Anglo Saxon: Essay Questions

The main motives for warfare were the territorial disputes made between the kingdoms, from Viking invasions and from reclaiming stolen territory from the Vikings. (can use Beowulf as a source since warfare is a major theme in the poem.) \"Territorial Disputes\" - between the heptarchy (Wessex, Essex, Sussex, Merica, Kent, East Anglia and Northumbria) Ex. 1: Egbert, King of the West Saxons: conquered Mercia and forced the Northumbrians to submit. This made Wessex the most powerful kingdom. Ex. 2: King Alfred the Great - effectively fought off the Vikings from invading Wessex then made a treaty with Vikings to end territorial disputes. Ex. 3: Edward the Elder: reconquered southeast England and the Midlands from the Vikings, uniting Wessex and Mercia. Ex. 4: Æthelstan - King of England. Conquered the last remaining Viking territory and united all of England. Keep the Vikings out of Anglo-Saxon England: 789 - 1016: Vikings kept attacking monasteries & churches Stole gold & other treasures / Attacks against Christianity because they were Pagan

The contribution of the church and churchmen to the formation of England and English national identity was fairly significant in that religion contributed to the unification of the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England. 1: Augustine brought Christianity to Anglo-Saxon England through his Missionary work. Sent by Pope Gregory I in 595, he converted Æthelberht, King of Kent and he became the first Anglo-Saxon King to convert from paganism to Christianity. 2: King Edwin of Northumbria became the first Northern king to be Christian. This marks a movement of Christianity from the South to the North and started unifying the North and South. 3: Bede: Main motivation in writing the ecclesiastical history was to show the growth of the united church throughout England, writing more accessible to fellow Anglo-Saxons. Because he translated his works into Latin and Greek, this made the writings of the early church fathers much more accessible to his fellow Anglo-Saxons. This contributed significantly to English Christianity. Influenced Alfred to use the English language→ development of language for national identity.

Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, King of the Anglo-Saxons and Æthelstan, King of the Anglo-Saxons, King of the English both contributed to the unification of Anglo-Saxon England through military endeavours, political reform, and religious and cultural advancements. Politcal: - Alfred spent many years restructuring of his kingdom's military defenses to better meet the military style of the Vikings creating a better standing army and naval fleet. He also wrote and reformed the law system for the Kings of Wessex to follow - Æthelstan increased production of charters, centralized the government and conquered the last VIking-ruled kingdom of York. By conquering York, he was able to take control of all of England, stretch his power as far as Scotland and become the 1st Anglo- Saxon King of England. Religion: - Alfred promoted himself as the defender of all Christian Anglo-Saxons against the pagan Viking threat. By defending his Christian people, he promoting a feeling of unity within the Anglo-Saxons against the Vikings and their pagan beliefs. - Æthelstan was known for collecting relics and founding circles. He lead his life in a very pious way and was a large promoter of Christianity Culture: - Alfred encouraged education, proposing that primary education be taught in English. This push for education to be taught in a primary language across the whole of Anglo-Saxon England created a greater sense of unity. - Æthelstan through his military actions, he was able to expand and push the English culture farther than ever before.

As a result of Augustine's arrival at the end of the 6th century, the 7th century was the most influential time in Anglo-Saxon England for the role of the church on the kings and the kingdoms. Throughout the 7th century .... - Edwin of Northumbria became the first Christian King of the north, showing the Christianity was spreading from places down south like Kent up to kingdoms in the North like Northumbria. - - Oswald then succeeds Edwin and continues the spread Christianity throughout Anglo-Saxon England. Oswald brought Irish missionaries to Anglo-Saxon England. Oswin succeeds Oswald and called the Synod of Whitby in 664. This called for a final decision to be made - either to follow the Celtic Christian way or the Roman Christian way. The council choose Roman and this was the foundation for the Christian church in Anglo-Saxon England. - Also during this time period, the first Englishman was chosen to be the Archbishop of Canterbury. The first man chosen was Wighard but he died so Theodore was chosen to take his place. - Lindisfarne was established in 663 in Northumbria as a monastery where missionaries were trained and sent out to convert the Anglo-Saxons. - The last pagan king, Arwald of died in 686 and from that point on Christianity was established as the official religion of Anglo-Saxon England.

Type #1: Jewelry in Anglo-Saxon Society typically depicted religious figures or practices and were a sign of a person's social status within society. - One example of jewelry in Anglo-Saxon England was the Alfred Jewel (sited from the Campbell, triple authored book). This jewel was commissioned by King Alfred the Great and was a piece made of Anglo-Saxon goldsmith work made of enamel and quartz. The jewel's function was to be the handle for a pointer stick for following words when reading a book. According to Campbell, the jewel featured an image of a man, considered to be Jesus along with ecclesiastical symbols, showing the importance of religion. This was historically important because this jewel showed Alfred's wealth, and social standing and this reinforced his elite place in Anglo-Saxon society. This also confirmed his religious affiliations and support of Christianity. - Another example is the Fuller Brooch and was made of silver and niello as noted in Campbell, page 143. The metals used were very expensive to use at the time. The style it was made popular in the 9th century and the brooch itself depicted the 5 sense. The brooch was an ode to the 5 senses, which were given to us by God and this is an example of the person's dedicated to Christianity. This was worn by people of high status, since again, the materials used were very expensive and not any common person could have afforded one. Conclusion: From these examples, it may be concluded that jewelry served as a representation of high social status, religion devotion, and wealth. These pieces were worn and used by Kings and other members of the aristocracy in Anglo-Saxon society. Type #2: Tapestry: - The main example of tapestry work in Anglo-Saxon England is the Bayeux Tapestry. The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth that tells the fall of Anglo-Saxon England from 1064 - 1066. It depicts scenes and importance people of the Norman Conquest, such as the William, The Duke of Normandy and the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry remains in very good condition for its age and was created after the end of Anglo-Saxon England but was created by Anglo-Saxon artists. This tapestry is of extreme importance because it is a record of the political state of Anglo-Saxon England at the time, unlike the jewelry that was meant to establish wealth and status. Conclusions: Both jewelry and tapestries were considered to be important and proper representations of cultural, political and religious aspects of Anglo-Saxon England. Both were forms of art that were created with the intention of expressing Anglo-Saxon progression and evolution.