III. CHRISTIAN WRITERS OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD The literature of this period falls naturally into two divisions‚--pagan and Christian. The former represents the poetry which the Anglo-Saxons probably brought with them in the form of oral sagas‚--the crude material out of which literature was slowly developed on English soil; the latter represents the writings developed under teaching of the monks‚ after the old pagan religion had vanished‚ but while it still retained its hold on the life and language
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The Anglo-Saxons: 449–1066 Introduction to the Literary Period The Anglo-Saxons: 449–1066 A.D. 1066 A.D. 449 Norman Anglo-Saxon Invasion Invasion 55 B.C–A.D.409 A.D.878 Roman Occupation King Alfred against the Danes 300s B.C. Celts in Britain 300 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 300 A.D. 600 A.D. 400–699 Spread of Christianity A.D. 900 A.D. 1200 The Celts in Britain Before and during the 4th century B.C. • Britain home to several Celtic tribes • Britain named for one Celtic tribe—the Brythons • King
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The Wife’s Lament is a poem that is well known as an Anglo Saxon elegy‚ although to this day‚ it is still challenged by some scholars to be‚ in fact‚ a riddle. The Wife’s Lament is an elegy that tells the story of a female narrator mourning for her husband‚ and she is reflecting on her great loss. The poem shares the same characteristics with those of an elegy‚ which include the passing of time‚ pain‚ exile‚ separation and longing. This Anglo Saxon poem has also been characterized as a riddle‚ where
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times throughout Anglo-Saxon literature‚ exile has been a prevalent detail which set a deep‚ dark tone for the story which would follow. These stories typically follow a character exiled by a circumstance‚ unable to return to their life prior. In The Wanderer‚ the main character is alone due to all his people dying. With his kinsman and his lord dead‚ he has nowhere to go‚ and nobody to go to. He spends his time drifting‚ lamenting over his past while in search of a new lord. The Seafarer also exhibits
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to the next generations to represent the different cultures. One famous story in particular is the Epic poem of a young hero named Beowulf that was told in the Anglo Saxon society thousands of years ago. In the Anglo-Saxon culture‚ the epic poem “Beowulf” was a staple in the society‚ but by analyzing contents of this poem and Anglo-Saxon cultural values‚ it can be explained exactly why this story is used as a representation of culture. In order to begin‚ the story and characters of Beowulf must
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follows the story of the great hero Beowulf‚ and his heroic deeds. Because it was written in the anglo saxon time period “Beowulf” contains many of the values of that time period. Beowulf embodies the anglo saxon cultural mores through his acts of heroism‚ pursuit of glory‚ and belief in fate though his words and actions. There are many points in the poem where Beowulf has values from the anglo saxon time period. Beowulf’s most defining trait is his heroism. Many times in the poem‚ he performs heroic
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The Anglo-Saxons worshiped several gods and goddesses‚ for instance‚ they worshiped Balder‚ God of Immortality‚ and Tiw‚ God of War. To them‚ these Gods and what the Gods/Goddesses represented were extremely important to them. Just like children in today’s world who look up to a hero in a movie‚ like Superman‚ because they view him as a role model. In a time period that involved a lot of fighting‚ the Anglo-Saxons wanted a king who was strong and brave‚ just like the Gods they worshiped. In today’s
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hero both controls and transforms events‚ a coward does not as Beowulf shows : “a coward faced with a dangerous situation‚ such as an uncertain fate often presents‚ always gives way and fails to exploit the moment of crisis to his advantage.”. Anglo-Saxons and they were converted to Christianity by missionaries from Rome. In the era of Beowulf the pre-christian Germanic gods venerated in actual human historical figures who‚ upon their death ‚ were posthumously elevated to divine status in a created
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Beowulf- The Ideal Anglo-Saxon Hero When most people today think of a hero‚ they think of characteristics such as courage‚ strength‚ wisdom‚ and loyalty. Some of these same characteristics are seen in an Anglo-Saxon hero. The Anglo-Saxons had a very specific idea of what an ideal hero was. To be an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero a man would have to possess courage‚ strength‚ loyalty to a tribal king‚ wisdom in guiding others‚ and supreme self- confidence. Throughout this poem Beowulf exhibits many values
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without hurting anyone. In Beowulf‚ all of society’s evil men can be personified within the demons of Cain. The main demon presented in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel personifies the exact opposite of what the Anglo-Saxons held dear. Beowulf‚ the story’s hero‚ is the embodiment of what every Anglo-Saxon strove to become in their lifetime. Grendel is constantly angry‚ afraid and unsure of himself; while Beowulf is fearless and loyal to his king. Through Grendel’s own hatred and anger‚ he brings his own
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