Revision questions for the test on Old English and Medieval Literature. 1.) How is literature analysed and studied? What is the difference between the diachronic and synchronic view? Literature is studied and analysed by reading the piece of work profoundly and work on all the aspects of the piece. Diachronic is development in history Synchronic is particular state at any given moment 2.) Give a general overview of Celtic Britain, Roman invasion in 55-54 BC, Anglo-Saxon invasion and the second Roman "invasion" of Great Britain, who were the leaders, what influence did they leave on the culture of Great Britain? Celtic Britain was during the Bronze Age, there were many small tribal kingdoms fighting one another. Many megalithic monuments were built around that time, e.g. Stonehenge, the Avebury ring. The Roman Invasion 55-54 BC, Julius Caesar ruled Rome, Rome built the Hadrian's wall (73 miles
* these cities depended for their growths on surrounding mines and metal production, which started during the days of the Industrial Revolution * the flag is of Wales bears a Red Dragon (it is not represented on the Union Jack) Northern Ireland: * the capital city is Belfast * 54% of people regard themselves as Protestants and 42% as Roman Catholics * the flag is called the Saint Patrick's Cross 2) History Prehistoric Britain, Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon, Danish, Norman invasions (...-1066): Britain was part of the European land mass until the end of the last Ice Age. It became an island by about 6000 BC. From about 3000 to 2000 BC the British Isles were inhabited by a group of people called the Iberians. These Stone Age people lived in limestone caves, they used stone axes and fashioned antlers and bones into leather-working tools. Later groups of people from what are now Germany, the Netherlands and Brittany also settled in Briton.
They also brought Christianity with them and in the fourth century the Christian Church was established. In 410 AD the Roman forces were withdrawn from Britain to protect Rome from the invading barbarian tribes. When the Roman power declined, Germanic seafaring tribes called the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes came to Britain. They established settlements in Britain and enslaved the Britons or sent them to the west and north of Britain. The Anglo-Saxon period started. The Angles and the Saxons became the most powerful tribes and the land was divided into little kingdoms. Their language gradually developed into Old English. This language was not a written one but the songs, stories, poems and epics have been handed down orally from generation to generation. In 787 the Vikings began their invasion from Denmark which was to leave a lasting impression on Britain. They were fierce pagan seafaring warriors who brought
Their Celtic Latin developed into the three modern Romance languages – French, Spanish and Portuguese. All the Celtic tribal names disappeared. Belgian (Lat. Belgi), Briton, Eire ['eərə], Scot are rare exceptions. The only places where the Celtic languages and elements of their culture have survived are Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Brittany in north-western France (in the last instance largely as a result of immigration from Britain during the Anglo-Saxon invasion and settlement of present-day England – from the 5 th to the 7th century AD; see Unit 4). 2. The Iberians on the European mainland were also assimilated, by the Celts or the Romans. The Basques living on the Iberian Peninsula (in Spain) perhaps are the only surviving people of the Iberian race. Vocabulary 1. civilization [-laI'zeI-], US [-lI-] цивилизация 2
3) The Germanic Invasions I. The Anglo-Saxons o 5th century- 1066 o From Southern Denmark(angles); Germany(saxons); Jutland(jutes) o By the 7th c kingdoms had emerged and later KING ALFRED united the kingdoms o They were pagans and very rural people, built in wood rather than stone o It was the saxon farmstead that laid the foundations of the English village II. The Vikings o 8th century- 11th century o From Denmark, Norway o They were ship builders and sailors o In 886 the Danelaw peace treaty was made 4) The Normans/ the final conquest o 1066-1154 o From present-day France o In the battle of Hastings on 14.10
of Mexico. The northern part of the island in average 5'C cooler and it's mountainous or hilly and that's why the south has been more populated.. Britain became an island only 5000 years BC after the Ice Age ended. Britain's prehistory The first evidence of human life on the island are dated back to 250 000 BC. 50 000 BC in a milder Ice Age period Britain became habitable again. People from that time were the ancestors of the modern British. 10 000 BC ige age ended and Britain became inhabited by small groups of hunters who probably followed herds of deer. 5000BC Britain became an island and deer died out. 3000BC the Neolithic people came (probably from Spanish peninsula or even North African coast). They may be the forefathers of the people from Cornwall and Wales. The building of Stonehenge started around that time
The Saxons & Vikings Fragmentary knowledge of England in the 5th & 6th centuries comes from the British writer Gildas, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, saints' lives, poetry, archaelogical findings and place- name studies. British landlords ruled small, unstable kingdoms and continued some Roman traditions of governance. In the mid-5th cent, Vertigern, a British leader, hired Germanic mercenaries to help defend against peoples of the north (Picts & Scots). In the end they revolted & the process of invasion and settlement began. The first Saxon ,,kings" were Hengist & Horsa in Kent, Aelle in Sussex, Cerdic / Cynric in Wessex
It seems that the Celts, who had been arriving from Europe from the 8th cent BC onward, intermingled with the peoples who were already there. The Celts were extremely talented people, creative and artistic. More than 1 Celtic tribe invaded Br. The descendants of ancient Celts live in Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and Ireland. They lived in primitive society. Druids priests, more powerful than chiefs. Acted like prophets. 2. Stonehenge From prehistoric period. Was built on Salisbury plain between 2500 and 1500 bc. One of the most famous and mysterious archaeological sites in the world. One of the mysteries is how it was built at all with the technology of the time. Another is its purpose. It appears to function as a kind on astronomical clock and we know it was used by the Druids for ceremonies marking the passing of the seasons. It appears in number of novels. These days it is not only the interest of tourists but is also a
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