6th-8th Comparing and Contrasting Historical Accounts and Fictio

6th-8th Comparing and Contrasting Historical Accounts and Fiction

By Lacy McAllister

​Historical accounts-show the development or evolution of a historic events in proper chronological order.

Historical fiction- Features made-up stories that take place during major historical events that really happened. Real history froms the backdrop for the plot. ​

A book could use a real time in history as the setting but tells an inventive story that might have happened, but didn't.

​

Other works might imagine a person who actually lived in a certain situation. Historical records might tell us a little about an event. But a fiction author can tell what happened in detail- even though it might not have happened exactly that way. ​

Multiple Choice

"A Brief History of the Danes"

The first humans settled in Denmark, a Scandinavian region in northern Europe, after the last Ice Age, around 10,000 BC. These early Danes were primarily hunters and fishermen. They wandered from place to place in search of food and shelter. Then around 4,000 BC, Danes began farming their land with crude tools. They created these from the same stone they used to fashion their weapons. With the advent of farming, Danes began settling into small colonies and towns. By 1,800 BC, Danish craftsmen were forging many of their goods from bronze. Iron was introduced around 500 BC. In the Iron Age, Danes first made contact with the mighty Romans. They exchanged their goods for the Mediterranean luxuries of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire collapsed in the fifth century, the Danes continued to trade with the eastern half of that territory. This was called the Byzantine Empire. Like all of Europe in the sixth century, much of the Danish population was ravaged by a catastrophic outbreak of the Plague.

In the seventh century, European countries began seeking to acquire more territory and expand their borders. It was a period of territorial and political unrest. This resulted in a number of loosely joined kingdoms under English control. They included Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex. East Anglia, Sussex, and a few others. For another century or so, the balance of power in England shifted from one kingdom to another, most notably between Mercia and Northumbria. By the middle of the ninth century, England was divided into three major kingdoms- but peace did not last for long. In 865, the Danes invaded England. In the wake of the nine-year conflict, after much loss of life, only the southernmost kingdom of Wessex, ruled by King Alfred, remained under English control. But under King Alfred and his successors, England fought back and gradually regained territory at the expense of the Danes.

In this story, the hero is a young Saxon thane (a baron who owns land), who takes part in all the battles fought by King Alfred.

Excerpt from the Dragon and the Raven by George Alfred Henty

1. "The news is bad, Edmund. The Danes are ever receiving reinforcements from Mercia, and scarce a day passes but fresh bands arrive at Thetford, and I fear that ere long East Anglia, like Northumbria, will fall into their clutches. Nay, unless we soon make head against them they will come to occupy all the island, just as did our forefathers."

2. "That were shame indeed," Edmund exclaimed. "We know that the people conquered by our ancestors were unwarlike and cowardly; but it would be shame indeed were we Saxons so to be overcome by the Danes, seeing moreover that we have the help of God, being Christians, while the Danes are pagans and idolaters."

3. "Nevertheless, my son, for the last five years these heathen have been masters of Northumbria, monasteries. At present they have but made a beginning here in East Anglia; but if they continue to flock in they will soon overrun the whole country, instead of having, as at present, a mere foothold near the rivers except for those who have come down to Thetford. We have been among the first sufferers, seeing that our lands lie round. Thetford, and hitherto I have hoped that there would be a general rising against these invaders; but the king is indolent and unwarlike, and I see that he will not arouse himself and call his ealdormen and thanes together for a united effort until it is too late.

4. Already from the north the Danes are flocking down into Mercia, and although the advent of the West Saxons to the aid of the King of Mercia forced them to retreat for a while, I doubt not that they will soon pour down again."

5. "Tis a pity, father, that the Saxons are not all under one leading. Then we might surely defend England against the Danes. If the people did but rise and fall upon each band of Northmen as they arrived, they would get no footing among us."

