The Old English and Medieval Periods A.D. 449-1485
The Sutton Hoo burial site location in Suffolk, England, includes the grave of an Anglo-Saxon king. The site included a ship that was fully supplied for the afterlife, with items such as bowls, coins, cups, and spoons. However, it did not include a body.
Although the identity of the king is not known, archeologists believe that he ruled during the 600s. The objects found in the Sutton Hoo burial site reflect the civilization that is portrayed in Beowulf. For more information about Sutton Hoo, check out various videos on youtube and the Sutton Hoo Society s webpage at http://www.suttonhoo.org/
Look at the pictures on page 3. What can you infer about each group from the types of words it brought to the English language? Celts (from Ireland) Romans Anglo-Saxons Scandinavians (like the Danes) Normans (French)
This page includes the most significant events of the time period: the invasions first by Romans; then the invasions and settlement in A.D. 449 by Germanic tribes Angles, Saxons, and Jutes; the incursion by Christian followers of St. Augustine in 597; the invasion and settlement by the Scandinavians (Danes) in the 700s; and the last invasion of England in 1066 by the Normans of France. Each one changed England in terms of the nation s government, economy, social order, and language.
What contributions did the following groups make to England and its development as a nation? St. Augustine and his followers The Danes The Normans
Look at the Helmet on the timeline. What information about the Anglo- Saxon culture can you deduce from the helmet? What kind of person would have owned the helmet? How can you tell?
Keep in mind that when Rome ruled England, the country was connected to the rest of Europe through the Roman government. Rome built roads, fortification, aqueducts, walls, etc. Its military forces defended Britain against invaders. Its laws enabled the English to have some protection enjoyed by other citizens in the Roman empire. The use of Latin throughout the empire guaranteed that traders could work easily in England, too. So, there was money to be made.
The Norman French actually descended from Vikings. They adopted many French ways over the years. Norse gods were dropped in favor of the one Christian god. (see similarities between Thor s Hammer and the Christian cross) They became accustomed to speaking French. They organized themselves according to the French political and economic system of the time Feudalism.
Many of the early English writings focus on a place, the sea. Remember, England is an island nation. They had to cross the sea to get in England in the first place. The sea was often dangerous, and it caused feelings of loneliness. The sea was also a road a warrior could take to find glory. The sea provided food.
In addition to the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, the Danes also brought a Germanic language to England. Look at the ship on the timeline. Recent replicas of this kind of ship have actually crossed the Atlantic.
To make literature and other documents more accessible, King Alfred the Great oversaw translations of Bede s History and other works from Latin into Anglo-Saxon, the everyday language of the people. In this way, Alfred the Great fostered the growth of the English language and its literature. He also kept records of English history in a work called the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, one of our main sources of information about our English ancestors.
Chaucer will be covered in the 2 nd 4 weeks of the semester. However, for now, know this: Geoffrey Chaucer is often referred to as the father of English literature. He was also one of the first writers who wrote in the vernacular English instead of the fancypants Latin. His most well-known work is The Canterbury Tales. We ll read from it in the 2 nd 4 weeks.
Look at the picture of the monk on the timeline. What can you infer about the values of the monks who produced that picture?
The literature for this 4 weeks reflects the changes that were occurring in England back then changes in government, society, language, etc. We see the effects today.
Chaucer wanted to bring attention to social ills of the time. Instead of preaching to the reader, he made his characters do very bad things. The reader is left with the job of judging the characters. Chaucer s narrator is innocent merely the reporter of events.
Writers back then often built their stories on ones that had been handed down to them. Shakespeare did the same thing later on. Look at the picture of King John on the timeline. In this picture, he s signing the Magna Carta giving some power to the noblemen. From the picture, what can you tell about King John s feelings about signing the Magna Carta?