The Anglo-Saxon Period(prehistory – 1066 A.D.)

Iberians (pre-Celtic peoples) (up to the 7th century B.C.)

Celts (up to the 4th century B.C.) Roman Occupation (55B.C. - 410 A.D.) Anglo-Saxon Period (410-787 A.D.) Viking Invasions (787-1066 A.D.) Norman Conquest – Battle of Hastings (1066)

Pre-Celtic Britain

Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain, built by the Iberians (pre-Celtic people)

Stonehenge

Built in the early Bronze Age between 2200 and 1300 B.C.

Old English “hengen” - something “hung up” - horizontal stones

Structure Half-circle of upright stones with other stone lying

on the top of them – Altar Stone inside Function

Maybe used as astronomical observatory

Pre-celtic Britain

Bronze Age and Iron Age Metals were gradually introduced The first wooden huts appeared Long wooden warships and primitive

fortifications were built Agriculture began

The Celts

1st wave – Gaels (7th century B.C.) From Northern Europe Settled in the North

2nd wave – Britons (4th century B.C.) Settled in the South-West and West Origin of the term Britain

The Celts

Skilled at working iron Lived on fishing, hunting and agriculture Pagan religion

Worshipped natural elements (sun, moon, rivers, trees, ...)

Water considered a holy element which generated life

Social structure Druids administred religion, justice and education

The Roman Conquest

Hadrian's Wall (built in about 121 A.D. by Hadrian to defend Roman Britain from the Picts and the Scots living in the North)

The Roman Conquest

Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55B.C. Aim = obtaining tributes and slaves

Claudius conquered Britain in 43 A.D. Scotland was not subdued

Hadrian erected a wall in about 121 A.D. from Solway to the mouth of the Tyne

409 A.D. Honorius withdrew his soldiers from Britain to defend Rome against Barbarian attacks

The Romans

The Romans introduced their civilisation (e.g. Christianity)

Saint Patrick established Christianity in Wales and Ireland in the 5th century

their language The Romans built

Towns (e.g. commercial centre of London)• Senate, magistrates, market square, town hall

Roads (e.g. paved roads) Public bath system (e.g. Bath)

The Anglo-Saxon Period(410-787)

The Anglo-Saxons The Romanised Celts fought alone vs

Germanic tribes (the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes) from across the North Sea England = “the land of the Angles”

Occupation Farmers looking for richer lands Deep-sea fishermen

Society Organised in family groups called clans Loyalty = main value Exalted physical courage and enjoyed feasting

The Anglo-Saxons

- Women in Anglo-Saxon society

- property rights

- allowed in judicial proceedings

- Anglo-Saxon literature

- oral literature (legends, adventures, etc.)

- music and singing

- scop (ministrel)

Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy

Seven kingdoms Northumbria Kent Essex Sussex Wessex East-Anglia Mercia

The Anglo-Saxons

Anglo-Saxons belonged to Pagan religions At the end of the 6th century Pope Gregory I The

Great sent a monk, Augustine (597), to bring Christianity back to England Augustine became the 1st Archibishop of

Canterbury Monastries became important centres of

Communal life Culture

The Viking invasions

Origin = Norway and Denmark Vikings and Danes started invading Britain in

787 (end of the 8th century) 855 – Danes conquered Northumbria, Mercia

and East Anglia = Danelaw Wessex resisted thanks to Alfred the Great of

Wessex (871-899) Defeated the Danes, reorganised the army, built a

fleet and established fortified centres

The Danes/Vikings- meaning of the name “Vikings”

• collective noun for Norse (Norwegians, Danes and Swedes)

• “sea voyage” – “people faring by sea for commerce and war”

- occupation• farmers and cattle herders

• shipbuilders

• seamen

• skilled at working wood, metal and whalebone

- society• king, chieftains, freemen (land owners)

The Danes/Vikings- religion

- polytheism (major and minor gods)• Odin (Wednesday), Thor (Thursday), Freya

(Friday)

- converted to Christianity in late 10th century

- cultural and literary background• Runic inscriptions

• Oral tradition

• Epic poems (Eddas)

• Stories (Sagas)

• Bards or skalds (minstrels)

Alfred the Great of Wessex Gave importance to religion Called scholars to translate books into English Promoted the writing of a history of England –

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Illuminated manuscripts (10th century)

– decorated pages, several pictures Use of English as a common language = sense

of political and social unity

– all English boys of free birth should go to school to learn English

More Viking invasions

Raids continued until a Viking king, Canute, became king of England

Canute was succeeded by Edward the Confessor (1042-1066) Bulding of Westminster Abbey

• example of Anglo-Saxon architecture of the 11th century

The Norman Invasion

In 1066, the Anglo-Saxon king Harold II was defeated by William, Duke of Normandy at Hastings

William was crowned king in Westminster Abbey on Christmas day of the same year

Introduction of French language French traditions Feudalism

Feudal society

King = owner of all land Vassals = they held land and gave the king

goods and services (military service) Chief of vassals = barons Knights (military service in exchange for land) Villeins (attached to the land on which they

were born) Serfs (almost slaves)