Medieval & Anglo Saxon bgd. test

Anglo-Saxons

A group of invaders from the Germanic regions who settled in Britain, including the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, and whose language became dominant in the region

allegory

story told on both literal and figurative level

Old Bawd character

a woman who is bold, merry, lewd, and licentous

peripetia

situational irony

greatest trials of man

lust, devil, material goods

anagnorisis

epiphanies

golden age of drama

5th century BC in Greece

Anglo-Saxon culture

Built around warfare; obedience to law and loyalty to leaders saved lives; success in battle was measured in gifts to leaders; ruled by consensus and community discussion

Anglo-Saxon Religion

Has much in common with Norse mythology; earth mother goddess took on many forms, combined into ‘mothers’ with the Celts and Anglo-Saxons

Dragon significance

Dragons were protectors of treasure, personifying “death the devourer”, guardian of grave mounds

4 ethical virtues

bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship

Celts

An ancient people who inhabited Britain before the Anglo-Saxons, known for their animistic religion and cultural contributions, including the legendary figure of King Arthur.

Religion of the Celts

Animistic Religion; Believed that spirits were everywhere controlling every aspect of life and that they had to be appeased constantly; also believed that society and nature needed to be in balance for life to be good; the marriage of the great mother and the great father would result in the world’s perfect harmony

The year Rome Conquered the Britons

43 AD; Emperor Claudius organized an invasion following a campaign led by Julius Caesar in 55 B.C.

Effects of Roman Rule

Further serious invasions of Britain prevented; Christianity grew, Celtic religion slowly vanished

Effects of Roman departure (410 A.D.)

with no central government left behind, Britain was left in disorder; clans were freed to pursue individual interests not pertaining to general well-being; disorder resulted in weakness and successful invasions by Germanic non-Christians

Germanic non-Christian groups that invaded Britain after the Romans left

Angles, Saxons, Frisians, and Jutes

Druids

Priestly intermediaries in Celtic religion who performed rituals and sacrifices to appease the spirits or gods.

Division of land under Anglo-Saxon rule

At first, the country was divided into independent states, each with a different king; it was not until Alfred the Great led the Anglo-Saxons against invading Danes that the real ‘nation’ of England was born

Stonehenge

A megalithic structure in Wiltshire, believed to have been used for religious rites by the Druids, particularly related to lunar and solar cycles.

Magna Carta

A charter signed in 1215 that laid the foundation for a political system in England based on rights and freedoms, influencing modern democracy.

King Alfred the Great

The King of Wessex (871-899) who successfully defended against Viking invasions and is credited with unifying England.

St. Augustine

The first Archbishop of Canterbury who played a key role in converting the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity in 597.

Effects of Wessex kings’ rule of England

878-1066 AD - safety improvement from the military, improved literacy, established law to move toward civilization, English set as unifying vernacular

Venerable Bede

An Anglo-Saxon monk and scholar known for his work "Ecclesiastical History of the English People," which is a primary source for early English history; scholar known as the greatest of Latin writers

Beowulf

An epic poem that is one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature, combining elements of both pagan and Christian traditions.

Old English

The early form of the English language spoken and written in England from approximately the 5th to the 12th century.

Alliterative Poetry

A style of poetry common in Anglo-Saxon literature characterized by the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Kennings

Descriptive compound words used in Old English poetry to evoke vivid imagery, such as "whale-road" for the sea.

Sutton Hoo

An important archaeological site in England known for its burial mounds containing treasures from the Anglo-Saxon period, including artifacts linked to King Raedwald.

Dane-law

The legal system established by the Danes in parts of England during their invasions in the 8th and 9th centuries.

Christianity

A major religion that began to spread in Britain during the Roman occupation and became a unifying force among the Anglo-Saxons

St. Augustine of Canterbury

A missionary who converted King Ethelbert of Kent, founded the Cathedral at Canterbury, and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury; a driving force in re-emergence of christianity among Anglo-Saxons in 597

Hero story ‘formulas’

descriptions for Bards to repeat verbatim about regular hero activities; made it easier for Bards to perform stories

Oral tradition

tradition in which stories and histories are passed down through speech or song, not written down

Monasteries in Anglo-Saxon Britain

Supplied hope as centers of faith and education; cultural and spiritual ideals influenced & co-existed with heroic ideals and older Anglo-Saxon Religion; monks wrote and reworked popular literature like Beowulf for the first time, preserving the stories