6. "Yes," the father replied, "it is the unhappy divisions between the Saxon kingdoms which have enabled the Danes to get so firm a footing in the land. Our only hope now lies in the West Saxons. Until lately they were at feud with Mercia. But the royal families are now related by marriage, seeing that the King of Mercia is wedded to a West Saxon princess, and that Alfred, the West Saxon king's brother and heir to the throne, has lately espoused one of the royal blood of Mercia. The fact that they marched at the call of the King of Mercia and drove the Danes from Nottingham shows that the West Saxon princes are alive to the common danger of the country. If they are but joined heartily by our people of East Anglia and the Mericans, they may yet succeed in checking the progress of these heathen. And now, Edmund, as we see no hope of any general effort to drive the Danes off our coasts, 'tis useless for us to lurk here longer. I propose tomorrow, then, to journey north into Lincolnshire, to the Abbey of Croyland, where, as you know, my brother Theodore is the abbot; there we can rest in peace for a time, and watch the progress of events."

7. While they had been thus talking Egbert had been broiling the eels and wild ducks over the fire. He was a freeman, and a distant relation of Edmund's father, Eldred, who was an ealdorman in West Norfolk, his lands lying beyond Thetford, and upon whom, therefore, the first brunt of the Danish invasion from Mercia had fallen.

Which three territories are mentioned in both passages?

• Mercia, Northumbria, East Anglia

• Mercia, Wessex, Croyland

• East Anglia, Wessex, West Saxon

• West Norfolk, Northumbria, Mercia

Open Ended

"A Brief History of the Danes"

The first humans settled in Denmark, a Scandinavian region in northern Europe, after the last Ice Age, around 10,000 BC. These early Danes were primarily hunters and fishermen. They wandered from place to place in search of food and shelter. Then around 4,000 BC, Danes began farming their land with crude tools. They created these from the same stone they used to fashion their weapons. With the advent of farming, Danes began settling into small colonies and towns. By 1,800 BC, Danish craftsmen were forging many of their goods from bronze. Iron was introduced around 500 BC. In the Iron Age, Danes first made contact with the mighty Romans. They exchanged their goods for the Mediterranean luxuries of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire collapsed in the fifth century, the Danes continued to trade with the eastern half of that territory. This was called the Byzantine Empire. Like all of Europe in the sixth century, much of the Danish population was ravaged by a catastrophic outbreak of the Plague.

In the seventh century, European countries began seeking to acquire more territory and expand their borders. It was a period of territorial and political unrest. This resulted in a number of loosely joined kingdoms under English control. They included Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex. East Anglia, Sussex, and a few others. For another century or so, the balance of power in England shifted from one kingdom to another, most notably between Mercia and Northumbria. By the middle of the ninth century, England was divided into three major kingdoms- but peace did not last for long. In 865, the Danes invaded England. In the wake of the nine-year conflict, after much loss of life, only the southernmost kingdom of Wessex, ruled by King Alfred, remained under English control. But under King Alfred and his successors, England fought back and gradually regained territory at the expense of the Danes.

In this story, the hero is a young Saxon thane (a baron who owns land), who takes part in all the battles fought by King Alfred.

Excerpt from the Dragon and the Raven by George Alfred Henty

1. "The news is bad, Edmund. The Danes are ever receiving reinforcements from Mercia, and scarce a day passes but fresh bands arrive at Thetford, and I fear that ere long East Anglia, like Northumbria, will fall into their clutches. Nay, unless we soon make head against them they will come to occupy all the island, just as did our forefathers."

2. "That were shame indeed," Edmund exclaimed. "We know that the people conquered by our ancestors were unwarlike and cowardly; but it would be shame indeed were we Saxons so to be overcome by the Danes, seeing moreover that we have the help of God, being Christians, while the Danes are pagans and idolaters."

