History - Ancient History in depth: The Anglo-Saxons Anglo-Saxon Culture The Anglo-Saxons were Germanic barbarians who invaded Britain and took over large parts of the island in the centuries following the withdrawal of the Roman Empire. They were initially less gentrified than other post-Roman barbarian groups such as the Franks or Ostrogoths because they had less contact with Mediterranean civilization. The Anglo-Saxons were originally pagan in religion. Although some of the early Anglo-Saxon invaders had Celtic-influenced names, such as Cedric, the founder of the house of Wessex, the Anglo-Saxons had a pronounced awareness of them-selves as different from the peoples already inhabiting Britain. The early Anglo-Saxons highly valued courage and skill in battle, as reflected in the most significant surviving Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf. The Anglo-Saxons strongly valued familial ties—the kinless man was an object of pity. Some Anglo-Saxons were not converted until the middle of the eighth century.
Anglo-Saxon | people Anglo-Saxon, term used historically to describe any member of the Germanic peoples who, from the 5th century ce to the time of the Norman Conquest (1066), inhabited and ruled territories that are today part of England and Wales. According to St. Bede the Venerable, the Anglo-Saxons were the descendants of three different Germanic peoples—the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. By Bede’s account, those peoples originally migrated from northern Germany to the island of Britain in the 5th century at the invitation of Vortigern, a ruler of Britons, to help defend his kingdom against marauding invasions by the Picts and Scotti, who occupied what is now Scotland. Archaeological evidence suggests that the first migrants from the Germanic areas of mainland Europe included settlers from Frisia and antedated the Roman withdrawal from Britain about 410 ce. The peoples of each of the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms spoke distinctive dialects, which evolved over time and together became known as Old English.
Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a people who inhabited Great Britain from the 5th century. They included people from Germanic tribes who migrated to the southern half of the island from continental Europe, and their descendants; as well as indigenous people who adopted the Anglo-Saxon culture and language. The Anglo-Saxon period denotes the period of British history after their initial settlement, until the Norman conquest, between about 450 and 1066.[1] The history of the Anglo-Saxons is the history of a cultural identity, and how this developed from divergent groups, grew with the adoption of Christianity, was used in the establishment of various kingdoms, and, in the face of a threat from Danish settlers, re-established itself as one identity until after the Norman Conquest.[4] The outward appearance of Anglo-Saxon culture can be seen in the material culture of buildings, dress styles, illuminated texts and grave goods. Ethnonym Early Anglo-Saxon history (410-660) Migration (c.410-c.560)
Alfred the Great: The Most Perfect Man in History? King Alfred of Wessex (r.871-99) is probably the best known of all Anglo-Saxon rulers, even if the first thing to come into many people’s minds in connection with him is something to do with burnt confectionery. The year 1999 saw the 1100th anniversary of his death on October 26th, 899, at the age of about 50. The occasion is being marked with conferences and exhibitions in Winchester, Southampton and London, but the scale of celebrations will be modest compared with those which commemorated his millenary, and culminated in the unveiling by Lord Rosebery of his statue in Winchester. Alfred’s reputation still stands high with historians, though few would now want to follow Edward Freeman in claiming him as ‘the most perfect character in history’ (The History of the Norman Conquest of England, 5 volumes, 1867-79). Alfred is someone who has had greatness thrust upon him. How and why did he acquire his glowing reputation, and how does it stand up today? Anglo-Saxons!
What is the influence of Christianity on Anglo-Saxon literature?BROADLY DECRI... Many pieces of Anglo-Saxon literature reflect the influence of Christianity on the British isles. The first issue you need to consider is whether you are only treating literature written in Old English, of which there is fairly little, or literature from the period written in Latin. Many of the extant works from England between the end of the Roman perioid and the Norman conquest were actually written in Latin, often in monasteries. The Venerable Bede (672-735) wrote The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, one of the earliest historical works about Britain, in Latin, and was also author of a textbook on poetic composition in Latin and (possibly) vernacular verses. Beowulf, the famous Old English epic, mentions God as the source of Beowulf's strength and judger of what is right in several places. The Hymn of Caedmon, a seventh century monk at Whitby Abbey, is the earliest extant poem in Old English.
Saxon Kings: House of Wessex Æthelwulf (839-58 AD) Æthelwulf was the son of Egbert and a sub-king of Kent. He assumed the throne of Wessex upon his father's death in 839. His reign is characterized by the usual Viking invasions and repulsions common to all English rulers of the time, but the making of war was not his chief claim to fame. Æthelwulf is remembered, however dimly, as a highly religious man who cared about the establishment and preservation of the church. He was an only child, but had fathered five sons, by his first wife, Osburga. Æthelwulf was a wise and capable ruler, whose vision made possible the beneficial reign of his youngest son, Alfred the Great. Æthelbald (858-60 AD) While his father, Æthelwulf, was on pilgrimage to Rome in 855, Æthelbald plotted with the Bishop of Sherbourne and the ealdorman of Somerset against him. Æthelwulf died in 858, and full control passed to Æthelbald. Æthelbert (860-66 AD) Æthelred (866-71 AD) Alfred, the Great (871-900 AD) Æthelstan (924-40 AD) Edmund I (940-46 AD)
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? The Anglo-Saxons left their homelands in northern Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands and rowed across the North Sea in wooden boats to Britain. They sailed across the North Sea in their long ships, which had one sail and many oars. The Jutes settled mainly in Kent. The Angles settled in East Anglia. The Saxons settled in areas of Essex (East Saxons), Sussex (South Saxons), Middlesex (Middle Saxons), and Wessex (West Saxons). British Kingdoms (each area ruled by a different king)
The Anglo-Saxon Hero by Christopher Garcia In Anglo-Saxon culture and literature, to be a hero was to be a warrior. A hero had to be strong, intelligent, and courageous. Warriors had to be willing to face any odds, and fight to the death for their glory and people. The Anglo-Saxon hero was able to be all of these and still be humble and kind. In literature Beowulf is, perhaps, the perfect example of an Anglo-Saxon hero. In Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon hero is well defined by the actions of Beowulf. Strength and physical appearance are essential to the Anglo-Saxon warrior. I resolved, when I set out on the sea, sat down in the sea-boat with my band of men, that I should altogether fulfill the will of your people or else fall in slaughter, fast in the foe's grasp. When Beowulf speaks these words, he shows his great courage, and displays the proper attitude of the Anglo-Saxon warrior. Beowulf also shows that a hero must be humble. Like Beowulf, Ibn Fadlan shows many honorable characteristics in The 13th Warrior.
The History of English - Old English (c. 500 - c.1100) About 400 Anglo-Saxon texts survive from this era, including many beautiful poems, telling tales of wild battles and heroic journeys. The oldest surviving text of Old English literature is “Cædmon's Hymn”, which was composed between 658 and 680, and the longest was the ongoing “Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”. But by far the best known is the long epic poem “Beowulf”. “Beowulf” may have been written any time between the 8th and the early 11th Century by an unknown author or authors, or, most likely, it was written in the 8th Century and then revised in the 10th or 11th Century. Old English was a very complex language, at least in comparison with modern English. Many of the most basic and common words in use in English today have their roots in Old English, including words like water, earth, house, food, drink, sleep, sing, night, strong, the, a, be, of, he, she, you, no, not, etc.