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Transcript

literature

the english

We are going to talk about the conquests that have occurred over the centuries in England.

Start

This is an index

1. England nowadays

2. The Britons

3. The Celts

4. The Romans

5. The Anglo-Saxons

6. The Heptarchy

7. The Vikings

8. From Alfred to Athelstan

9. The Norman Conquest

10. The epic poem

11. Beowulf

12. Timeline I-II

13. Summary

england nowadays

England it's the home of bustling cities like London, with its iconic landmarks, different communities, and thriving arts scene. The country values traditions while embracing innovation in various sectors, including technology, finance, and entertainment. And of course, the love for tea and football remains a big part of everyday life!

the britons

The Britons were the indigenous Celtic people who inhabited Great Britain from at least the British Iron Age (800 B.C. - 43 A.D.) until the High Middle Ages (476 A.D. - 1000 A.D.). The most important monument built by the Britons was Stonehenge which is one of the most visited tourist attraction in England.

Stonehenge back at that time.

The Celts arrived from North-Western Germany around 700 B.C. and gradually settled in Britain. They...

tHE CELTS

Were organized in tribes

The were warriors organized in tribes who shared a similar language, religion and culture.

Built hill forts

A hill fort is a group of houses built on top of a hill surrounded by banks and ditches.

Worshipped the natural elements

Celts worshipped in natural elements like: the sun, the moon and the water.

Preferred women

Compared to other places in the ancient world, Celtic women had more rights that men.

The actual Roman invasion of Britain occurred in the time of Emperor Claudius in 43 A.D., when Roman forces landed in Kent, more precisely in Richborough under the command of Aulus Plautius.

THE ROMANS

The Romans built many things in Britain such as:

  • 10.000 km of paved roads, which remainded in use for centuries
  • the first London bridge on the river Thames which became the central point for the new network of roads
  • but the most important monument was the Hadrian's Wall constructed as defensive fortification and barrier

THE ANGLO-SAXON

In 409 A.D. Emperor Honorius withdraw his soldiers to defend Rome against barbarian attacks, so in the 5th century the Anglo-Saxon peoples invaded and destroyed the romans British towns.

The Angles, the Saxons and The Jutes

The runic alphabet

Farmers and fisherman

Family groups or clans

The sense of beauty

The Old English

The religion

Mercia

East Anglia

Kent

Sussex

Wessex

Essex

Northumbria

THE HEPTARCHY

After the Anglo-saxon invasion, Britain divided into several local Kingdoms, each one with its own king. By the beginning of the 7th century, seven main kingdoms developed:

Some of the kingdoms names still mark counties or regional names to this day.

How they though a Viking was.

the vikings

The Viking arrived from Norway, Sweden and Denmark between 8th and 9th centuries. They attacked the monstery of Lindisfarne in 793 A.D. and gradually settled in the country.

FROM ALFRED TO ATHELSTAN

King Alfred the Great of Wessex:

  • won back the occupied territories;
  • reorganised the army;
  • built a fleet;
  • established fortified towns.
In 879 A.D. the Anglo-Saxon kingdom was created, but in 899 A.D. Alfred died.His son Edward extend his power into the Midlands and East Anglia.In 927 A.D. Northumbria was conquered by Athelstan, Edward's son, and he can be described as the father of the English state.

King Alfred the Great of Wessex (871 A.D. - 899 A.D.).

the norman conquest

The Normans were vikings who had settled in Northern France.In 1066 A.D. Willam, duke of Normandy invaded Britain and defended Harold II at Hastings. The Norman conquest unified the country under a powerful monarchy and provided the foundation of the medieval State.

Later examples of epic poems include Virgil's Aeneid and the Anglo-saxon Beowulf.

The epic poem

The origins

The epic poem derives from ancient oral traditions, the most famous poem in western literature are the Odyssey and the Iliad, by Homer.

Theme

It's a long narrative composition.

Characters and scenarios

Supernatural characters are the canvas of the poem.

BEOWULF

Beowulf is the oldest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem, written more than 1,200 years ago and it deals with the initial invasion of England by germanic tribes over the course of the 5th and 6th centuries. The date of composition and the poet is unknown and it was written down in the 11th century.

The sections

Settings

Characters

Theme

Style

Christian elements

Pagan elements and supernatural elements

This timeline shows in a simple way the succession of the invasions.

