The Celts
the last and most imporant conqures of England
The Romans
Conqured the british in 55 B.
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C. under the rule of Julius Cearsar. They also left England to defend their home land from the northern euopean tribes
Angles, Saxons, Jutes
the three main tribes
pagan anglo-saxon belief
every human life is in the hands of fate
Wyrd
Where weird comes from in the english language and in the hands of fate
Tues, Wed, Thurs
the names of the week derived from Anglo-saxon gods
Tiu
anglo-saxon god of war
Woden
anglo-saxon chief of gods
Fria
anglo-saxon goddess of home and wife of Woden
Christianity in anglo-saxon culture
introduced by the romans in the 4th century
1st benefit of christianity
No more ruling war lords thinking that they were decendents of pagan gods
2nd benefit of christianity
No more men treating their wives, children .
and slaves with cruelity
3rd benefit of christianity
Old fueds ended
Anglo-saxon christian culture benefit
churchmen at that time generally wrote in latin.
Anglo upperclass
earlsan thanes
Anglo lowerclass
thraals and churls
Anglo middle class
there was no middle class
Venreble bede
Father of English history
Bede’s most famous text
the Ecclesiastical History of england
Vikings
this group began to plunder monastairies and destroyed manuscripts around 780 and then gained control much of northern and eastern England
Anglo-saxon cronicle
historical account of england
Norman conquest
ended the anglo-saxon period in 1066
Characteristics of Anglo-saxon poetry
1.) a formal ridgid pattrern of word stresses 2.) A mid line pause called a caesura 3.) alliteration4.) no rhyme5.
) each line has four accsented beats
runes
the 3rd century anglo-saxon alphabet
The amount of anglo-saxon lines of poetry left today
aproxamately 30,000
Beowulf
most important anglo-saxon poem
Herbic poetry
reacounts the achivements of warriors involved in great battles
Elegiac poetry
sorrowful laments that mourned past events and deaths
2 major influnces of anglo-saxon litterature
1.) government 2.) Relgion
Caedmon and cynewulf
2 known christian poets of anglo-saxon literature
Homilies
sermons based on bible stories and written in vernacular
The dream of the rood
an a-s poem rediscovered on the Ruthwell cross in scottland in 1823.
That was composed around 650 attributied to by both caedmon and cynewulf
oral tradition
was big because they could not write
Who wrote down oral stories
Monks and archbishops
Kenning
a colorful indirect way of naming some thing ; uses a compound word in place of the person of thing being named
Highest ideals of an epic hero
-honor-valor-selflessness-goodsense of justice
Beowulf
the author is unknown composed around the 8th century written down in the 11th century began english literature
the goal of all wariors
achevive fame at all costs through battle quests etc.
mead halls
where warriors gathered after battle to drink untill they passed out
Mead
the grain in the beer
Flyting
contests of wit to praise ones self
Fatism
The thought that events are determined by fate alone