Anglo-Saxons 449-1066

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Last Phase of Stonehenge (c. 2000 BC)

Built for religious rites, burial grounds, and astronomical observations.

Celts (800–600 BC)

Indo-European peoples who invaded the British Isles.

Brytons (Britons)

Celtic speakers who settled the largest island of Britain.

Gaels

Celtic speakers who settled in Ireland.

Celtic Society

Farmers and hunters organized into clans; loyal to chieftains.

Druids

Learned priestly class who settled disputes, led sacrifices and prayers, and memorized/recited long heroic poems and myths (e.g., Old King Cole).

Julius Caesar’s Raids (55 & 54 BC)

Quick Roman military expeditions into Britain.

Roman Conquest under Claudius (c. AD 43)

True Roman occupation; construction of durable Roman roads.

Rome Withdraws (AD 410)

Invasion of Italy forces troop recall; Britons left vulnerable.

King Arthur (Legend)

Great Celtic leader of Camelot; semi-legendary defender of Britons.

Anglo-Saxon Tribes

Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

Witan

Council of elders who chose/ advised the king.

Anglo-Saxon Character

Hardy, fearless, and loyal warrior culture.

Earls

Hereditary ruling warlords appointed by the king.

Freemen (Thanes)

Landowners engaged in commerce and military service.

Churls/Serfs

Bonded servants tied to the land.

Thralls/Slaves

Typically prisoners of war.

Wyrd

Fate; the idea that human life is governed by fate/chance.

Tiu (Týr)

God of war; namesake of Tuesday.

Woden (Odin)

Chief of the gods; namesake of Wednesday.

Thor

God of thunder; namesake of Thursday.

Fria/Frigga

Goddess of home; namesake of Friday.

Cornwall (South)

Region where Britons retreated; Cornish no longer widely spoken today.

Wales (West)

Stronghold of Brittonic peoples and language.

Gaels (Ireland & Scotland)

Irish Gaels and a splinter group in Scotland.

Missionary Resurgence

Roman-inspired Christian missions through Europe to Britain.

St. Augustine of Canterbury

Converted King Ethelbert of Kent; established monastery at Canterbury.

“Christian in Name” (c. AD 650)

Royal endorsement accelerates Christian identity.

Church’s Political Role

Helped unite kingdoms and reduce internal warfare.

Effects of Christianity

Reduced warfare; improved conduct; greater peace and unity.

Church & Literacy

Brought schools and scribes; manuscripts hand-copied in Latin with elaborate decoration (often using silver and gold); work could take years.

Venerable Bede

“Father of English History.”

Viking Raiders (8th–12th c.)

Norse (Norway) and Danes (Denmark) raided monasteries, destroyed manuscripts, and took sacred items.

Danelaw (mid-9th c.)

Danish control in north/east/central England; Wessex remained Saxon in the south.

Alfred the Great (King of Wessex, 871)

Resisted Danes; truce in 886 dividing lands (Saxons south; Danes east/west); hailed as national hero.

Alfred’s Learning Reforms

Translated Bede’s History into Old English; fostered English language and literature.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

First historical record written in English; records early English life.

Alfred’s Diplomacy

Maintained relations with neighboring kings; sent emissaries to Rome; corresponded with the Patriarch of Jerusalem; contacts as far as India (noted).

Alfred’s Governance

Issued a code of law; promoted public schools.

Danish Contribution (After Settling)

Town growth, merchant trade, Germanic speech, and new vocabulary added to Old English.

Later Retakings

Alfred’s line gradually retook Scottish territory; at times accepted Danish succession.

Edward the Confessor

Deeply religious king; descendant of Alfred; Norman mother; lived in Normandy; cousin to William of Normandy.

1066: Edward Dies

Normans invade under William; end of Anglo-Saxon rule and transition away from purely A/S literature.

Druidic Beginnings

Early spoken verse and incantations.

Scop

Professional poet-singer; principal role was to recite songs and tales (often with harp).

Gleeman

Assistant/performer supporting the scop.

Oral Tradition

Memorization preserved tribal history and values for largely illiterate audiences.

Runes (Futhorc)

Anglo-Saxon runic alphabet used before Roman letters prevailed.

Formal Style

Set formulas; rigid stress patterns; elevated diction.

Caesura

Mid-line pause in A/S verse.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds that bind the line.

Kennings

Compound metaphorical names replacing a noun (e.g., sea = “whale-home”; cuckoo = “summer’s sentinel”).

Meter & Syntax

Four-beat line; emphatic rhythms; frequent inversion of word order.

Heroic Poetry

Accounts of warriors and battles.

Elegiac Poetry

Sorrowful laments mourning people or places; often melancholy.

Lyric Poetry

Short poems expressing personal thoughts (origin with lyre).

Pagan + Christian Blend

Wyrd/fate themes interwoven with Christian beliefs.

Dating/Corpus Note

Major A/S verse compiled c. AD 975–1050 (\approx30,000 lines).

Beowulf (Work)

Epic of heroic, pagan warriors renowned for courage, strength, and dignity.

Beowulf (Genre/Status)

Long heroic epic; often called the National Epic of England.

Beowulf (Date/Author)

Unknown author; story as early as 6th c.; our text often dated to the 8th c.; shows Christian ideas and influence of Latin classics.

Caedmon (7th c.)

Regarded as first named English poet (“Caedmon’s Hymn”); uneducated herdsman who entered a monastery and sang God’s praises.

Cynewulf (9th c.)

Named Anglo-Saxon Christian poet.

Anglo-Saxon Prose (Pre-Alfred)

Most important work in Latin; monks considered the vernacular “vulgar.”

Alfred’s Literary Impact

Alfred and successors elevated English prose and verse, shaping Britain’s literary, social, and political development.