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How many islands does Britain have?
Britain was attached to the continent before being separated.
True
What catastrophe had a huge impact on the British mentality?
Tsunami
Stonehenge is an implication that Britain was always an old settlement for humans since _____ BCE.
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What was the oldest settlement found in England?
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When did the Beaker people settle in Cornwall?
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The Bronze Age settlers from Turkey were peaceful.
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Which area did the Beaker people settle in ______, which was rich in minerals?
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Who were the two brothers that led Germanic tribes to invade Celtic Britain?
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What was the name given to the Germanic tribes who settled in Britain and became part of the country?
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Alfred the Great successfully unified the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
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The Viking Age began in ________.
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What is the name 'Beowulf' commonly interpreted as?
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Beowulf is believed to be the name of the hero in the Old English epic poem.
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Who is the first monster Beowulf encounters and slays in the Old English poem 'Beowulf'?
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The poet of 'Beowulf' likely had both Christian and _________ worldview.
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Match the character with the corresponding action in 'Beowulf':
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Who was the first poet to be buried in Westminster Abbey?
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What two houses were involved in the War of the Roses?
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Henry VII married a woman from the House of York, uniting the red and white roses.
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Who wrote 'Le Morte d'Arthur'?
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Match the following rulers with their respective actions:
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Who was known as the opposite of Shakespeare and introduced blank verse (iambus)?
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Which play by Christopher Marlowe tells the story of a ruler of the Mongolian empire?
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John Milton wrote 'Paradise Lost' in _____, rewriting the bible.
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John Milton wrote 'Paradise Lost' as a Puritan and had a highly religious family.
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What was the name of John Bunyan's famous work that was English plain, simple, and aimed to save souls?
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Who was the king of England before the English Civil War, who increased taxation and ruled without Parliament, leading to his execution?
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What was the name of the period in England between 1649-1660, where the country was ruled by more sovereignty and without a king?
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Thomas More served as the chancellor for King Henry VIII and later left when Henry decided to create his own church.
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___ was a superstar in the late 16th century, known for writing tragic love stories such as Astrophil and Stella.
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Match the following historical figures to their roles during the English Renaissance: 1. Thomas More, 2. Christopher Marlowe, 3. Edmund Spenser
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Study Notes
Survey of Anglophone Literature: Focus Britain
Introduction
- Britain as a space concept: 6000 islands, 300 000km², 70 Million people, with only 136 permanently inhabited islands
- Great Britain is the largest island, with approximately 60 Million people living on its 210 000 km²
Britain's History
- Hunter-gatherers were the first population to inhabit Britain
- The island was attached to the continent before being separated by the rising sea level after the ice age
- The final shift occurred in one single day, causing a tsunami that had a huge impact on the British mentality
- Neil Oliver's "A History of Ancient Britain" (2012) states that the Island of Britain started with a catastrophe
- William Shakespeare mentioned the idea of insularity in "Richard I" (1595), which makes up the British mind
Stone Age (500,000 – 3000 BCE)
- 500,000 BCE: Boxgrove man was found in West Sussex, indicating that Britain was an old settlement for humans
- Stonehenge (3000 BCE) is an implication of Britain's ancient settlement
- People became farmers, studying the stars to know the seasons, weather, sun, and moon for a bountiful crop
The Bronze Age (2,750 – 750 BCE)
- Britain was rich in minerals, with the Beaker people settling in Cornwall, bringing new technology and lifestyle
- The wheel was invented in Zummar, Iraq, and pottery was introduced
- The history of Britain is a history of immigrants, with a peaceful migration and no implication of violence
The Iron Age (750 BCE – 43 AD)
- The Britons (Celtic Britons) arrived in 750 BCE, developing art, Celtic crafts, and culture
- Hillforts were built, and Greeks like Herodotus and Strabo mentioned Britain's tin richness
- Pytheas travelled around the island, circling and navigating it
The Roman Empire (43 AD – 410 CE)
- The Roman Empire ended the Iron Age, with Tacitus calling the Britons savages to justify their invasion
- Caesar used propaganda texts to promote his beliefs, writing about the Britons' use of woad to get a blue color on their faces
- The Britons had contracts regulating their set of marriage, and men had sexual contact with other men, which was considered insane by the Romans
Celtic Heritage
- The Celts came to Britain in two waves from Eastern and Central Europe
- The Celts' mother tongue is considered older than Sanskrit
- Different dialects and languages gave places names, such as Ankara
- The Celtic heritage included cultural and political concepts, with different tribes like nations
Roman Invasion and Celtic Displacement
- The Romans genetically displaced the Celts by mass-raping and killing the majority of British men
- The actual name Britannia was a misspelling of Caesar, who didn't know how to write Pretani
- Germania helped the Britons but stayed, and this was the second invasion
Celtic Culture and Language
- Celtic languages (Indo-European languages) travelled across Europe, with counting systems like enne, meeine, miny, moe...