3. "Nevertheless, my son, for the last five years these heathen have been masters of Northumbria, monasteries. At present they have but made a beginning here in East Anglia; but if they continue to flock in they will soon overrun the whole country, instead of having, as at present, a mere foothold near the rivers except for those who have come down to Thetford. We have been among the first sufferers, seeing that our lands lie round. Thetford, and hitherto I have hoped that there would be a general rising against these invaders; but the king is indolent and unwarlike, and I see that he will not arouse himself and call his ealdormen and thanes together for a united effort until it is too late.

4. Already from the north the Danes are flocking down into Mercia, and although the advent of the West Saxons to the aid of the King of Mercia forced them to retreat for a while, I doubt not that they will soon pour down again."

5. "Tis a pity, father, that the Saxons are not all under one leading. Then we might surely defend England against the Danes. If the people did but rise and fall upon each band of Northmen as they arrived, they would get no footing among us."

6. "Yes," the father replied, "it is the unhappy divisions between the Saxon kingdoms which have enabled the Danes to get so firm a footing in the land. Our only hope now lies in the West Saxons. Until lately they were at feud with Mercia. But the royal families are now related by marriage, seeing that the King of Mercia is wedded to a West Saxon princess, and that Alfred, the West Saxon king's brother and heir to the throne, has lately espoused one of the royal blood of Mercia. The fact that they marched at the call of the King of Mercia and drove the Danes from Nottingham shows that the West Saxon princes are alive to the common danger of the country. If they are but joined heartily by our people of East Anglia and the Mericans, they may yet succeed in checking the progress of these heathen. And now, Edmund, as we see no hope of any general effort to drive the Danes off our coasts, 'tis useless for us to lurk here longer. I propose tomorrow, then, to journey north into Lincolnshire, to the Abbey of Croyland, where, as you know, my brother Theodore is the abbot; there we can rest in peace for a time, and watch the progress of events."

7. While they had been thus talking Egbert had been broiling the eels and wild ducks over the fire. He was a freeman, and a distant relation of Edmund's father, Eldred, who was an ealdorman in West Norfolk, his lands lying beyond Thetford, and upon whom, therefore, the first brunt of the Danish invasion from Mercia had fallen.

What major differences are there between the article "A Brief History of the Danes" and the novel The Dragon and the Raven?

Multiple Choice

"A Brief History of the Danes"

The first humans settled in Denmark, a Scandinavian region in northern Europe, after the last Ice Age, around 10,000 BC. These early Danes were primarily hunters and fishermen. They wandered from place to place in search of food and shelter. Then around 4,000 BC, Danes began farming their land with crude tools. They created these from the same stone they used to fashion their weapons. With the advent of farming, Danes began settling into small colonies and towns. By 1,800 BC, Danish craftsmen were forging many of their goods from bronze. Iron was introduced around 500 BC. In the Iron Age, Danes first made contact with the mighty Romans. They exchanged their goods for the Mediterranean luxuries of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire collapsed in the fifth century, the Danes continued to trade with the eastern half of that territory. This was called the Byzantine Empire. Like all of Europe in the sixth century, much of the Danish population was ravaged by a catastrophic outbreak of the Plague.

In the seventh century, European countries began seeking to acquire more territory and expand their borders. It was a period of territorial and political unrest. This resulted in a number of loosely joined kingdoms under English control. They included Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex. East Anglia, Sussex, and a few others. For another century or so, the balance of power in England shifted from one kingdom to another, most notably between Mercia and Northumbria. By the middle of the ninth century, England was divided into three major kingdoms- but peace did not last for long. In 865, the Danes invaded England. In the wake of the nine-year conflict, after much loss of life, only the southernmost kingdom of Wessex, ruled by King Alfred, remained under English control. But under King Alfred and his successors, England fought back and gradually regained territory at the expense of the Danes.

In this story, the hero is a young Saxon thane (a baron who owns land), who takes part in all the battles fought by King Alfred.

Excerpt from the Dragon and the Raven by George Alfred Henty

1. "The news is bad, Edmund. The Danes are ever receiving reinforcements from Mercia, and scarce a day passes but fresh bands arrive at Thetford, and I fear that ere long East Anglia, like Northumbria, will fall into their clutches. Nay, unless we soon make head against them they will come to occupy all the island, just as did our forefathers."

