anglo-saxsons

the anglo-saxon era escaperoom

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introduction

THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY

Between the V and the VI centuries, after that the roman had left the south of the Britain, some population called Angles, Saxons, Juties and Frisians which come from the north ribs of the Germany and the West of the Denmark decided to occupate these lands. They done that for researching farmable territories.

introduction

introduction

Guess which of these was the helmet of the Anglo-Saxons

THE DIVISION OF THE REIGNS

All the german populations lands in the south-est of Britain and pushed up the Celts to the north-west.After, they divided lands into 7 kingdoms, this period is called the heptarchy. They respectively derive from three differents populations:

1.The Angles who creates Mercia, Northumbria and Eastern Anglia

2. The Saxons who creates Essex, Wessex and Sussex;

3.The Juties who creates Kent Kingdom.

THE ANGLO-SAXON'S SOCIETY

In the origin, the society was founded on farmer communities divided in families, that had a patriarcal structure. There was an elder assembly, composed by the principal eclesiastic autority, that could elect and depose kings.

The centre of the communal life was the "hall"; that was a big building which posses only one room where there was present a long table used for banquets.The hall was also the residence of the chief and his servants.

THE CHRISTIANISATION

The anglo-saxons, with their arrival, have reitroduced the pagan culture.In 597 a monk called Agostine was sent by Pope Gregory I for bring Cristianity back to England. His mission was succesful, he became the rhe first archbishop of Canterbury. After many monasteries were founded and they became important cultural centres.

An important figure was Venerable Bede, he was a scholar of the Jarrow's monastery, where in 731 he wrote "the Ecclesiastical History of the English People". It's composed by 5 books from Caesar's invasion to Agostine's mission. After in the history there's Ecgbert, the archbishop of York. With his brother Eadberht, the king of Northumbria, they founded many monasteries; he was also the author of the "legal code".Another inportant character is Alcuin from York, an Ecgbert's student who wrote the "Codex Vindobonensis 795" in 798, where he described Old English runes.

find the anglo-saxon's simbol

If you want to access to the next slide, there's an anglo-saxon's simbol you have to find

Alfred the Great and the end of anglo-saxons kingdom

After that vikings conquered Northambria, East Anglia and half of Mercia, the king of Wessex, Alfred the Great, became the most important anglosaxon king. Between the most important things he did there are the organization of the army, the building of fortresses and the planning of a navy equipped with longships for counter the viking's ships. In 878 he defeated the general Guthrum in the battle of Edington. After, he conquered the other half of Mercia. his son Edward and his grandson Athelstan Succeeded the throne. Edward went down in history because he conquered the remaining half of Mercia and east Anglia, freeing them from the control of the Vikings instead on 927 Athelstan conquered Northumbria and became the first king to rules all the 7 kingdoms, so he completed the process of unification for the first time and under his regime the anglo-saxons reign reach its golden age. In 1015 the viking's empire invaded the kindom, this was the beginning of the collapse of Anglo-saxons. The last anglo-saxon king was Harold, who defeated the Danes in Southern, but in the battle of Hastings in 1066 was defeated by William, Duke of Normandy which putted an end on the anglo-saxon's kingdom.

WHAT' THE MOST IMPORTANT ANGLO-SAXSON HERO'S NAME?

right: the correct ansewr is

Beowulf:

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The epic poem and Beowulf

The epic poem is a poetical narration. The world "epic" comes from latin and means oral exposition in facts the epic poems are borned with an oral tradition. They talked about the story of a hero who is basically highborn and with an incledible strongness. He had to defeat horrible creatures like monsters, trools or dragons. One of the most important epic poem of the anglo-saxon's era is "Beowulf". It's also the oldest english poem which is survived to our times, it was problably composed for a britain king who died in the VII centurie

and it development through many retellings before it was written down in the XI centurie .

It talked about a sweden hero who is called Beowulf who was requested by king Hrothgar of Dens for defeating a troll called Grendell because he was killing the troups of the king. After our hero had to fight against Grendell's mother and a dragon before dieing for dragon's breath in the arms of his apprentice. The language is elevated and vivid, there a lot of figures of speech, like kenning, alliterations and enjambement and a caesure in the middle of the line.

CONGRATULATION!! NOW YOU ARE A REALLY ANGLO-SAXON WARRIOR

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CONTINUE

Really good! You have found the Irminsul pillar

The Irminsul pillar is the Anglo-saxon's Yggdrasil, and for they rapresented the principal divine figure.

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