Post on 23-Feb-2016
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AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
The origins of Anglo Saxon England
Fun Facts English wasn’t spoken in England until the
fifth century Even then, you wouldn’t recognize it
English evolved from a synthetic toan analytic language
We lost a number of letters along the way Eth – ð (voiced th, “then”) Thorn – þ (unvoiced th, “with”) Ash – æ (that)
Oft him anhagaare gebideð,metudes miltse,þeah þe he modceariggeond laguladelonge sceoldehreran mid hondumhrimcealde sæwadan wræclastas.Wyrd bið ful aræd!
Nouns where once there was mūð, mūðes, mūðe and mūð in
the singular and mūðas, mūða, mūðum, and mūðas in the plural… By middle English there were just three: mūð, mūðes and mūðe Today there are just mouth and mouths
Strong and weak declension –s or –es vs. –en We used to have more en plurals like “oxen”
Decay of Inflectional endings (suffixes) Noun and adjective endings that made distinction in
number , case, and gender Now this is largely determined by where the word falls in the
sentence
Things we’ve lost
NOMINATIVE: The subject of a sentence and for the subject complement. Subject Complement = What something else is
Ben is a policeman The pie smells yummy.
GENITIVE: Used to indicate possession and other similar relations; it is usually helpful to begin by translating it with the Modern English 's form or using the preposition of. Not too different from el gato de juan, “the cat of juan”
DATIVE: Used for the indirect object of verbs They sent him a postcard
ACCUSATIVE: most commonly used for the direct object of a transitive verb. It is also used for the objects of some prepositions. You lifted the bag
INSTRUMENTAL: The instrumental case is only distinct from the dative case for a few pronouns and for strong adjectives. It is used to indicate the thing or person by means of which the action of the verb is accomplished. I wrote the note with a pen
Singular PluralMasc. Fem. Neut. All Genders
N. þēs þēos þis þās, þæsG. þisses þisse þisses þissaD. þissum þisse þissum þissumA. þisne þas þis þās, þæsI. þys þys
This is "this"
Analogy, in linguistics, is the process by which rare examples tend to follow the pattern of the common. Plural of cow used to be kine, now it’s just cows
With Verbs Oke was once the past tense of ache Stope for step Rew for row Clew for clawed Blowed and blew, knowed and knew, teared and tore all once
peacefully coexisted Kids do this all the time when learning the language
I blowed out my candles We fighted over the game
Strong verbs that became weak
Anglo Saxon History
Anyway…
Why the “Middle” Ages? Early Renaissance historians, who loved the
classical period (Ancient Greece, Rome), declared two periods in history, that of Ancient times and that of the "Dark Age".
By the early 15th century it was believed history had evolved from the Dark Age to a new period with its revival of all things classical.
Scholars began to write about a middle period between the Ancient and “Modern”, which became known as the Middle Age.
Medieval? From the latin
medium (middle) and aevum (age)
Refers to anything made, written or thought in that era
General Dates ca. 43 420 AD: Roman invasion and
occupation of Britain Initial Christianization (of the Celts) and burst
of Latin influence ca. 450 AD: Anglo Saxon Conquest
The English are German 597 AD: St. Augustine arrives in Kent
More Latin, More Jesus 871899 AD: Reign of King Alfred
The birth of Angleland
The Britons or Celts indigenous peoples inhabiting the island of
Great Britain from the late Iron Age into the late Middle Ages The first people on the island about who’s
language we have definite knowledge Worshipped gods and goddesses
gods were deities of particular skills goddesses were associated with natural features,
like rivers Triplicities
Converted to Christianity under Roman rule
Roman Occupation Occupied British isles
between AD 43 and 420. Referred to their province
as Britannia Brought roads and
highways, heating apparatus and water supply, the Latin language
Withdrew to deal with problems closer to home Invading Barbarians
Anglo-Saxon / Germanic Conquest Celts had come to rely on
Roman arms to keep invaders out
Ca. 449, Germanic tribes begin to invade England from the south (Anlges, Saxons, Jutes)
Celts also under siege by Picts and Scotts from the North
Cut deal with the Germanic people to keep the northern invaders out Fine, you can stay, just don’t
let anyone else come.
Germanic tribes made permanent settlement.
Romans had come to rule, the Jutes to disposes.
Celts relegated to the mountainous region of modern Wales.
Angles English Roman towns were
burned and abandoned
Anglo-Saxon/Germanic Paganism
Polytheistic Strong belief
in Wyrd, fate Essentially
worshipped the same gods of the Norse Woden =
Odin Donar = Thor
Anglo-Saxon Civilization Society organized around families and clans,
Two classes Eorls, a kind of hereditary aristocracy Ceorls, simple freemen
Justice administered through fines, the wergild Based on nature of crime, rank of injured party Often a fine paid to the relatives of a murdered
person to free the offender from further obligations or punishment
Guilt determined by ordeal (judicium Dei) or compurgation
Seven kingdoms, Heptarchy, shifting alliances, eventually unified into Angle-land Northumbria, Mercia,
East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex and Wessex
Alfred the Great
Conversion to Christianity Constantine converted to
Christianity following his victory in the Battle of Milvian Bridge 312
Romans brought faith to Celtic England with mild success
Gregory the Great (pope 590-604) dispatched Augustine (later to gain sainthood) to convert the Saxon kings of south England.
Augustine targeted the Kentish king, Ethelbert. His baptism inspired the conversion of his subjects.
Trend of subjects following a king's conversion
Literature and Culture epic poetry - long, narrative poem written in
elevated style to celebrates deeds of a legendary hero or god Like the Odyssey
epic hero - superhuman hero or god of an epic poem Like Odysseus
Germanic heroic code Warriors - strong, courageous and loyal Kings - hospitable, generous, and with political skill
Comitatus -Germanic code of loyalty Thanes, or warriors, swore loyalty to their
king, for whom they fought and whom they protected
the king was expected to be generous with gifts of treasure and land.
neither leaves the field of battle before the other
The Mead Hall An important cultural institution Provided…
light and warmth food and drink singing and revelry
safe haven for warriors returning from battle in a world where neighboring people were always attacking
Kenning - two-word metaphorical name for something “sea-road” for ocean “light-of-battle” for sword “battle-sweat” for blood Hrothgar “glory-spear” Heorogar “army-spear”
Scops - composers and storytellers who traveled from court to court, the entertainers of Anglo-Saxon times
Sutton Hoo site of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries of the
6th century and early 7th century undisturbed ship burial a wealth of artifacts of outstanding art-
historical and archaeological significance Very important to early medieval historians
because sheds light on a period of English history
which is on the margin between myth, legend and historical documentation