English IV: Early British History - Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings

Fria

Woden's wife and goddess of the home

•They had highly organized tribal units. •Each tribe was ruled by a king, chosen by a witan, or council of elders. •Set up numerous small kingdoms (at first they fought among themselves also). •Kingdoms gradually absorbed one another- until 7 larger ones remained. •Their newly produced language was called Anglo-Saxon (or Old English)-Angle-ish

Describe Anglo Saxon life

•Fierce warriors •Law and order were the responsibility of the leader - of family, clan, tribe, or kingdom. •Fame and success, even survival, were gained only through loyalty to the leader, especially during war, and success was measured in gifts from the leader. •Life was dominated by the need to protect the clan and home against enemies. •Leaders demanded absolute loyalty.

Describe Anglo Saxon men

He had spent many of his early years in Normandy (now part of France). He was Norman on his mother's side and developed a close friendship with his cousin William, Normandy's ruler.

Describe Edward the Confessor's early life

Ship prows carved in the shapes of dragons' heads and fangs. The Anglo-Saxons then took the dragon as the symbol for evil and death.

Describe Viking ships? How did the Anglo saxons view them

The bodies of the wealthy dead were laid out, burnt or unburnt, on four-wheeled wagons in the earliest of Celtic peoples, and later in lighter, two wheeled wagons

Describe how the Celts buried the wealthy

•Invaders sacked and plundered monasteries, destroyed manuscripts, and stole sacred religious objects. •They burned entire communities and put villagers to the sword. •Led a path of terror and destruction.

Describe the Vikings

Celtic stories are full of passionate love affairs, and fabulous adventures- Celtic tales take the reader to enchanted lands where magic and the imagination rule. Irish/Celtic tales are also full of fairies, the good folk, and the wee people. These tales reflect the ancient Druidic tradition, plus a love of magic and the joy of storytelling.

Describe the average Celtic tale

Their elaborate burials, under a mound, in a wooden chamber usually made of oak, furnished with highly decorated weapons, food, drink, and personal ornaments point to powerful beliefs about the nature of life after death.

Describe the burials of the Celts

•Women had rights (taken away after the Norman Conquest in 1066) •inherited and held property. •because honey was so essential, beekeeping was also an important chore.

Describe women in Anglo Saxon culture

Western and central

From 700BC, the Celts dominated most of what is now ______ and _______Europe.

Tiu

God of war and sky

with the spoken verses and incantations.

How did Anglo Saxon literature begin

Augustine and his followers needed only to win over the king- who would then make Christianity the official religion of his realm. By 650, they had succeeded

How did Christianity need to win over a kingdom

During the 4th century, the Romans had accepted Christianity and introduced it to Britain. In 597 the Roman cleric Saint Augustine (not the early Christian Church father) arrived in southeast England and converted King Ethelbert of Kent to Christianity. He set up a monastery at Canterbury in Kent.

How did Christianity reach Britain

Added many comforts including well paved roads

How did Rome help Britain

•The ruling warlords could no longer say that they were the descendants of pagan gods. They could no longer treat their wives, children, or slaves with cruelty. •The Church promoted peace and played a major role in unifying the English people.

How did the church have a profound effect on Anglo Saxon civilization

a book, Historia Brittonum, reported that Arthur (not really British, but Roman) commanded the British forces and won 12 victories against the Anglo-Saxons. Artorius later became the folk hero - King Arthur.

How did the legend of King Arthur come about in the 9th century

The semi-legendary King Arthur organized a spirited resistance and presumably fought twelve successful battles against the Anglo-Saxons, the last of which occurred at Mount Badon sometime between 490 and 503.

How did the legend of kind Arthur play a part in the Briton/Anglo Saxon struggled

Unlike the male-dominated Anglo-Saxon stories, the Celtic legends are full of strong women-----like the tall and fierce and very beautiful Queen Maeve of Ireland.

How do Celtic legends differ from Anglo- Saxon

Over 300 years

How long did the romans rule Britain

until around the 5th century AD.

How long was the Celtic language dominant

Until death

How long were the chieftain and his followers bound

into tightly knit clans, each with a fearsome loyalty to its chieftain.

How were the Celts organized

Thunor

Norse called him Thor- god of thunder and lightning

Religious and ritualistic

The Celts were _______ and ________

that everything- every human life- was in the hands of fate. They believed in immortality or lof- fame that survives death- could only be earned through heroic action.

What did Anglo saxons believe

a Norman conquest of England and brought an end to the Anglo-Saxon period of literature.