- British place names like Avon, Dover, Kent, and Thames have Celtic origins
- Inhabitants of Britain called themselves "Pretani" (painted people)
Anglo-Saxon Britain
- The Anglo-Saxon Conquest: Germanians came to Britain, but decided to stay and became the real invaders
- They forced their culture into Britons, killing men, and raping women, to genetically replace the Celts and Romans with the Germanians
- England means "Land of the Angles", while Scotland comes from "scoti" meaning "pirates" in Latin
Britishness and Literature
- Due to the mixed cultures and societies, no one knows what Britishness is actually about
- Raymond Williams explains the keywords of literature### Literature and National Identity
- The term "literature" originated from "littera" meaning "letter of the alphabet" in Latin.
- In the 18th century, the concept of national literature emerged as a political matter.
- The idea of national literature was first introduced by the Germans.
History of English Literature
- Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages (409-10 BCE): The Romans left Britain, and the country was divided into little kingdoms with Roman and Celtic cultures.
- Germanic tribes, led by Hengest and Horsa, settled in Britain and became the Anglo-Saxons and Jutes.
- The Anglo-Saxons replaced the Bretonic inhabitation in one movement, and later, the Vikings invaded and settled in England.
- King Alfred the Great unified the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and introduced education to the people.
Old English Literature
- Related languages of Anglo-Saxon peoples formed dialects of Old English (OE).
- The first written record of Old English poetry was found in Northumbria.
- Caedmon, a simple man, composed written poetry in Old English, including "Caedmon's Hymn".
- Poetic compositions of "scops" (oral poets) produced spontaneous texts and performed them in a group.
- The structure of Old English poetry used alliteration, and the kennings theory was used to describe a person with more than just one word.
Famous Old English Poetry
- "Song of Deor" or "Lament of Deor" is a gnomic poem that helps memorize information.
- "Dream of the Rood" is a poem that traditions come together, with a picture of the superhero Christ.
- "Battle(-field) of Maldon" celebrates a defeat in the real Battle of Maldon in 991.
- "Beowulf" is an epic poem, celebrating the achievement of the hero Bearwolf, with a mixed culture and society.
Characteristics of Old English Literature
- Very masculine literature, celebrating masculinity, physical and military power, and loyalty to the king.
- Identity of the people is told through stories.
- Comitatus is a Germanic friendship structure, where young warriors lived together in the great hall of the king.
Middle English Literature
- Middle English (ME) is a gradual change from Old English, influenced by the French after the Battle of Hastings.
- ME got rid of its case system and lost its inflexions, but the tense system got more complex.
- Latin was the language of prestige, and Middle English readers could not understand Old English texts.
- Medieval romance is very important for literature, with a focus on the individual and adventure.
- There is an increase in feminine presence, with women becoming the center of tension in the texts.
Key Terms
- Vassal: a warrior who received protection and power from the lord.
- Romance: a story that is told and written in French, not in Latin.
- Lord: a person who gives protection and power to the vassal.
- Kenning: a poetic device used to describe a person with more than just one word.### Medieval Literature
- Eleanor of Aquitaine introduced the Occitan language and the idea of "Minnesang" to the French court, making Occitan the dominant language in France.
- The Lady was an image of the Virgin Mary, symbolizing Christian values and norms.
- Jean Bodel classified romances into three kinds: Matter of Britain (Arthur), Matter of Rome (classic antiquity, Greek and Roman mythology), and Matter of France (chanson de Roland).
Middle English Literature
- "King Horn" (1225) tells the story of a king who gets kicked out of the country by Muslims.
- "Layamon's Brut" (12th century) is the earliest English romance that celebrates King Arthur and romance motives, with a mix of French and English literature.
- The tradition of hospitality was important, with a focus on oath-breaking and oath-taking.
"Gawain and the Green Knight"
- The author lived in the second half of the 14th century and was fluent in French and English.
- The story revolves around the beheading game, with Celtic and Pagan origins.
- Gawain's journey begins on Halloween, a pagan festival where the dead walk amongst the living.
- The story explores themes of humanity, failure, and the pursuit of perfection.
The Canterbury Tales
- Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet to be buried in Westminster Abbey.
- His poetry reflects a firm belief in order and features translated works such as "De Consolatione Philosphiae".
- The Canterbury Tales survives in 98 manuscripts, showcasing a closer, more understandable English.
- Chaucer's work features a diverse range of characters, including the nobility, yeoman, church, merchant, and widow.
The Rise of the Bourgeoisie
- The rise of education among the middle class led to a shift in social and economic power.
- The War of the Roses (1455-1485) saw the emergence of the Tudors, who took over the throne after the war.
- Henry Tudor (Henry VII) married a woman from York, combining the red and white rose to create the Tudor Rose.
Le Morte d'Arthur and the Tudors
- Thomas Malory wrote Le Morte d'Arthur while imprisoned, collecting all the Arthurian legends into one text.
- William Caxton helped publish the book, dividing it into 21 books.
- Malory's England reflects a society in decline, with everything falling apart in the end.
The Renaissance in England
- The Renaissance in England was marked by two turning points: the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and the Restoration of the Stuart kings in 1660.
- The Renaissance saw the rediscovery of classical texts and knowledge, originating in Italy and spreading to England in the late 15th century.
- The Tudors, particularly Henry VIII, played a significant role in shaping English history during this period.
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