Unit 2: The Anglo-Saxon Period

449-1066

Ancient Britain • Early civilization: Egypt &

Rome (Italy)• Britain (far away &

mysterious)• largest isle = Britons• 2nd largest = Gaels• these were Celts from Europe

(date unknown)• Some Celtic languages still

spoken: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, & Breton

• Celts: farmers & hunters• Druids: mysterious pagan

priests• Stonehenge: place of

Druid rituals?• Lots of myths: maybe

were warriors, naked with blue paint (Braveheart???)

• 75 BC Britain invaded by Belgae - agriculture

Roman Britain

• 54 BC Julius Caesar defeated Britain, but they went home

• 53 BC same thing• AD 43 Claudius

defeated British & stayed

• this is why Latin tradition

• Celts - Latin - Germanic

• 2 big colonies: Colchester & London

Boadicea, The Celtic Warrior Queen

• AD 60 Prasutagus (king of Britons - Iceni) died

• his wife Boadicea revolted against Rome

• killed 70,000 Romans• she was defeated

The Coming of the Anglo-Saxons

• Early 5th century: Rome is at war, needs its warriors - withdraws

• leaves Britain vulnerable• for 100 years Germanic

forces invade• AD 449 Jutes (Danish) • then Anglo-Saxons

• Anglos establish 3 kingdoms in North & midland

• Saxons establish 3 kingdoms in the South

• Modern England was Angle-lond

Anglo-Saxon Culture

• Anglo-Saxons: warlike, seafaring

• lots of Germanic legends• Beowulf (dragons,

monsters, giants, trolls…)• warriors, songs, big feasts,

mead (fermented honey)• Oral Tradition

• Scops (singers) • Lays/lais (songs)• Anglo-Saxon society:

king, warriors (thanes), freemen (churls), slaves (thralls)

• believed in FATE “wyrd”• “wergild” = man money

The Coming of Christianity• Christianity =

Catholicism• by 5th c. Ireland was

converted by St. Patrick• England was converted

by St. Augustine• Changes culture• Create education systems• monasteries & monks

• Begin keeping history

Alfred the Great

• AD 8th-9th c.

• Danes (Vikings) (Scandanavia) invaded Anglo-Saxon England

• bad news…would have won if not for Alfred the Great (ruler of 4th largest kingdom)

• AD 878 defeated the Danes, unified England

• Becomes first King of Britain

• created a system of education

• spread English as language• rebuilt monasteries• is responsible for

translation of: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Bede’s Ecclesiastical History

The End of the Anglo-Saxon Era

• AD 925-939 King Athelstan conquered the rest of England, making it one nation

• AD 960 Danish invade again

• 1016 Canute (Danish) crowned king…Danish control

• Doesn’t last long…back to English rule

• 1066 Norman duke William the Conqueror defeated King Harold

• end of Anglo-Saxon Era

Rulers

• Egbert• Ethelwulf• Ethelbald• Ethelred I• Alfred the Great• Edward the Elder• Athelstan the Glorious• Edmund I

• Edred

• Edwy the Fair

• Edgar the Peaceful

• Edward the Martyr

• Ethelred II the Unready

• Edmund II

• Canute

• Harold I

• Hardecanute

• Edward the Confessor

• Harold II