Timeline

1. THE BRITONS

600 B.C. - 50 A.D.

2. THE CELTS

700 B.C - 400 A.D.

3. THE ROMANS

43 A.D. - 430 A.D.

4. THE ANGLO-SAXON

410 A.D. - 1066 A.D.

5. THE HEPTARCHY

410 A.D. - 829 A.D.

6. THE VIKINGS

800 A.D. - 1150 A.D.

7. THE NORMAN CONQUEST

1066 A.D.

Summary

To sum it all up England's rich and diverse history is a captivating tapestry woven with tales of conquest, cultural evolution, and societal transformations. From the ancient Celts to the Roman invasions, the medieval struggles and the expansion of the British Empire, England's narrative reflects resilience, innovation, and the enduring spirit of its people: England remains a vibrant country because of his unique emotions that should be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

A continuous struggle between good (Beowulf) and evil (Monsters).1. warrior code (courage, loyalty, glory and revenge);2. fate and destiny govern the world;3. courage is the quality that can stand against fate.

They could:

  • choose the man they wanted to marry
  • have their property

1. Alliteration;2. Extensive use of kennings;3. Elevated language.

They were also:

  • hunters
  • fisherman
  • metal workers

The Old English: it is the base of modern english and it's very difficult to understand it without studying it.

The Hadrian's Wall

The wall represented the northernmost border of the Roman Empire in Britain for much of the period of Roman rule over these lands; it was also the most heavily fortified border in the entire empire. It ran from to East cost to West coast, between the today's England and Scotland.

Denmark: ruled by King Hrothgar. Here the first actions of the poem take place.Heorot: where Beowulf confronts the monster Grendal.The misty lake: Beowulf fought against Grendal's mother.The land of the Geats in Sweden: where Beowulf confronts a fire-breathing dragon (50 years later the fight with Grendal's mother).

3. The Vikings were some of the greatest naval engineers and travellers in the world and women played an important role in Viking society: they were guardians of the keys to both property and wealth, particularly when their men were abroad.

2. Not every Viking was violent: while some Vikings clearly deserved their reputation as "wolves of war", others lived peaceful existences.

4. Viking men and women were quite vain: many finds like combs and razors have been discovered, and it seems they went to great pains to maintain their appearance.They also live in large and luxurious halls.

Busted myths about the Vikings

1. There is no evidence that the Vikings wore horned helmets: they would have been simple skullcaps.

Did you know...

that Stonehenge represents an "ancient astronomical observatory", with particular significance at the points of solstice and equinox, although the importance of its use for this purpose is debated. As well as being a mass tourism destination, Stonehenge is a place of pilgrimage for many followers of Celticism, Wicca and other neo-pagan religions, and was the scene of a free music festival between 1972 and 1984; in 1985 this festival was banned by the British government due to the violent confrontation between the police and some participants which became known as the Battle of the Beanfield.

Infact...

They held their religious cerimonies in the woods near the water. These rites were performed by the druids that were the spititual guides of this people.

The runic alphabet: was used for inscription on stone or metal but not for writing long records.

Farmers and fisherman: they used to hunt seals and weals and they lived in wooden houses built near streams or rivers.

1. Beowulf sacrificed himself to save his people;2. Good wins (fate);3. Reperences to the old testaments.

Did you know...

The Celts practised the agricolture and the first to introduce the iron plough.Also people used to live in huts made of wood with thatched roofs.

Descriptions and settings

The narrative of the poem is made up of a series of type-scenes, the narration is objective, the main theme is the nature of heroic life, the didactive aim is the celebration of heroic values and the language is vivid and the style is elevated.

Family groups and clans: the most important social bond was the loyalty to the other members and they also exalted physical courage and personal freedom.

It's devided in three sections:1. Beowulf, leader of the scandinavian soldiers, fights against Grendel and successes in killing him;2. The hero fights against Grendel's mother;3.After 50 years, the hero kills a fire-breathing dragon in Scandinavia but he is mortally wounded.

The Angles, Saxon and Jutes: known as the Anglo-Saxon were Germanic tribes who arrived in the 5th an 6th centuries.

1. Supernatural powers;2. Several monsters;3. The supernatural lake pilled with sea-monsters.

It deals with:

1. The recollection of a glorious past in the history of a nation.2. The brave deeds of heroes.

The sense of beauty: the Anglo-Saxon had a great sense of beauty, made fine ornaments and enjoyed feasting and drinking.

1. Beowulf: the hero.2. Man-eating Grendel: is a being of the night.3. Grendel's mother: lives in the supernatural lake filled with sea-monsters.4. A Winged: fire-breathing monster.

The religion: at first they worshipped several gods, then Pope Gregory I sent monk Augustine, to bring christianity back. Several monasteries were built and became centres of communal life and culture.