From the Origins to the Norman Conquest
700 BC-1066 AD

Iron Age (700BC)

They spoke their own language still present in Scottish, Welsh and Irish5th CenturyCeltic speakers were pushed west by Germanic tribes (Anglo-Saxons)

Romans started to invade Britain under the leadership of Julius Caesar in 55bc. Although Caesar’s military maneuver was unsuccessful, the armies of the Roman Empire again made a move to conquer the island, which was populated and governed by various Celtic tribes, at the order of Emperor Claudius, in A.D. 43.By the time Emperor Hadrian came to power, he gave order to build a great wall in the north of England against possible invasions and protect the provinces of the Roman Empire of the territories conquered.Hadrian’s Wall is located near the border between modern-day Scotland and England. It runs in an east-west direction. 115kmIN 409BC teh emperor Honorius withdrew his soldiers to fight on the Continent

The arrived over the 5th and 6th centuries

Christianity disappeared until the end of 6th century.Then, Pope Gregory I the Great sent the monk Augustine to Britain converting the inhabitants into Christianity.The fight against the Anglo-Saxons invaders and the Romanised Celts produced a body of stories centred on the figure of King Arthur. The first legendary king in English history!It would later form the basis of muck folklore, literary material, films and fictions in modern times.

Anglo-Saxon genre:epic poetry (heroic lives and deeds) elegiac poetryPoets: (scops) they recited poetry aloud and from memory (storytelling);Professional travellerssocial function: to endure kings's fameThe main feature of Anglo-Saxon poetry:AlliterationsKennings: highly formalised compound metaphor (formulaic expressions) whale's road, swan's road it was an anonymous poemit was probably written by an educated manThe audience was Christian

The language spoken and written in England before 1100 was called OLD ENGLISH. It's the ancestor of MIDDLE ENGLISH and MODERN ENGLISH.

It is considered one of the most important original references on Anglo-Saxon history and has played a key role in the development of an English national identity.

It is important to note that the Heptarchy was not a homogenous entity but rather a collection of diverse kingdoms.The distinct ethnolinguistic backgrounds of these kingdoms contributed to variations in language, customs, and traditions. The dialects spoken in these regions gradually evolved into Old English.

They embarked on raids across the North Sea and the English Channel, targeting wealthy monasteries, towns, and coastal settlements.

They were Seafarers warriors from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden)

King Alfred of Wessex:He won back the occupied territories;reorganised the army; he built a fleet and established fortified towns. He also gave importance to religion and encouraged the writing of a history of England, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.The Vikings conquered a large area of England, the Danelaw. In 1016 the king of England was a Dane, named Canute.

Edward continued his father’s efforts to defend against Viking invasions

Who were the Normans? They were Vikings who had settled on the northen coast of France a century and a half before.In 1066 William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, conquered England. It marks the end of the Anglo-Saxon period in English history.The new conquerors brought with them the French language LINGUISTIC CLASS DIVISION: a) English spoken by lower classes b) French spoken by upper classes c) Latin spoken by the clergy 14th century --> MIDDLE ENGLISH, with the addition of French and Latin words, became dominant 1476 --> standardization of the English language and its spelling.

William the Conquerorfeudal system = the Norman organization of the State

Consequences of the feudal system:The Crown and the Church accrued immense power /became more influential and they eventually clashed for the first time

Thomas Becket strongly opposed the king's attempts to control the Church and he spent 6 years in France as self-imposed exile. On his return, the king Henry II had him killed in Canterbury Cathedral.

Richard I also known the LIONHEART, was a legendary figure and celebrated for his courage and personal charm.he reigned for 10 years and he took part to the Third Crusade against the French king to defend his lands but he was killed while besieging a castleto besiege: to surround a place, especially with an army, to prevent people or supplies getting in or out: