2012-3-22 1
Chapter Ⅰ
The Anglo-Saxon Period
(450-1066)
2012-3-22 2
1,The Making of the Nation
?The early inhabitants---Britons,
a tribe of Celts,
?mixed blood,
?“Britain”,the land of Britons,
2012-3-22 3
2,The Middle Ages
From the collapse of Roman Empire to the
Renaissance
This age can be roughly divided into two
periods,
(1) Anglo-Saxon Period,(The Old English)
(2) Anglo-Norman Period (Middle
English)--- as a result of Norman conquest
of the island,
2012-3-22 4
3,Historical background,
? (1) The earliest settlers of the British Isles
were the Celts;
? (2) 43-ca.420 Roman invasion and
occupation of Britain
? (3) ca,450 Anglo-Saxon Conquest
? (4) 597 St,Augustine arrives in Kent;
beginning of Anglo-Saxon conversion to
Christianity
? (5) 871-899 Reign of King Alfred
2012-3-22 5
4,King Arthur
? The Anglo-Saxon Occupation,The native
Britons (Celts) were finally confined to the
mountainous region of Wales where the
modern form of their language is spoken
alongside English to this day,In defeat,the
Britons produced a body of stories
revolving a legendary ruler called Arthur
who had fought heroically against the
Anglo-Saxon invaders,
2012-3-22 6
5,Northubrian School
? (1),Northumbria,
? An Anglo-Saxon kingdom of northern
England formed in the seventh century by
the union of Bernicia and Deira,Angle
kingdoms originally established c,a.d,500,
Much of Northumbria fell to invading
Danes in the ninth century and was
annexed to Wessex in 954,
2012-3-22 7
? (2) Caedmon,
? The earliest English poet,According to Bede,he
was an elderly herdsman who received the power
of song in a vision,died c,680
? (3) Bede (673?-735)
? Anglo-Saxon theologian and historian whose
major work,Ecclesiastical History of the English
Nation (731),written in Latin,remains an
important source of ancient English history,He
introduced the method of dating events from the
birth of Christ,
2012-3-22 8
6,Wessex Literature
? (1),Wessex,
? A region and ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom of southern
England,According to tradition,the kingdom was
founded by the Saxon conquerors of Britain and at its
greatest extent occupied the territory between the English
Channel and the Thames River,
? (2) King Alfred
? Known as,the Great.” (849-899)
? King of the West Saxons (871-899),scholar,and
lawmaker who repelled the Danes and helped consolidate
England into a unified kingdom,
? King Alfred’s contribution to English literature,3 aspects,
2012-3-22 9
King Alfred’s Contribution to English
Language &British Literature
? In the 9th century,the Christian Anglo-Saxons
were invaded by the Danes,The Danes occupied
the northern part of the island,They were
stopped by Alfred,King of the West Saxons from
871 till 899,who for a time united all the
kingdoms of southern England,Alfred translated
various works from Latin,Practically all of Old
English poetry is preserved in copies made in the
West Saxon dialect after the reign of Alfred,
2012-3-22 10
7,Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The two poetic features of old English poetry,
? 1,Alliteration,The repetition of the same
consonant sounds or of different vowel sounds at
the beginning of words or in stressed syllables,
? 2,Kenning,A figurative,usually compound
expression used in place of a name or noun,
especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry;
for example,storm of swords is a kenning for
battle,
2012-3-22 11
Beowulf
? Beowulf,The legendary hero of an anonymous Old
English epic poem believed to have been composed in the
early eighth century,
? The first major poem in a European vernacular language;
? Major plot,two major events; Beowulf slays the monster
Grendel and its mother,becomes king of the Geats,and
dies fighting a dragon,
? The values conveyed by the work,courage,loyalty,love
of honor
Chapter Ⅰ
The Anglo-Saxon Period
(450-1066)
2012-3-22 2
1,The Making of the Nation
?The early inhabitants---Britons,
a tribe of Celts,
?mixed blood,
?“Britain”,the land of Britons,
2012-3-22 3
2,The Middle Ages
From the collapse of Roman Empire to the
Renaissance
This age can be roughly divided into two
periods,
(1) Anglo-Saxon Period,(The Old English)
(2) Anglo-Norman Period (Middle
English)--- as a result of Norman conquest
of the island,
2012-3-22 4
3,Historical background,
? (1) The earliest settlers of the British Isles
were the Celts;
? (2) 43-ca.420 Roman invasion and
occupation of Britain
? (3) ca,450 Anglo-Saxon Conquest
? (4) 597 St,Augustine arrives in Kent;
beginning of Anglo-Saxon conversion to
Christianity
? (5) 871-899 Reign of King Alfred
2012-3-22 5
4,King Arthur
? The Anglo-Saxon Occupation,The native
Britons (Celts) were finally confined to the
mountainous region of Wales where the
modern form of their language is spoken
alongside English to this day,In defeat,the
Britons produced a body of stories
revolving a legendary ruler called Arthur
who had fought heroically against the
Anglo-Saxon invaders,
2012-3-22 6
5,Northubrian School
? (1),Northumbria,
? An Anglo-Saxon kingdom of northern
England formed in the seventh century by
the union of Bernicia and Deira,Angle
kingdoms originally established c,a.d,500,
Much of Northumbria fell to invading
Danes in the ninth century and was
annexed to Wessex in 954,
2012-3-22 7
? (2) Caedmon,
? The earliest English poet,According to Bede,he
was an elderly herdsman who received the power
of song in a vision,died c,680
? (3) Bede (673?-735)
? Anglo-Saxon theologian and historian whose
major work,Ecclesiastical History of the English
Nation (731),written in Latin,remains an
important source of ancient English history,He
introduced the method of dating events from the
birth of Christ,
2012-3-22 8
6,Wessex Literature
? (1),Wessex,
? A region and ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom of southern
England,According to tradition,the kingdom was
founded by the Saxon conquerors of Britain and at its
greatest extent occupied the territory between the English
Channel and the Thames River,
? (2) King Alfred
? Known as,the Great.” (849-899)
? King of the West Saxons (871-899),scholar,and
lawmaker who repelled the Danes and helped consolidate
England into a unified kingdom,
? King Alfred’s contribution to English literature,3 aspects,
2012-3-22 9
King Alfred’s Contribution to English
Language &British Literature
? In the 9th century,the Christian Anglo-Saxons
were invaded by the Danes,The Danes occupied
the northern part of the island,They were
stopped by Alfred,King of the West Saxons from
871 till 899,who for a time united all the
kingdoms of southern England,Alfred translated
various works from Latin,Practically all of Old
English poetry is preserved in copies made in the
West Saxon dialect after the reign of Alfred,
2012-3-22 10
7,Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The two poetic features of old English poetry,
? 1,Alliteration,The repetition of the same
consonant sounds or of different vowel sounds at
the beginning of words or in stressed syllables,
? 2,Kenning,A figurative,usually compound
expression used in place of a name or noun,
especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry;
for example,storm of swords is a kenning for
battle,
2012-3-22 11
Beowulf
? Beowulf,The legendary hero of an anonymous Old
English epic poem believed to have been composed in the
early eighth century,
? The first major poem in a European vernacular language;
? Major plot,two major events; Beowulf slays the monster
Grendel and its mother,becomes king of the Geats,and
dies fighting a dragon,
? The values conveyed by the work,courage,loyalty,love
of honor
