Anglo Saxon Culture Flashcards
What type of art did Anglo-Saxon England produce?
Anglo-Saxon England produced high-quality art, especially engravings, often with jewels.
What do surviving works of art from Anglo-Saxon England indicate?
Surviving works indicate that the Anglo-Saxons were skilled artists, suggesting a ‘golden age’.
What materials were commonly used in Anglo-Saxon artworks?
Many artworks were made with precious metals and jewels.
What is engraving?
Engraving is the process of cutting a design into a hard surface such as metal, bone, or stone.
What is the Alfred Jewel?
The Alfred Jewel is perhaps the finest surviving example of Anglo-Saxon art, made around AD 890 on the orders of Alfred the Great.
What features does the Alfred Jewel have?
The Alfred Jewel features high-quality enamel, surrounded by intricate metalwork in gold.
What is the most famous Anglo-Saxon work of fiction?
The most famous Anglo-Saxon work of fiction is Beowulf, which is set in Scandinavia.
When was Beowulf written down?
Beowulf was written down in the early Anglo-Saxon period.
How was Beowulf typically shared?
Like most stories from the period, Beowulf would have been read aloud.
Is Beowulf still relevant today?
Yes, Beowulf is still read today, and new versions are still being written.
What is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a history of England starting with the Roman invasion.
Who updated the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?
Monks updated the chronicle until the twelfth century.
What are some characteristics of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle isn’t perfect; it’s very one-sided and incomplete.
What types of literature were produced by the Anglo-Saxons?
Anglo-Saxon literature included religious books, calendars, maps, poems, riddles, sermons, and information about astronomy, grammar, and medicine.
What are some surviving examples of Anglo-Saxon literature?
Surviving examples include calendars, maps, poems, riddles, sermons, and information about astronomy, grammar, and medicine.
What materials did the Anglo-Saxons primarily use for building?
Anglo-Saxons built most of their buildings with wood, clay, and straw. This means that they were at risk of fire, and those that did not burn down have now rotted away.
What shape were most Anglo-Saxon houses?
Most Anglo-Saxons lived in rectangular one-storey houses with thatched roofs.
What type of houses did Thegns live in?
Thegns lived in bigger houses with two floors.
How were some Anglo-Saxon buildings decorated?
Some Anglo-Saxon buildings were beautifully decorated, with carved woodwork, fine plasterwork, staircases, and painted walls.
What were burhs?
Burhs were towns built by Anglo-Saxon kings that were protected by walls and earthworks of ramparts and ditches.
What was the purpose of burhs during Viking raids?
The local population could go to burhs for safety during Viking raids.
What was the capital of England during the Anglo-Saxon period?
Winchester was the English capital.
Which city was the largest and becoming more important during the Anglo-Saxon period?
Londenburh (or London) was the largest city and was becoming more important.
How common were stone buildings in England compared to the rest of Europe?
Most stone buildings were churches, and even they were much less common in England than in the rest of Europe.
Where did many villages worship if they did not have stone churches?
Many villages still worshipped around stone crosses or in wooden churches.
What is the exception to the commonality of stone churches in Anglo-Saxon England?
The exception is Westminster Abbey, built for Edward the Confessor, which was built in stone and larger and grander than any other Anglo-Saxon church.
