Anglo–SaxonReligion

LastweekwelearntthattheearlyAnglo-SaxonswerePagansbutoverthecourseofapproximatelyonehundredyears,theywereconvertedtoChristianity.ChangingReligionsWhentheRomanswereinBritainmanypeoplehadbecomeChristians,butwhentheAnglo-Saxonsinvadedandsettled,ChristiansonlycarriedoninplaceswheretheAnglo-Saxonsdidnotlive.TheAnglo-SaxonsbroughttheirpaganreligionwiththemtoBritainandChristianityceasedtobethemainreligion.ChristianMissionIn597AD,PopeGregorytheGreatfromRomesentaRomanmonkcalledAugustine(early6thcentury–604AD)toBritaintotelltheAnglo-SaxonsallaboutChristianity,andpersuadethemtobecomeChristians.AugustinearrivedinKentandsetabouthiswork.KingEthelbert,whowasthekingofKentatthetime,allowedhimtopreachtothepeopletoteachthemallaboutChristianity.AugustineconvertedKingEthelbertofKenttoChristianitysoonafterhisarrival.EthelbertwasbaptisedandbecamethefirstAnglo-SaxonChristianking.OnChristmasday597AD,Augustinebaptised10,000ofthekings’subjects.Themissionwasprovingtobeagreatsuccess!Augustinewasmadeasaintafterhisdeathinrecognitionofhiswork.CanterburyCathedralAugustinefoundedCanterburyCathedralandbecamethefirstArchbishopofCanterbury.Thecathedralhadtoberebuiltin1070ADfollowingamajorfire.ItisthoughtthatAugustine’soriginalbuildingislocatedunderthenaveofthecathedral.TodaytheArchbishopofCanterburyisalsotheheadoftheChurchofEnglandandCanterburyCathedralisoneofthemostimportantandfamousChristianbuildingsintheworld. SpreadingtheWordThekingdomofKentwasthefirstAnglo-SaxonkingdomtoconverttoChristianity,butoverthenexthundredyearstherestofBritaingraduallyconvertedtoChristianitytoo.OthermissionariesspreadthewordaboutChristianityaroundthecountryandmoreandmorepeoplewereconvertedtothereligion.

History:Anglo–SaxonsandScots

CelticChristianityBeforeSt.AugustineevenarrivedinBritaintherewereplaceswhereChristianitywasgrowingandthriving.Bytheearly6thcentury,manyIrishpeoplewerealreadypractisingtheCelticformofChristianityandtherewerelotsofmonasteriesinIrelandteachingthereligion.MissionariesfromIrelandweresenttoScotlandandEnglandtopreachChristianityandencouragepeopletofollowthereligion.St.ColumbaandIonaAfamousIrishabbot(headmonkfromamonastery)calledColumba(521AD–597AD)wasparticularlysuccessfulinintroducingChristianitytoScotland.In563AD,ColumbaleftIrelandandfoundedaveryimportantandinfluentialabbeyontheIslandofIona,justoffthewestcoastofScotland.Then,around565AD,heconvertedtheNorthernPictishKing,KingBrideitoChristianity.TheremainsofColumba’sabbeyarestillvisibleonIonatodayandColumba’smissionaryworkearnedhimthetitleofsaintafterhisdeathin597AD.OswaldandAidenOswald(born604AD)wastheKingofNorthumbriafrom634ADuntilhewaskilledinbattlein642AD.OswalddidalottopromotethespreadofChristianityandheisregardedasasaintlykinginthewritingsofthehistorianBede.In635ADOswaldaskedthemonksatIonatohelphimteachthepeopleofNorthumbriaaboutChristianity.AmonkcalledAiden(590AD–651AD)wassentfromIonatoNorthumbriatohelpwiththemission.OswaldmadeAidenabishopandgavehimtheislandofLindisfarnewherehefoundedamonastery.OswaldandAidenarebothreveredassaints.LindisfarnePrioryAidenestablishedhisprioryontheislandofLindisfarne,whichisalsoknownasTheHolyIslandofLindisfarneorjustHolyIsland.LindisfarnePriorybecameaveryinfluentialplace.Usingtheprioryasabase,themonksfromLindisfarneweresuccessfullyabletopromotethespreadofChristianityacrosstheNorthofEngland.AidenworkedhardtoteachthepeopleofNorthumbriaallaboutChristianityandhewasknownforhisgentle,understandingapproachwithallthepeoplehetalkedto.