What did Edwards death lead to

These gods were abandoned with the coming of Christianity, but their names still survive in our words Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

What "happened" to the Anglo Saxon gods

Welsh, Scots Gaelic, and Irish

What are forms of the Celtic language

Druids

What are the Celtic priests called

The Anglo-Saxon warriors, clothed in animal skins and wielding spears, drove the Celts into the mountains and took the land for their own. They sought and won territory by rowing their shallow boats up river into the British heartland and then building camps and waging war on the Britons. They gradually gained the upper hand and took over more of what is today England.

What did the Anglo saxons do to the Celts

When the clans began arguing with each other, they looked to the Druid priests to settle the dispute.

What did the Celtic clans do when they were arguing

Next, the Celts sought help from the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes- unfortunately these tribes viewed the Celts' plea as an opportunity to take over Britain.

What did the Celts do after Rome refused to help

highly developed religion, mythology, legal system that specified individual rights.

What did the Celts have

retreated to the edges of the island- and beyond but they didn't cede their country without struggle

What did the britons do in terror if the Anglo saxons

Druids also presided over religious rituals and memorized and recited long, heroic poems that preserved the people's myths about the past.

What did the druids do at religious rituals

the soul was immortal, passing in death from one person to another

What did the druids of Britain believe about souls

cymry, which means "fellow countrymen."

What do the welsh refer to themselves as

Deep sea fishermen, farmers, hunters, fierce warriors, believed in many gods

What do we know about the Anglo-saxons

•Leader of the Britons (Celts) against the Anglo- Saxon invaders. •Won the Battle of Badon Hill - 6th century •real name- Artorius (likely he was a Roman)

What do we know about the real King Arthur

a Northumbrian monk later considered the "Father of English history"- Venerable Bede (673-735)

What emerged from monastic training in Britain

returned to what is now France to work on his memoirs

What happened after Caesar declared Britain conquered

They traded with one another which resulted in the growth of English towns. The peace and stability that began with Alfred's reign lasted more than a century.

What happened as a result of the Danes becoming more peaceful

Restlessness took over Scandinavia. Their homeland had rising population and limited farmland.

What happened between the 9th and 12th century

by the middle of the 9th century, most of northern, eastern, and central England had fallen to the invaders. They called their territory the Danelaw.

What happened despite the English fighting the Vikings valiantly

Once the Danes succeeded, they forced the Saxon witan to select a succession of Danish kings. In 1042 the line of succession returned to a descendant of Alfred the Great.

What happened during the second danish invasion

his warriors had to avenge his death or die beside him.

What happened if the chieftain died

his association with the Normans further weakened Saxon power

What happened once Edward took power

Vikings sacked it in the 9th century

What happened to Hild's abbey

People of Norway (Norse) and of Denmark (Danes) took to the seas. In some of their most adventurous voyages, the Vikings (warriors) carried their piracy to the British Isles.

What happened to the Scandinavians because they had limited farmland

Story of a great pagan warrior known for his courage, strength, and dignity.

What is Beowulf about

She once led her troops in an epic battle over the ownership of a fabulous white herd bull whose back was so broad fifty children could play upon it.

What is Queen Mauve of Ireland known for

the arrangement of huge stones on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire was probably used by the Druids for religious rites having to do with the lunar and solar cycles.

What is Stonehenge

Achievement in war

What is a heroic

Sorrowful laments that mourn death of loved ones

What is an elegiac

The Saxon kingdom of Wessex

What kingdom managed to fight the Danes to a standstill

England was formally divided: 1) Danish ruled the east and north 2) Saxons rules the south

What occurred under a truce concluded in 886

The barbarians drive us to the sea. The sea drives us back to the barbarians. Between them we are exposed to two sorts of death: we are either slain or drowned."

What quote did the Celts say to the romans when asking for them to return

Education and written literature

What two elements did the church bring back to England that had left with the romans

Epic poem, England's national epic

What type of work of Beowulf? What is it considered

Stained glass windows Presented Bible stories and moral lessons to educate and inspire those who could not read written language but who could appreciate the pictures.

What was a historical art of this time? What was it used for

They considered mistletoe and oak trees sacred and generally held their rites in old oak forests.

What was sacred to the Celts

"From the fury of the Northmen, O Lord, deliver us."

What was the Anglo Saxon Prather from the Vikings

Runes

What was the Anglo Saxon alphabet of letters called

Compiled in Old English and served as a year-by-year diary of important world events. Some years were extensively recorded while others were left incomplete or blank. Although authors did not begin compiling data until 892, recorded events began in the year 1- with the birth of Christ. It was updated in the 12th century

What was the Anglo Saxon chronicle

They had a grim view of life due to ever-present dangers of death by accident or warfare.

