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The Anglo-Saxons the Britons—According to Legends, Led by a King Named Arthur—Won a Few Victories Against the in A.D

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The Anglo-Saxons the Britons—According to Legends, Led by a King Named Arthur—Won a Few Victories Against the in A.D Duke William and His Fleet Cross the Channel to Pevensey, from the Bayeux Tapestry, c. 1000–1082. French School. Wool embroidery on linen. Musée de la Tapisserie, Bayeux, France. 4 Musee de la Tapisserie, Bayeux, France, With special authorisation of the city of Bayeux/Bridgeman Art Library 00004-0018004-0018 UOU1-845482.inddUOU1-845482.indd 4 11/29/07/29/07 7:43:517:43:51 AMAM UNIT ONE 449 –1485 Looking Ahead British literature developed in an era characterized by foreign invasions and social turbulence. Germanic tribes left northern Europe and invaded the island of Britain. The dialects spoken by these tribes, now separated by water from the European mainland, evolved into a separate language called English. Writers used that language to create works of great power and beauty—works that formed the foundation of British literature. Keep the following questions in mind as you read: How did foreign invasions affect British history and culture? Why was the Roman Catholic Church important to medieval culture? What cultural forces does the medieval romance reflect? OBJECTIVES In learning about the Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages, you will focus on the following: • analyzing the characteristics of various literary periods and how issues of those periods influenced the writers • clarifying understanding of informational texts by creating diagrams • evaluating how a historical period shapes literary characters, plots, settings, and themes • connecting literature to historical contexts, current events, and your own experiences 5 00004-0018004-0018 UOU1-845482.inddUOU1-845482.indd 5 11/8/07/8/07 8:27:398:27:39 AMAM 449 –1485 Walworths dagger, 1381 BRITISH LITERATURE 449 750 c. 700 892 991 An unknown poet composes Monks begin writing The Battle of Maldon is fought; Beowulf, the oldest known Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a it is later celebrated in epic poem in English compilation of the records an Anglo-Saxon poem of English history c. 731 c. 1136 The Venerable Bede c. 940 Geoffrey of Monmouth composes The Ecclesiastical Monks compile The Exeter writes History of the Kings History of the English People Book, preserving a number of Britain in Latin in Latin of Anglo-Saxon lyrics First page of Bede’s History, c. 673–735 BRITISH EVENTS 449 750 449 787 1086 Germanic tribes Danish invasions begin Domesday Book, the first invade Britain official record of property 871 owners in England, 597 Alfred the Great’s is created St. Augustine, missionary, rule begins establishes monastery 1170 886 in Canterbury 664 Thomas à Becket, Danelaw is established Synod of Whitby unites Archbishop of Canterbury, in northeast England British Christian Church is murdered with Roman Catholic 1066 Church William the Conqueror invades England WORLD EVENTS 449 750 476 683 786 1099 The western Roman Empress Wu becomes the Harun al-Rashid becomes First Crusade captures Empire falls first woman to rule China ruler of Muslim Empire Jerusalem 537 800 1192 Emperor Justinian completes Charlemagne is crowned Yoritomo becomes first cathedral of Hagia Sophia Holy Roman Emperor shogun, or military ruler, in Constantinople of Japan 1000 c. 570 Leif Eriksson sails to North Muhammad, the founder America from Greenland of Islam, is born in Mecca Timeline Visit www.glencoe.com Reliquary of Charlemagne for an interactive timeline. 6 UNIT 1 THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD AND THE MIDDLE AGES (t)Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY, (c)HIP/Art Resource, NY, (b)Aachen Cathedral Treasury, Aachen, Germany, Bildarchiv Steffens/Bridgeman Art Library 00004-0018004-0018 UOU1-845482.inddUOU1-845482.indd 6 11/29/07/29/07 7:46:237:46:23 AMAM Art Library Marco Polo’s caravan, from The Catalan Atlas, 1375 Archives Charmet/Bridgeman 1200 1400 c. 1300 1375 1420s Earliest ballads are composed First part of Sir Gawain and Margery Kempe dictates the Green Knight is completed her autobiography Archives Nationales, Paris, France, c. 1386 1469 William Langland writes Sir Thomas Malory writes the allegorical poem Piers Le Morte d’Arthur Plowman, a protest on behalf of the common people (b)Centre Historique des c. 1387 Geoffrey Chaucer begins the Canterbury Tales