From Legend to History (A.D. 449-1485)
The Conquest of Britain
- There were two groups of Celts: the one group called themselves the Brythons, or Britons; other group was known as Gaels who settled on Ireland.
- The celts were farmers and hunters.
- Both of these groups, the Britons and the Gaels strongly hated each other.
The Coming of Christianity
- By the 4th century, the Romans accepted to Christianity and had introduced it to Britain.
- Although Rome fell to Barbarian tribes in A.D. 476, the Celtic Christian church continued to thrive. In the late sixteenth century, a soldier and abbot named Columba along with some monks, gained converts to Christianity and established monasteries in the north.
Danish Invasion
- In the nine century, the Norse and the Danes were pressured by rising pop. and took to the seas.
- In the late tenth century Danes from europe tried to recapture Danelaw.
The Norman conquest
- The normans were descendants of Vikings who had invaded the coast of FR.
- After the dispute over whether or not the throne belonged to William, he confiscated the lands of the Anglo-Saxon.
- Feudalism had come about on the European continent at a time when no central government was strong enough to keep to order.
The Magna Carta
- The king promised not to tax land without first meeting with the barons in the Magna Carta.
- Although the document had caused no changes in government, some historians believe its restriction on royal power marked the start of constitutional government in england.
Decline of the Feudal System
- The social structure of England was changing while royal families struggled for supremacy.
- After the Black Death, a massive labor shortage increased the value of a peasant’s work
- Landowners gave the workers a sense of freedom when they paid in cash.
Anglo-Saxon Literature
- Spoken verse and incantations were the structure of anglo-saxon literature.
- This early verse falls mainly into two categories: heroic poetry, and elegiac poetry.
- All important prose written in the British Isles was composed in Latin. The monks who transcribed these works knew the language of the people as “vulgar tongue”. The greatest of England’s Latin scholars was Venerable Bede. He wrote History of the English Church and People Gives.
- Beowulf was this epic, or long heroic poem. It is the story of a great warrior praised for his courage, strength and dignity.
Literature of the English Middle Ages
- During this time the first true dramas were started.
- One section was medieval drama. During the Norman times, the Church often sponsored the plays as part of religious services.
- In 1454, a german silversmith, Johann Gutenberg, perfected a process of printing from movable type. One of Caxton’s first projects included the printing of Geoffrey Chaurcer’s work.
- Poet Geoffrey Chaucer was born into the merchant class that was adding to the wealth of London and the nation.
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