Concetti Chiave
- The Celtic people, early settlers in Britain, practiced Druidism and possibly used Stonehenge for religious rites.
- Roman conquest introduced infrastructure and wine, but post-Roman Britain faced invasions from Germanic tribes, leading to the rise of Old English.
- Alfred the Great defended against Viking invasions, fostering Anglo-Saxon culture and initiating significant literary works like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.
- Christianity's arrival in 597 with missionaries like St. Augustine established monasteries as centers of learning, integrating Christian elements into Anglo-Saxon literature.
- The Venerable Bede, known as the 'Father of English History', chronicled Britain's Christianization and early English poetry, translated later into Old English by King Alfred.
What are the Celtic origins and Stonehenge?
The first settlers are known as Celtic people. Their religion is called Druidism and the priests were called Druids. Some scholars say that Stonehenge may belong to that period and people may be using it to celebrate their rites.
In 55 B.C Julius Caesar invaded Britain. Later a more permanent conquest was carried out by the Emperor Claudius in 410 A.D.During their conquest of Britain, the Romans built Hadrian’s wall to protect Roman Britain. They also imported wine, built roads, towns and villas. As soon as the Roman legions left, Britain was unprotected and waves of foreign tribes started to invade the country. The invaders were Germanic tribes known as Angles, Saxon and Jutes. Although they all have different dialect, by the end of the 9th century Old English was their language.
Anglo-Saxon resistance and culture
The Anglo-Saxons were compelled to resist to new invasions from the Vikings, whom they called Danes.
Alfred of Wessex (also known as Alfred the Great) was king of west Saxons in England. He saved his kingdom from the Danish invaders, creating the conditions for a new flowering of Anglo-Saxons culture. With King Alfred, Wessex became the new centre of learning in Britain. In its main town, Exeter, monks at the cathedral began to re-copy damaged Anglo-Saxon manuscript and compile an important collection of Anglo-Saxon lyrics, known as the Exeter Book, a work that testifies to the important role of the church in Anglo-Saxon literature. Alfred also started another important literary work, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, the first history of the country, which was written in Old English.
Christianity's influence on literature
In 597, the Christianity religion emerged to Britain, with the arrival of missionaries like St. Augustine that led the creations of monasteries. These center of learning played a crucial role in establishing Old English as a literary language. Between 7th and 11th centuries, monks, scribes and Christian scholars set about transcribing the oral poetry of the Anglo-Saxons. They introduced elements of Christian belief and occasional references to the Bible.
Venerable Bede and English history
One of these ecclesiastics, the Venerable Bede, wrote The Ecclesiastical History of The English People in Latin, and earned the title of ‘Father of English History’. The work tells the story of Britain’s conversion to Christianity and also the work of the first known English poet, Caedmon. King Alfred then, set about translating it into the Wessex dialect of Old English.
Domande da interrogazione
- What is the significance of Stonehenge in relation to the Celtic people?
- How did the Roman conquest impact Britain?
- What role did King Alfred of Wessex play in Anglo-Saxon culture?
- How did Christianity influence Anglo-Saxon literature?
Stonehenge is believed by some scholars to belong to the period of the Celtic people, who practiced Druidism. It may have been used by them to celebrate their rites.
The Roman conquest, initiated by Julius Caesar and later solidified by Emperor Claudius, led to the construction of Hadrian’s Wall, the introduction of wine, and the development of roads, towns, and villas in Britain.
King Alfred of Wessex, known as Alfred the Great, defended his kingdom from Danish invaders and fostered a cultural revival, making Wessex a center of learning and initiating important literary works like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.
Christianity, introduced by missionaries like St. Augustine, led to the establishment of monasteries that became centers of learning. Monks and scholars transcribed Anglo-Saxon oral poetry, incorporating Christian beliefs and biblical references.
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