Pilgrim Badge c. 1300–1350 1400 1215 1349 1455 King John signs the The Black Death sweeps A series of civil wars Magna Carta through England between the House of York and the House of 1295 1381 Lancaster, called “Wars First Parliament begins The Peasants’ Revolt of the Roses,” begins is suppressed 1337 Hundred Years’ War, a series of wars between England Magna Carta and France, begins 1200 1258 1325 1455 Mongols capture Baghdad Tenochtitlán, the capital The Gutenberg Bible of the Aztec Empire, is printed from movable 1295 is completed in Mexico type in Germany Marco Polo returns to 1431 Venice from China 1312 Joan of Arc is burned at Mansa Musa rules Mali the stake in France during 1310–1314 Empire in Africa the Hundred Years’ War Dante begins writing Divine Comedy Reading Check Analyzing Graphic Information From 449 to 1066, which warriors invaded Britain? INTRODUCTION 7 (tl)Museum of London, UK/Bridgeman Art Library, (tr)British Library, London, UK/Bridgeman Art Library, cl)Dept. of the Environment, London, UK/Bridgeman Art Library, (cr)Fishmongers’ Hall, London, UK/Bridgeman Art 00004-0018004-0018 UOU1-845482.inddUOU1-845482.indd 7 11/29/07/29/07 7:46:347:46:34 AMAM MEDIEVAL WEALTH PEASANT’S mber Octo pte ber A e U t R S Ha p b a e T E WHEEL e e N e U The household goods of a r a ve h M h o t n M s s w v s s e M u ; t g N wealthy thirteenth-century butcher i g m g b n n U n i OF LIFE u Harvesting r g i d b e S p w e A barley and oats e e in the English town of Colchester e o e d s r r i a n ; b s g g ; pigs; a included the following: n e c i n y a r d D w t t o d l e e n Pl c a one trestle table e • y l Slaughtering We m ed collecting firewood u ing J ; h (with boards stored in a w a ks b he rve s at, sti r ta ) h n o s em g f do aft e la In r p x, c , a g, n in r d n corner except at mealtimes) n ry e (spi probably some settles, • Cl e a J ri ; ng a y a d h c itc or stools g u h in tt e w p in s; n g e e Mo she wo o u ng d n ri a he P s a two silver spoons runing trees; lambs • u and calves born J r y , P one cup s b • l n o a a w r l e eeding sheep e i one tablecloth b y n • , g F p s a ; e n a m s W and two towels d b Plowing; sowing wheat o e pe w r y h o I and rye; br u G N a g a i d n a n t N r one brass cauldron i n T M s g I • y t a E n R R a x, P a one brass dish S Pl l • f M l i a r r p c h A one trivet, or three- • legged stand • one iron candlestick one washing-basin • In the Middle Ages, the life of English peasants was a cycle of recurring and pitcher labor. The seasons largely determined peasant activities, with each sea- two beds • son bringing new tasks. Harvest time in August and September was two gowns • especially laborious. A good harvest of grains for making bread and one cloak • brewing ale was crucial to survival in the winter months. • two barrels WERGILD DOMESDAY BOOK THE BLACK DEATH In Anglo-Saxon society, blood Commissioned in 1085 by William During the first wave of the plague feuds avenged wrongdoings, the Conqueror, the first draft of in 1349, approximately 300 people but claimed many lives. To avoid the Domesday Book contained died each day within a square mile revenge from the slain man’s census-type records for 13,418 in London. Before the Black Death kin, one could pay them wergild, English estates for tax purposes. had run its course, it ravaged or “man-price,” a sum of money William later imposed Danegeld, Europe, killing between one-third that reflected the deceased’s a tax to pay for defense against and one-half of the population. importance. In Wessex, a fixed Viking invasions. scale was observed: • nobleman or member of the warrior class: 1200 shillings PERCENTAGE OF LAND OWNED IN ENGLAND IN THE ELEVENTH CENTURY, According to the Domesday Book • free peasant: 200 shillings • King and his family 17% • Bishops and Abbots 26% • Barons, Lords, and * About a dozen barons controlled a Church Tenants 54%* quarter of the land in England. 8 UNIT 1 THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD AND THE MIDDLE AGES 00004-0018004-0018 UOU1-845482.inddUOU1-845482.indd 8 11/29/07/29/07 7:46:447:46:44 AMAM Britain is the largest of a group of islands off the northwest coast of Europe. The fertile soil and mild climate of Britain’s southern lowlands attracted a series of invaders, who established small kingdoms that eventually merged into a single nation. Some of the displaced native peoples fled west and north to the highlands of Wales and Scotland. July: harvest, sowing, c. 16th century. British Library, London.
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