1.CompletethetableusingtheinformationabovetomakenotesaboutthesaintswhohelpedtospreadChristianityacrossAnglo-SaxonBritain.Saint Augustine Oswald Aidan Columba

Whowerethey?

When/wheredidtheylive?

Whatdidtheydo?

Otherfacts

2.Imagineitistheyear600.WhywouldyouwanttoliveinBritain?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.UseyournotesandtheinformationabovetoanswerthequestionsabouttheAnglo-SaxonconversiontoChristianity.a)WhatreligiondidtheAnglo-SaxonsfollowwhentheyfirstcametoBritain?___________________________________________________________________________b)WhydidPopeGregorytheGreatfromRomesendAugustinetoBritainin597AD?___________________________________________________________________________c)WhobecamethefirstAnglo-SaxonChristianking?___________________________________________________________________________d)WhatimportantbuildingdidAugustinebuild?___________________________________________________________________________e)WhichfamousIrishabbothelpedtoconvertpeopleinScotlandtoChristianity?___________________________________________________________________________f)WheredidColumbabuildhisabbeyin563AD?___________________________________________________________________________g)WhatwasthenameofthePictishkingwhoColumbaconvertedtoChristianityaround565AD?___________________________________________________________________________h)WhowasOswald?___________________________________________________________________________i)WhodidKingOswaldasktohelphimteachthepeopleofNorthumbriaaboutChristianityin635AD?___________________________________________________________________________j)WhatwasthenameofthemonkwhowassentfromIonatoNorthumbriatohelpwiththemissiontoconvertthepeopletheretoChristianity?___________________________________________________________________________k)WhatdidAidanbuildontheislandofLindisfarne?___________________________________________________________________________l)DrawapictureofeachoftheChristiansaints:Augustine,Columba,OswaldandAidanonthebackofthissheet.

TheNormanConquest

WhenEdwardtheConfessordiedwithoutleavinganheirin1066,itsetinmotioneventswhichwouldleadtotheendoftheAnglo-SaxonerainEngland.Clickonthelinkbelowandusethearrowbuttonstofindoutwhathappened.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/ztyr9j6/articles/z3s9j6f

Theeventssurroundingtheinvasionof1066arerecordedinafamoushistoricalartefactknownastheBayeuxTapestry–aprimarysource.ThisiscurrentlyinaFrenchmuseum.Thetapestryisaseriesofsewnpictures.Youcanseesomeofitbelow.

Whatcanyouseehappeninginthescenesofthetapestryabove?Thefinalscenefromthetapestryhasbeenlost–itmayhaveshownWilliambeingcrownedKingofEnglandwhichwouldmatchthesceneattheverybeginningofthetapestrywhichshowsKingEdwardonthethronetwoyearsearlier.Canyouretellthestoryinchronologicalorderbelow?Youcanusethelinkabovetohelpyou.1.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________HowmightthesoldiersoneachsidehavefeltoncetheyheardthatKingHaroldwasdead?HowmightthepeopleofBritainandFrancehavefelt?

Belowaresomeextraactivitiesyoucandoathomeifyouwouldliketo.1.Makeahistoricalguidebook.ChoosefromCanterburyCathedral,IonaAbbeyorLindisfarnePrioryandcreateaguideaboutthebuildinganditshistoryusinginformationlearntaboveorfromyourownresearchininformationbooksorontheinternet.Includedetailsaboutthehistoryofthebuilding,explainingwhyitwasbuiltandwholivedorworkedthereandwhyitissignificantinthehistoryofChristianity.Youcanthengoontoexplainaboutthebuildingasitistodayandwhatvisitorscanexpecttoseewhentheyvisit.Includepicturesordrawingsinyourguideandensureyourinformationispresentedneatlyandcarefully.2.CanyoufindoutwhoSt.CuthbertisandwhyheissoimportantinthehistoryofChristianity?WhatistheCultofSt.CuthbertandwhataretheLindisfarneGospels?3.CanyoufindoutwhattheIlluminatedManuscriptsareandhaveagoatwritingoneofyourowninthesamestyleastheAnglo-Saxonmonks?4.CanyouworkwithsomeoneinyourhousetoactoutaninterviewwithoneoftheinfluentialChristiansaints?Youshouldcomposeandanswerquestionsthattellallabouttheworktheydidasamissionary.

ExtraChallenge