Historical Perspectives Flashcards
What shaped Britains history, culture, and literature?
A series of invasions invaded Britain
What Philosophy/religion ruled early Anglo-Saxon life?
Pagans ruled early Anglo-Saxon life?
Define wyrd
Early Saxons believed heavily in this fate. It ruled their lives and was different from the Christian view in that Christians control their lives
Define mead hall
The main structure where Kings, Thanes, wives, and servants gathered in royal quarters, a small cluster of wooden buildings inside a stockade fence. Mead is a fermented drink (H2O, honey, malt, & yeast)
Define scop & oral Poetry that praised warriors
Singing poets
Define gleemen
The Royal assistants
Define St. Augustine
Was sent by Pope Gregory the Great to Kent. He baptized King Ethelbert & his people. He set up a monastery in Canterbury, Kent and was named the “first Archbishop of Canterbury.”
Define runes
Language based on the Greek alphabet, first used by Anglo-Saxons
Define Danelaw
Part of England that dominated most northern, eastern, and central England by mid 19th century
Define Angles, Saxons, and Jutes
3 Germanic tribes invaded in 449 AD
Define heroic ideal
=excellence- a spiritual force that shaped behavior and literature. One would strive to do everything better than anyone else
Define wergild
Was the price of a man. If you killed a man, you were required to pay a monetary amount to that man’s relative
Define epic
Long narrative poem that retells the heroic journey of a single person or group
Define Venerable Bede
Product of monasteries, a Northumbrian monk
What is the earliest written description of Britain
“A history of the English church and people.” - by Bede, the father of English history
