H 2031: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings: the making of England, c.400-1000.
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The Venerable Bede sharpening his quill pen, from a codex at Engelberg Abbey, Switzerland.
Course Handbook Course Co-ordinator: Professor Terry Barry
2 Welcome to this new course in Senior Freshmen (2nd) year. There will be two lectures throughout the Semester, and one tutorial per week for seven weeks. There will be no lectures or tutorials in ‘Reading Week’ 27th February-2nd March 2012.
Lectures are THUR 2-3 pm Room 5025. FRI 2-3 pm Room 4047.
Course Aims: This course strives to give you an outline understanding of the major developments in politics and society in Britain between the end of Roman Rule and the start of the new millennium. Outcomes:
• Allow you to understand the broad chronology of the period. • Allow you to analyse the relevant literature. • Allow you also to realise the importance of key contemporary texts in translation. Lectures:
1. Introduction to the course (TBB) 2. Structure of Roman Britain (TBB) 3. Collapse of Roman Britain (TBB) 4. Background to the Anglo-Saxon invasions of Britain (TBB) 5. Anglo-Saxon Settlements (TBB) 6. The conversion of Anglo-Saxon England: The Augustinian Mission (TBB) 7. The conversion of England: Paulinus and Northumbria (TBB) 8. Anglo-Saxon society and the Law Codes (TBB) 9. Anglo-Saxon art and archaeology (TBB) 10. The politics of the early Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (TBB) 11. The politics of the middle Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (TBB) 12. The “Golden Age” of Northumbria (TBB) 13. Bede and Northumbria (TBB) 14. Anglo-Saxon England during the Mercian hegemony (TBB) 15. The Rise of Wessex (TBB)
3 16. Viking expansion in Western Europe (TBB) 17. The Viking invasions of England (TBB) 18. The Viking settlement of England (TBB) 19. The Viking impact on Ireland (TBB) 20. Society and Government in late Anglo-Saxon England (TBB) 21. Anglo-Saxon kingship (TBB) 22. Monastic reform in 10th century England (TBB)
ESSAY QUESTIONS 1. What traces of Roman influence were still to be found in Britain in the fifth century? 2. Assess the importance of St Augustine in bringing Christianity to England. 3. Why is the Sutton Hoo ship burial so important for our understanding of the Anglian Kingdom of the 7th century? 4. Discuss the external influences on the Golden Age of Northumbria. 5. How did the kingdom of Wessex survive the Viking onslaught? 6. Critically analyse the contribution of Benedictine monasticism to the late Anglo-Saxon Church.
Bibliography General Books
P. H. Blair, An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England (1962).
James Campbell, The Anglo-Saxon State (2000).
D. J. V. Fisher, The Anglo-Saxon Age c. 400-1042 (1978).
K. Harrison, The Framework of Anglo-Saxon History to A.D. 900 (1976).
E. James, Britain in the First Millennium (2001).
4 E. James, Europe’s Barbarian’s AD 200-600 (2009).
H. R. Loyn, Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest (1991).
P. H. Sawyer, From Roman Britain to Norman England (1978).
F. M. Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (1971).
L. Webster and J. Backhouse (ed) The Making of England (1991).
D. Whitelock, Beginnings of English Society
D. Whitelock (ed.), English Historical Documents vol. I (500-1042)
Ann Williams, Kingship and Government in Pre-Conquest England, c.500- 1066 (1999).
Specific Topics
L. Alcock, Arthur's Britain (2001)
Maurice Barley and R.W. C. Hanson (eds.), Christianity in Britain, 300-700 (1968).
Stephen Bassett (ed.), The Origins of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms (1989).
Wendy Davies (ed.), From the Vikings to the Normans, 800-1100 (2009)
R. Bruce-Mitford, The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial , 3 vols (1976-83).
R. Bruce-Mitford, The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial: A Handbook (1968).
J. B. Bury, A History of the later Roman Empire (1958).
Martin Carver, Sutton Hoo Burial Ground of Kings? (1998). http://www.suttonhoo.org/archaeology.htm
Thomas Charles-Edwards, ‘The Arthur of History’, in R. Bromwich et al, eds., The Arthur of the Welsh ( 1991), pp. 15-33.
R. Collingwood and J. F. L. Myres, Roman Britain and the English settlements (1949).
5 P. Clemoes and K. Hughes (eds), England before the Conquest (1971).
S. S. Frere, Britannia: a history of Roman Britain (1987).
Edward Gibbons,The history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire (1776–81).
Seamus Heaney (trans), Beowulf (1999).
Nicholas Higham, The English Conquest: Gildas and Britain in the Fifth Century (1994).
Joan Liversidge, Britain in the Roman Empire (1973).
J. Morris (ed.), Gildas (1978).
J. Morris (ed.), Nennius (1980).
J. Morris, The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650 (1973).
P. Sims-Williams, "Gildas and the Anglo-Saxons", Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 6 (1983), 1-30.
Leo Sherley-Price (trans.), Bede: A History of the English Church and People (1965).
Ann Williams, Kingship and Government in Pre-Conquest England, 500- 1066 (1999).
D. M. Wilson, The Anglo-Saxons (1971).
Specific Topics II
P. H. Blair (ed), Northumbria in the Days of Bede (1976).
P. Brandon (ed.), The South Saxons (1978).
James Campbell, The Anglo-Saxon State (2000).
A. Dornier (ed.), Mercian Studies (1977).
6 Dawn Hadley, The Northern Danelaw: Its social structure, c.800-1100 (2000).
D. Hinton, Alfred's Kingdom (1977).
H. R. Loyn, The Governance of Anglo-Saxon England, 500-1087 (1984).
A. P. Smyth, King Alfred the Great (1995).
Tutorials:
1. The end of Roman rule: Gildas 2. The coming of Christianity: Bede and Letters of Gregory 3. Beowulf 4. Asser and Alfred 5. The Viking Invasion: Battle of Maldon 6. The Burghal Hidage. 7. Wulfstan’s Institutes of Polity.
Room 3148.
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