What was the Anglo Saxon view on life

Beowulf

What was the most important heroic work of the Anglo saxons

acted as intermediaries between the gods and the people. Sometimes ritual dances and human sacrifices were called for.

What was the purpose of druids

to pass along tribal history and values to their people who could not read or write

What was the purpose of spoken verses and incantations

a form of animism- from the Latin word for "spirit." The Celts saw spirits everywhere (in rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire, and thunder). These spirits or gods controlled all aspects of existence, and they had to be constantly satisfied.

What was the religion/beliefs of the Celts

Edward, had gained the title "the Confessor" because he was a deeply religious Christian

What was the title given to the king in 1042(the descendant of Alfred)

A harp

What were recitals accompanied by

Building and statues

What were runes primarily used for

Some poems included fables about such leaders as Old King Cole, of the nursery rhyme and King Lear of Shakespeare's tragic play.

What were some Celtic poems about

-supervised the weaving and dyeing of clothes -slaughter of livestock -baking of bread -brewing of mede: fermented honey that was kept in soft, gray-brown pottery bowls

What were some domestic duties of Anglo Saxon women

•He encouraged the rebirth of learning and education (established a school at his court). •He oversaw translations of Bede's History and other works from Latin to Anglo-Saxon. •He also began to keep records of English history in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

What were some of Alfred's other achievements

Iron work(artisans)

What were the Celts skilled at

The descendants of Alfred the Great were able to regain much of their conquered territories. But toward the close of the 10th century, a new invaders (Danes) moved in to recapture and widen the Danelaw.

What were the descendants of Alfred able to do? What happened after

when northern European tribes invaded Italy and increased pressure on Rome itself. The last Roman legions departed from Britain to defend Rome in A.D. 407.

When did Roman rule end

at ceremonial occasions : like the celebration of a military victory.

When did reciting poetry occur

Almost 100 years later when emperor Claudius reigned. Disciplined Roman legions spread out over the island, establishing camps, which grew into towns.

When did the true Roman conquest occur? Describe it

the warriors gathered in the mead hall of the lord and feasted at tables and mead benches studded with gold.

Where did warriors go after battles

Cornwall, the highlands of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Brittany.

Where do celt descendants live currently

with Celtic Druids who assumed the function of storytellers- reciting poems about Celtic leaders and their heroic deeds.

Where do scholars believe British literature began

eastern and southern England

Who are considered Danes

Iberians (from today's Portugal/ Spain ), Celts (from Southern Europe)800-600BC -2 groups: Brythons (large island) & Gails (Ireland), Romans (Caesar / Claudius) 55 BC, Angles and Saxons 449 AD , Vikings, Normans

Who are the different people/ cultures that conquered Great Britain over the years?

English and Irish writers to this day. 15th century- Sir Thomas Malory wrote about a warrior named Arthur in his masterwork Le Morte Darthur : about the king who ultimately became the very embodiment of English values

Who has Celtic mythology inspired? Give an example

The romans/ Julius Caesar in 55 B.C.

Who invaded Britain after the celts and when

Northumbria, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Who is considered Norse

Brythons (or Britons)- settled the largest island and the Gaels settled Ireland

Who lived among the Celts

the island was settled by tall blond warriors who called themselves Celts

Who settled Britain in the fourth century

A king who rise to power in 871 and is the only one with the epithet "the great". Earned his title partly by resisting further danish encroachment twice

Who was Alfred the Great

the abbess of Whitby (614-680). a leader of a Christian religious community-(she was from a noble family). She accumulated an immense library and turned Whitby into a center of learning. (Whitby is present-day Yorkshire)

Who was Hild

Wyrd

Who was the Anglo Saxon god of fate

•He was a master of thorough research, tracking down information by studying earlier documents and interviewing people who had witnessed or taken part in past events. •His most famous volume was A History of the English Church and People -this work offers the clearest account we have of early Anglo-Saxon times.

Who was venerable Bede

Performers that were professional minstrels

Who were scops

The Celts were under attack by Scottish and Irish tribes, but Rome was too busy trying to save its own crumbling empire to spare any soldiers.

Who were the Celts being attacked by? Why didn't the romans come a back

Gleemen

Who were the scops assistants

Woden

chief of the gods (Norse called him Odin- the god of death, poetry, and magic) could help humans communicate with spirits - associated with burial rites and ecstatic trances which were important for poetry