Bards (scops)

skilled storytellers who sung stories; same status as other warriors, because Anglo-Saxons saw creating poetry as ‘manly’ and the bards recorded a tribe’s history and culture

typical topics in poetry

deeds of warriors, value of success, code of behavior, fleeting nature of life

William Duke of Normandy (France) (AKA William the Conquerer)

Lands in England and defeats King Harold at the battle of Hastings; William became king, family has ruled England ever since; merged English and French culture, bringing England to mainstream Europe

Norman invasion

invasion that marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon era and beginning of Medieval era

Folk-plays

dances, fighting, buffoonery; led to characters like Robin Hood, Maid Marian, and the Green Dragon

number of tales in Canterbury tales

24

name of inn in Canterbury tales

Tabard Inn

Mummings and disguisings

collective names for many forms of processions, shows, etc.; ex.: pageants, Elizabethan Mask

Pageants

displays put on when a king or other high-rank person would drive into town; displays showed figures from allegory or history pantomiming a story

Church’s solution to people’s inability to understand mass

Made stained glass windows to depict stories, acted out stories near altar, and sang songs

An early example of acting out a story in mass

taking Jesus’ cross down and laying it under the altar for good friday and then put back up for easter Sunday to show the death and resurrection of Jesus

Liturgical Play

depicted stories of Christian Tradition and lives of Saints on some days; formed part of the mass

Trade-guild or union

A group of workers that would act out plays based on their job (ex.: carpenter act out Noah’s Ark)

effect on authors’ experiences to plays

characters and settings changed as history changed; ex.: Roman officers → knights

the way God was shown on stage

gilded face, had long speeches of tedious declamation

Emphasis/message of plays in Medieval era

fear of Hell; vice vs. virtue

Importance of Liturgical plays

supplied religious & artistic outlet for 500 years

Mystery Play

Plays that revealed mystery of God's word to the people acted out by priests during mass

Morality play

Faith, truth, charity, and good deeds, as well as vices as characters (personified); allegorical stories in which evil and good battle for control of a human

Opinions of morality play characters

Morality allegory stories failed because of unrealistic virtue characters; vices more popular due to relatability

interludes

no religious or ethical meaning; given for entertainment; evolved from moralities; vices begin to appear in the form of clowns

traditions formed from medieval plays

disregard for unity in setting and action; use of comedy in combo with tragedy; use stock characters

deciding battle that began the Middle Ages

Battle of Hastings; William of Normandy defeated Harold of England for the throne, beginning the norman conquest

William of Normandy

First Medieval King; killed last Anglo-Saxon king; began Norman conquest which never withdrew; battled to gain inheritance of kingdom over Harold, who he killed with an arrow to the eye; wanted to rule the Anglo-Saxons, not defeat them

Effect of Norman conquest on Anglo-Saxon culture

Anglo-Saxon culture and Norman culture combined; Normans brought administration, law, and order; Anglo-Saxons brought democratic and artistic tendencies → resulted in British culture as we know it

effect of Norman rule (land & social)

land divided to William’s followers; feudalism introduced

Feudal system

religious concept of hierarchy; God → King → barons/nobles → knights → serfs & peasants; system bound by loyalty just like Anglo-Saxon system

Knights’ Chivalry

knight code of honor;

Chivalry affect on women

made women more respected and important; still no rights tho

Courtly love

idea that acting in the name of a lady would make knight braver & better; probably inspired by Church view of Virgin Mary; built in drama for poets and writers

downfall of feudal system

towns and city life

medieval art

the people’s art; not aristocratic

Current events during Medieval period

Crusades, Bubonic Plague, Magna Carta, 100 years’ war

St. Thomas Becket

Norman chancellor/prime minister; appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Henry II, then assassinated due to dispute with the king, causing backlash against the crown from the people

effect of Thomas’ death

allowed for a church victory over the crown, leading it to become corrupt due to lack of state corruption control

Magna Carta

by aristocrats for aristocrats; defeat central papal power; become basis of English constitution

100 years’ war

France v. England → first great national war based on disputes over the crown; claim to throne failed; actually 116 years; marks transition away from Anglo-Norman and feudal system

yeoman

small landowner; made up center of English army in France; used yard long arrows that could pierce a knight’s armor; rise of yeomen birthed modern democratic England

Effects of Black Death

1/3 of population dies → work shortage & serfs freed

Middle ages end by this king’s wedding

King Henry VII → after his wedding is the Renaissance

king Arthur

the likely fake perfect king for Britain

globe theater

first theater modeled after pageants

influence of morality plays on writers

inspired them by struggles & consciousness of man