英美概况第一章.ppt

1、2020/12/19,1,Chapter The Anglo-Saxon Period (450-1066),2020/12/19,2,1. The Making of the Nation,The early inhabitants-Britons, a tribe of Celts. mixed blood. “Britain”, the land of Britons.,2020/12/19,3,2. The Middle Ages,From the collapse of Roman Empire to the Renaissance This age can be roughly d

2、ivided into two periods: (1) Anglo-Saxon Period: (The Old English) (2) Anglo-Norman Period (Middle English)- as a result of Norman conquest of the island.,2020/12/19,4,3. Historical background:,(1) The earliest settlers of the British Isles were the Celts; (2) 43-ca.420 Roman invasion and occupation

3、 of Britain (3) ca. 450 Anglo-Saxon Conquest (4) 597 St. Augustine arrives in Kent; beginning of Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity (5) 871-899 Reign of King Alfred,2020/12/19,5,4. King Arthur,The Anglo-Saxon Occupation: The native Britons (Celts) were finally confined to the mountainous region

4、of Wales where the modern form of their language is spoken alongside English to this day. In defeat, the Britons produced a body of stories revolving a legendary ruler called Arthur who had fought heroically against the Anglo-Saxon invaders.,2020/12/19,6,5. Northubrian School,(1). Northumbria： An An

5、glo-Saxon kingdom of northern England formed in the seventh century by the union of Bernicia and Deira, Angle kingdoms originally established c. a.d. 500. Much of Northumbria fell to invading Danes in the ninth century and was annexed to Wessex in 954.,2020/12/19,7,(2) Caedmon: The earliest English

6、poet. According to Bede, he was an elderly herdsman who received the power of song in a vision. died c. 680 (3) Bede (673?-735) Anglo-Saxon theologian and historian whose major work, Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation (731), written in Latin, remains an important source of ancient English

7、history. He introduced the method of dating events from the birth of Christ.,2020/12/19,8,6. Wessex Literature,(1). Wessex: A region and ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom of southern England. According to tradition, the kingdom was founded by the Saxon conquerors of Britain and at its greatest extent occu

8、pied the territory between the English Channel and the Thames River. (2) King Alfred Known as “the Great.” (849-899) King of the West Saxons (871-899), scholar, and lawmaker who repelled the Danes and helped consolidate England into a unified kingdom. King Alfreds contribution to English literature:

9、 3 aspects.,2020/12/19,9,King Alfreds Contribution to English Language for example, storm of swords is a kenning for battle.,2020/12/19,11,Beowulf,Beowulf: The legendary hero of an anonymous Old English epic poem believed to have been composed in the early eighth century. The first major poem in a European vernacular language; Major plot: two major events; Beowulf slays the monste