2. "That were shame indeed," Edmund exclaimed. "We know that the people conquered by our ancestors were unwarlike and cowardly; but it would be shame indeed were we Saxons so to be overcome by the Danes, seeing moreover that we have the help of God, being Christians, while the Danes are pagans and idolaters."

3. "Nevertheless, my son, for the last five years these heathen have been masters of Northumbria, monasteries. At present they have but made a beginning here in East Anglia; but if they continue to flock in they will soon overrun the whole country, instead of having, as at present, a mere foothold near the rivers except for those who have come down to Thetford. We have been among the first sufferers, seeing that our lands lie round. Thetford, and hitherto I have hoped that there would be a general rising against these invaders; but the king is indolent and unwarlike, and I see that he will not arouse himself and call his ealdormen and thanes together for a united effort until it is too late.

4. Already from the north the Danes are flocking down into Mercia, and although the advent of the West Saxons to the aid of the King of Mercia forced them to retreat for a while, I doubt not that they will soon pour down again."

5. "Tis a pity, father, that the Saxons are not all under one leading. Then we might surely defend England against the Danes. If the people did but rise and fall upon each band of Northmen as they arrived, they would get no footing among us."

6. "Yes," the father replied, "it is the unhappy divisions between the Saxon kingdoms which have enabled the Danes to get so firm a footing in the land. Our only hope now lies in the West Saxons. Until lately they were at feud with Mercia. But the royal families are now related by marriage, seeing that the King of Mercia is wedded to a West Saxon princess, and that Alfred, the West Saxon king's brother and heir to the throne, has lately espoused one of the royal blood of Mercia. The fact that they marched at the call of the King of Mercia and drove the Danes from Nottingham shows that the West Saxon princes are alive to the common danger of the country. If they are but joined heartily by our people of East Anglia and the Mericans, they may yet succeed in checking the progress of these heathen. And now, Edmund, as we see no hope of any general effort to drive the Danes off our coasts, 'tis useless for us to lurk here longer. I propose tomorrow, then, to journey north into Lincolnshire, to the Abbey of Croyland, where, as you know, my brother Theodore is the abbot; there we can rest in peace for a time, and watch the progress of events."

7. While they had been thus talking Egbert had been broiling the eels and wild ducks over the fire. He was a freeman, and a distant relation of Edmund's father, Eldred, who was an ealdorman in West Norfolk, his lands lying beyond Thetford, and upon whom, therefore, the first brunt of the Danish invasion from Mercia had fallen.

Which fact given in "A Brief History of the Danes" would the author of The Dragon and the Raven be least likely to include?

• The kingdoms of England were enjoying peace before the Danes invaded.

• The Danes were devastated by the Plague like everyone else in Europe.

• The Danes started out as an aggressive tribe and remained true to their roots.

• The remaining kingdom of England eventually triumphed over the Danes.

Multiple Choice

"A Brief History of the Danes"

The first humans settled in Denmark, a Scandinavian region in northern Europe, after the last Ice Age, around 10,000 BC. These early Danes were primarily hunters and fishermen. They wandered from place to place in search of food and shelter. Then around 4,000 BC, Danes began farming their land with crude tools. They created these from the same stone they used to fashion their weapons. With the advent of farming, Danes began settling into small colonies and towns. By 1,800 BC, Danish craftsmen were forging many of their goods from bronze. Iron was introduced around 500 BC. In the Iron Age, Danes first made contact with the mighty Romans. They exchanged their goods for the Mediterranean luxuries of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire collapsed in the fifth century, the Danes continued to trade with the eastern half of that territory. This was called the Byzantine Empire. Like all of Europe in the sixth century, much of the Danish population was ravaged by a catastrophic outbreak of the Plague.

