Before the Anglo-Saxons

HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES

UNIT 1. THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD (449-1066)

Historical Context

KEY IDEA Britain’s early years were dominated by successive waves of invaders. Among them were the Anglo-Saxons—a people who gave us the first masterpieces of English literature.

In the 5^th c., Germanic warriors began storming onto Britain’s shores. These invaders—mostly Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—came across the North Sea, initiating an era of conquest. Yet as these invaders (known collectively as the Anglo-Saxons) settled the land, they also built the foundations of English culture. Even the modern name England comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for “land of the Angles.”

The language of the Anglo-Saxons, now termed Old English, began as a blend of Germanic dialects. Although modern English contains many words with Old English origins, Old English itself has largely disappeared. What remains, however, is poetry and prose emblazoned with heroic themes of the courage, generosity, strength, and loyalty of warriors and kings.

Before the Anglo-Saxons

Long before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxon invaders, Britain was settled by its earliest known peoples, the Celts.

The CeltsThe Celts had migrated from continental Europe between 800 and 600 BC. One tribe of the Celts was the Brythons, or “Britons,” and another was the Gaels. Because the Britons settled mainly on the largest of the British Isles (now England, Scotland, and Wales), that island became known as Great Britain. The Gaels settled primarily on the smaller island now called Ireland.

The RomansIn AD 43, Roman legions began an invasion that would lead to the conquest of lowland Britain. Many Britons were forced northward to what is now Scotland and westward to what is now Wales. Others were forced into slavery. The conquering Romans built walls to protect their strongholds and roads to help unify the province. In time, the Romans also brought Christianity to the Celts. Roman strength foiled attacks by such tribes as the Picts, the Scots, and the Saxons. However, Rome itself was eventually beset by Germanic invasions, and by the early 5^th c., Roman forces had withdrawn from Britain.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 945