Before the Old English period

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Remember?

Introduction: 

goal

3 pillars: religion, language, society

presentations: 2T, 4T, 

group work + own responsibility 

QUESTIONS SO FAR??

Groups

Discuss who's doing what, how, and when...deadline = deadline

Topics

1. Middle English + Gammer Gurton's Needle

2. Morality Plays + Everyman

3. Renaissance, Shakespeare + Dr. Faustus and Hamlet

4. Victorian Age, Wilde + Importance of Being Earnest

5. Victorian Age, Shaw, Battle of Balaclava + Arms and the Man

6. 20th century + Abortion

7. Angry Young Men + Look Back in Anger

8. Theatre of the Absurd + The Room

How do you get from here...?

....to here?

Beaker people

Beaker people: Indo - European language

brought skills to make bronze tools > replaced stone ones

Stonehenge

Stonehenge: 

* Beaker people's richest graves 

* healing powers?; rituals?

* remained most important centre until 1300 BC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRMFRiydorQ&t=69s 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbyzgeee2mg

society

*from 1300 BC: new form of society in southern Eng. > farming class

*prosperity > change in landscape: family / fortified villages

Celts - intro

* from ± 700 BCE 

* invaded Britain or came peacefully???

* tall fair-haired, blue eyes

* probably from central Europe or southern Russia

* drove old inhabitants westwards > Wales, Scotland, Ireland

Celts: skills

* technically advanced: iron > money

* advanced ploughing methods > change in society, building methods

* economic capitals, smaller towns > trade with Europe

Celts - society

* (family) tribes ruled by warrior class > met 1x per year

* Druids important > illiterate > memorised all teachings

Celts > Romans

In Celtic society: women > more independent

Roman occupance ± AD 43 and Julius Ceasar 55 BCE

Invasion easy > trained army of ± 40,000 men + Celtic tribes fought among themselves

Invasion was successful...but...! Boadicea 

Celts > Romans

Romans invaded Britannia > 

Celts working with Celts of Gaul + Celts more advanced in agricultural way:

(cattle to pull ploughs > farm heavier/richer land)

(Britain > important food producer > mild climate > export food for army to fight Gauls)

Romans

Could not control Scotland > Hadrian's wall > still border between two countries 

Brought skill of reading and writing > writing most important

Gap: Celtic peasantry remained illiterate / used Celtic language 

<> town people used Latin and Greek

Roman towns

Roman-British towns > developed from Celtic settlements, military camps + market centres

± 20 large towns of ± 5,000 inhabitants > capital: London (20,000) 

± 100 smaller towns > castras (Latin: camp) = "chester"

Towns built with stone and wood; 

Towns had planned streets (foundations stills used today!!), markets, shops;

Buildings > central heating

Roman towns

Established by Roman charter or developed from old Celtic tribal capitals

Three types > Roman charter:

"Coloniae"  - towns peopled by Roman settlers

"Municipla" - cities where people were given Roman citizenship

and 

"Civitas" - Celtic capital under Roman administration

social classes

* basis of Roman administration + civilisation

* large farms > "villas": 

* close to towns, crops easy to sell

owned by rich Britons

many workers on villas > growing difference between rich and poor: class differences!

From Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England

• 410: last Roman legions leave

Britain

• 445-540: first Germanic 

settlers invited to Britain to help

defend the country

• c. 450-500: Germanic tribes 

invade in large numbers

• c. 500: Anglo-Saxon 

settlement completed

3 pillars: 

change in agriculture > change in society, 

language: Celtic, Latin, illiteracy, the function of rhyme

Beowulf

• Epic poem
• Manuscript from c. 1000
• Germanic virtues: courage in battle + obedience to king
• Strong belief in magic + demons

Beowulf

Anglo-Saxons brought language + oral traditions: tales (heroic deeds/warlike acts) passed orally / sung by minstrels/scops > half-rhyme/alliteration 

Beowulf questions

1.question 1 > excerpt

2.https://edpuzzle.com/assignments/5697b7760de2603a41135fc8/students

3. How can the ancient story of Beowulf be interesting for a modern audience?