In the seventh century, European countries began seeking to acquire more territory and expand their borders. It was a period of territorial and political unrest. This resulted in a number of loosely joined kingdoms under English control. They included Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex. East Anglia, Sussex, and a few others. For another century or so, the balance of power in England shifted from one kingdom to another, most notably between Mercia and Northumbria. By the middle of the ninth century, England was divided into three major kingdoms- but peace did not last for long. In 865, the Danes invaded England. In the wake of the nine-year conflict, after much loss of life, only the southernmost kingdom of Wessex, ruled by King Alfred, remained under English control. But under King Alfred and his successors, England fought back and gradually regained territory at the expense of the Danes.

In this story, the hero is a young Saxon thane (a baron who owns land), who takes part in all the battles fought by King Alfred.

Excerpt from the Dragon and the Raven by George Alfred Henty

1. "The news is bad, Edmund. The Danes are ever receiving reinforcements from Mercia, and scarce a day passes but fresh bands arrive at Thetford, and I fear that ere long East Anglia, like Northumbria, will fall into their clutches. Nay, unless we soon make head against them they will come to occupy all the island, just as did our forefathers."

2. "That were shame indeed," Edmund exclaimed. "We know that the people conquered by our ancestors were unwarlike and cowardly; but it would be shame indeed were we Saxons so to be overcome by the Danes, seeing moreover that we have the help of God, being Christians, while the Danes are pagans and idolaters."

3. "Nevertheless, my son, for the last five years these heathen have been masters of Northumbria, monasteries. At present they have but made a beginning here in East Anglia; but if they continue to flock in they will soon overrun the whole country, instead of having, as at present, a mere foothold near the rivers except for those who have come down to Thetford. We have been among the first sufferers, seeing that our lands lie round. Thetford, and hitherto I have hoped that there would be a general rising against these invaders; but the king is indolent and unwarlike, and I see that he will not arouse himself and call his ealdormen and thanes together for a united effort until it is too late.

4. Already from the north the Danes are flocking down into Mercia, and although the advent of the West Saxons to the aid of the King of Mercia forced them to retreat for a while, I doubt not that they will soon pour down again."

5. "Tis a pity, father, that the Saxons are not all under one leading. Then we might surely defend England against the Danes. If the people did but rise and fall upon each band of Northmen as they arrived, they would get no footing among us."

6. "Yes," the father replied, "it is the unhappy divisions between the Saxon kingdoms which have enabled the Danes to get so firm a footing in the land. Our only hope now lies in the West Saxons. Until lately they were at feud with Mercia. But the royal families are now related by marriage, seeing that the King of Mercia is wedded to a West Saxon princess, and that Alfred, the West Saxon king's brother and heir to the throne, has lately espoused one of the royal blood of Mercia. The fact that they marched at the call of the King of Mercia and drove the Danes from Nottingham shows that the West Saxon princes are alive to the common danger of the country. If they are but joined heartily by our people of East Anglia and the Mericans, they may yet succeed in checking the progress of these heathen. And now, Edmund, as we see no hope of any general effort to drive the Danes off our coasts, 'tis useless for us to lurk here longer. I propose tomorrow, then, to journey north into Lincolnshire, to the Abbey of Croyland, where, as you know, my brother Theodore is the abbot; there we can rest in peace for a time, and watch the progress of events."

7. While they had been thus talking Egbert had been broiling the eels and wild ducks over the fire. He was a freeman, and a distant relation of Edmund's father, Eldred, who was an ealdorman in West Norfolk, his lands lying beyond Thetford, and upon whom, therefore, the first brunt of the Danish invasion from Mercia had fallen.

In The Dragon and the Raven, the characters talk about past invasions. What attitude do they show about their country that "A Brief History of the Danes" does not reveal?

• They would rather follow the Danes than continue suffering in poverty.

• They are disappointed about how many times England has been conquered.

• They want to make sure that no other people ever invade England again.

• They are proud of their ancestors and want to uphold the example they s