels to where your physical and spiritual gold is kept

March 21-25

• considered to be historical date of the crucifixion workout out from the gospel

• considered the most momentous moments in history

• christ crucified same day he was conceived and therefore idea of new life into the worlds and connection to God shows Gods purpose

• date of easter was important to unify end of fast

• reconcile passover on lunar calendar with Julian calendar

• labourers freed for the whole week before and after easter (longest holiday of the year)

• Branches of willow or yew used for palm sunday

Pheonix allegory

bird dies, disappears in flames, egg and reborn in fire and light represents christ

tree of eden

• In garden of elene

• cross is physical and the garden of eden is not

• search for cross

• pull and forced location of cross from Judas and delivers pieces to people

Four layers of meaning

Peshat= surface level of biblical text in direct contextual meaning

Remez= Symbolic layer of biblical interpretation

Drash= comparisons and similarities

Sod= mystical meaning

summer

• surrounded with with festivals

• May 9- Aug 6

• Linked implied between seasonal pattern of growth and fertility to human joy

• cross often depicted as a real tree

ascension

• 40 days after easter sunday

• leaps of christ

rogationtide

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday before ascension day

• means to pray

• people process from the church with shrines or saint relics and other holy items

• seek to bridge gap between human perceptions and divine

• merry and sociable attitude with good weather for walks so ban had to be put in place for things liker sports and horse racing

Whitsun

pentecost

• principal summer holiday in britain

• popular time for fair, plays and games

• whit Monday became stat bank holiday at end of 1800s

• took place of rogationtide processions

• people walk in procession when everything was closed

• spring holiday made last monday in May opposed to moveable Whitsun it lost its purpose

• popular time for public ceremonies like baptism

Sunstead

• Solstice was high point of summer

• Maximum light before waning day of atumumn

• likely anglosaxon festival linked to it but no written record

• solstice linked to John the baptists nativity

• merge of the two create midsummer festival

• John the only other saint to have fest day for birth and death and his life parallels jesus

Reflection of Jesus in the year

conceived at spring equinox and born at the winter solstice while John was conceived at autumn equinox and born at summer solstice

• reflects structure of year itself

• christ is the light born at midwinter when the light increases

• John is light that will wane with shortening days

• bonfires celebrated midsummer to drive away evil spirits or purify air

Autumn

• started aug 7 to nov 6

• harvest takes up latter part of summer

• very important

• huge amount of work needed to keep everyone alive

• heavily spiritual side to pray for good harvest and share in festivals and celebrations

• divine power thought to be displayed on earth even seen in pagan thoughts

Lammas

• First festival for bread but a musyery

• bread out be blessed

• associated with roles like guardian so was central to medieval life

• may just refer to eucharist

• anxious and joyous season

Beowulf

• Scyld Scefing associated with sheaves of corn and land fertility

• most famous appearance is in opening lines of Beowulf where he starts the poem

• Mighty and successful ruler

• 
  

Battle of Hastings

October 14 1066

• battle for British crown

September

Key transitional point because it hosts the autumn equinox signalling the end of the harvest and the first sight of winter

• full moon following harvest was considered by Bede the first moon of winter according to the pagans

• link between trees and humans in anglo Saxon world especially trees with their leaves falling signalling grief

• fallow and fall have alliteration and the idea of withering strength and death linked to falling leaves and decay

• all of autumn and its loss of leaves represents society losing it members

• fallow is autumn leaves and swords that have fallen

November

• All saints day

• halloween more recent

• reflected Englands devotion to the saints who were always a prayer away to help out individuals with their needs

• Martinmas is the final festival

martinmas

• feast of st Martin of tours

• this is why the treaty of Versailles signed then

• soldier in roman army who became a monk and bishop

• patron saint if soldiers and very charitable

• feast fell on cusp of autumn and winter associated with the slaughter of pig and cattle to prepare for winter plus laying of meat t be cured and salted for winter

• blotsian= blessing for blood

• good feast with supply of meat and prospect of dark times

• replace pagan slaighter

• heavy connections between pagan and christian practices still exist today with the words “blessing”

• queen bertha likely also had ties to him and was the patron saint of his church

• abbey dedicated to him by William the conqueror

• first and last dedications

consistency of feasts

remained even through political upheaval

main changes came from reformation when names were changed and saints days removed