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A.D. 400–699
Spread of Christianity
The Celts in Britain
Jutes
Angles
Saxons
Celts
Anglo-Saxon Society
• Endless
Celts feuds between individuals and
Saxons
between tribes
The Anglo-Saxon Invasion
• Royal living quarters were a small
cluster of wooden buildings surrounded
by a stockade
• Main structure was the Mead hall
• Mead is a fermented drink made of
Jutes
water, honey, malt, Angles
and yeast
Saxons
Celts
The Anglo-Saxon Invasion
• Gold/treasure
• Comitatus – king and
thanes/warriors tied to one another
King shares spoils of war, warriors
obligated to fight for him
• Loyalty
• Bravery
• Fate = Wyrd
Mead hall
The Anglo-Saxon Invasion
Old English
Exeter book
• A tenth-century book or codex which is an
anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry.
• Survived in Exeter Cathedral library
• Among the other texts in the Exeter Book,
there are over ninety riddles.
The Anglo-Saxon Invasion
8th–9th centuries
Vikings called Danes
invade Britain
871 Alfred of Wessex
is king of England.
8th century
Invaded from across the North sea from Denmark
and Norway
867-877 Vikings invaded and took over most of
Jutes
northeast and central England
Angles
Saxons
Celts
The Spread of Christianity
1066
• William of Normandy crosses the English
Channel
• William defeats Harold and Anglo-Saxon army
• French replaces
English as the
language of the
ruling class