The Anglo Saxon: A Primary Source?

Many people may have heard of the story of Beowulf, but not know who the Anglo-Saxons were. According to an article on BBC History, the term Anglo-Saxon refers to settlers from the German regions of Angeln and Saxony. The Anglo-Saxons made their way over to Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire around AD 410 and the period lasted for 600 years. During this period there where many rises and falls of bishops and kings, as well as many important battles. The Anglo-Saxon warriors had a variety of weapons and armor to defend them. This includes spears, scramaseaxes, swords, shields, helmets, and body armor.

The Anglo-Saxons were Germanic tribes from the German regions of Angeln and Saxony that had moved over to Britain. They had conquered the Jutes and Frisians from Denmark. In the time period where the Anglo-Saxon’s were living and thriving (410-660 A.D.), glory was one of the more important points of their beliefs. They wanted glory for their king, glory for their warrior tribe, glory for themselves, and finally, glory for their ancestors. Glory was the thread that kept the Anglo-Saxon culture, the warrior clans, and epic heroes, such as Beowulf himself, truly glorious.

Anglo-Saxons refers to settlers from the German regions that migrated to Britain during the fall of the Roman Empire. In the story Beowulf, his actions portray him, indeed be an epic hero. Both Christianity and Paganism are both portrayed throughout the epic Beowulf. Beowulf frequently speaks of God throughout the story, while there are also many Pagan elements that are evident throughout the story as well. In addition, "It 's hard to ignore the Christian and Pagan elements in Beowulf. These types of elements are what define the heroic warrior in the epic Beowulf"(Vengeance the Pagan and Christian Inspiration). Throughout the epic Beowulf, while the Anglo-Saxons followed Christianity, they had a hard time letting go of the Pagan beliefs when things got hard.

Anglo-Saxon culture consisted of receiving fame, glory, and wealth through acts of vengeance and courage. “Beowulf” portrays these parts in great detail and shows how destabilizing it can be. Through acts of vengeance, a never ending war occurs.

Before England was the superpower it is known to be today, it was a small country inhabited by many groups of people over time. First to England came the Celts, then the Romans, and then the Anglo Saxons. The Anglo Saxon’s traveled to England from the northern countries of Germany Norway and Sweden. When they arrived, they brought their gods with them. The Anglo Saxon’s religion consisted of multiple gods and goddesses and their own view of Heaven and what it would be like. The Anglo Saxon’s also loved poetry, and they used it to keep track of the history of their people. Beowulf is an epic poem that was past down by the Anglo Saxons from generation to generation. The poem is infused with multiple elements of their pagan religion.

The Anglo-Saxons were a people who lived in England during the fifth century. They strongly believed in fate and valued traits such as courage, generosity, faithfulness and, most importantly, strength. This is shown through the many epic poems that were composed and performed by the Anglo-Saxons during this time period. One of the most well known epics Beowulf, celebrates the deeds of the legendary and heroic Geat warrior named Beowulf. In Beowulf, physical strength is the defining factor of a warrior’s worth.

English is a language that has been around for roughly 1300 years. Its’ early days included several variations of the language. Despite this, the Anglo-Saxons were the most prevalent group in England and are basically the most responsible for the long history of the English language as they were one of the few groups in the world not using Latin. Their history and culture is largely responsible for where the language is in the world today, with several classic pieces coming from this time period which showcase what the various tribes valued in terms of traits. The Anglo-Saxons were a people who respected honor, justice, and bravery.

During the Anglo-Saxon Era, there were many armies battling each other. These battles were documented and later made into stories. As we read some of these stories, we can see that some weapons are explained with much detail. That is because weapons back then were very unique to their owner. The weapons used during Anglo-Saxon literature depended on the wealth of the soldier, the proximity of the enemy, and the strength of the enemy.

The Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, era of England lasted from about 450-1066 A.D. The tribes from Germany that conquered Britain in the fifth century carried with them both the Old English language and a detailed poetic tradition. The tradition included alliteration, stressed and unstressed syllables, but more importantly, the poetry was usually mournful, reflecting on suffering and loss.1These sorrowful poems from the Anglo Saxon time period are mimetic to the Anglo-Saxons themselves; they reflect the often burdened and miserable lives and times of the people who created them. The Anglo-Saxon poems, “The Wanderer,” “The Seafarer,” and “The Wife’s Lament,”

The oldest recorded english text, Beowulf, is an epic Anglo-Saxon tale of a man named Beowulf who was greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in the world. Throughout this tale the key virtues of Anglo-Saxon life: bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship are shown. These virtues are illustrated through the following evidence from the tale.

Beowulf is an epic poem written 1000 to 1300 years ago in Old English and translated by Seamus Heaney into Modern English. Beowulf is a significant piece of literature art work not only because it is one of the earliest known works, but also because it reflects and represents the authors, the Anglo-Saxons’ culture and values. At first, this story was passed around orally, from one person to another. Then, later on, the Anglo-Saxons wrote the entire story down into a manuscript. As well as the Anglo-Saxons loved their stories, they loved to boast, too. Boasting wasn’t an arrogant thing to do in their society, instead, it was socially acceptable, or even essential in one’s life. The Anglo-Saxons loved telling stories and boasting; they also liked material things such as gold swords and silver shields. Those were the rewards a soldier receives from their king, which represents their qualities and achievements. Beowulf reveals the Anglo-Saxons’ values in many parts of the poem.

While the author of Beowulf did not initially intend for the epic to become one of the most researched and foundational works in the English language, and therefore, did not go into much detail about its setting and surrounding political structures, the unnamed writer left behind important clues regarding Scandinavian and English political, economic, geographical, and societal bodies. Although not much is known about the author, it is evident through their writing, especially in the societal structure mentioned in the epic, that they were of English descent, specifically, born in the middle of seventh and end of tenth century England, according to Seamus Heaney in the introduction to his translation of Beowulf. Societal clues are the most prominent in proving this claim, as they merge Scandinavian and Old English structures, and at its most form, Beowulf is a Scandinavian tale told through an Englishman’s persepctive.

The Anglo Saxon were inherited from Great Britain. The Anglo Saxon came to be known as the nation’s pirates. At the beginning the Saxon were very small in number. The Saxon admired the roman emperor and Saxon considered the Roman Empire as there model. The Roman Empire portrayed wealth and power. Before Northumbria was formed the Saxon fought many battle and conquered territories. The Saxon helped the Briton to fight a battle against the northern enemies. As a reward the Saxon were rewarded money and supplies in return. The Saxon fought another battle as on command of Vortigern. Where they were promised in return the Isle of Thane as there place of

I have many faces happy and sad. Sometimes I even have a good taste in fashion. I also have many forms taking place as animals, food, people, and more. I am used everyday from people all over the world. I can make people nervous or I can make people happy. I’m at the tip of your finger when you need me, just a tap and I appear. What am I?

First is the difference between their language and the language now which is modern English. Anglo-Saxon language is the oldest known form of English language and is also called as Old English. Even though it is referred as old English, their language is far different from modern English and is closer to modern German. The distinction can be seen, for example, on the old English word haftling, to the modern English word prisoner. The similarities to modern German can be seen from the old English haftling, not changing and still being haftling now. Their rich language was used on their great works such as the four manuscripts and, of course, the majestic Beowullf. Old English influenced modern English in some little ways. Old English, as the ancestor, evolved and modified making it less noticeable now but it is actually used in our everyday lives.