English Literature 1- REVISION (Historical Background)

Where did the Celts come from originally?

• From Northern Scotland.

• From Germany, Western and Central Europe.

• From Cornwall and Wales

• From Ireland

The most important figures in a Celtic tribe were these 3:

How did the Celtic tribes in Britain contribute to English Literature?

• They left us stories such as that of Tristan & Isolde.

• They left us legends passed on by word of mouth.

• They left us romantic legends like that of King Arthur and also Gaelic, still spoken in Wales.

• They left us their love for Nature, trees and lakes.

Who was the first Roman who tried to conquer Britain [or Britannia - as the Roman eventually named this province]?

Choose the answer that best describe the Roman contribution to British literature and culture:

• They built huge walls, stone roads and villas. They enriched English with their Latin and taught people to read and write.

• They 'civilised' the Britons with their order, their buildings, their legions, their religion (Christianity) and their trade opportunities.

• They erased the Celtic heritage and replaced it with theirs, based on Latin and Christianity.

• They contributed to English through the introduction of Latin ( new words), to civilisation through their discipline, their stone villas and roads and their love of order. And they brought Christianity, which changed Britons' lives forever.

When the Romans left in circa 410 BCE, the Angles, Saxons and Jutes invaded and... (choose the most complete answer)

• enslaved the Britons, pillaged and burnt villages and destroyed the Roman heritage. But then, they chose the most fertile land to settle down and grow cattle and crops.

• They pillaged and burned the Britons, enslaving and killing hundreds. Later, they fought among themselves for predominance.

• They destroyed the Roman buildings, raped women and enslaved everybody. Afterwards, they settled down as farmers in 7 kingdoms.

Write 3 adjectives that define the Anglo-Saxons: What were they like?

Which King was brave enough to fight and defeat (at least for a time) the feared Danes in the 9th Century ?

Which of these elements were most important to shape Anglo-Saxon Literature?

• 1.The tradition of passing by word of mouth the sagas of their warriors to the future generations.

  2.The sharing of food and mead.

  3. The giving of "rings" by the chief of the tribe to his warriors.

• 1.The Mead Hall, where families would gather and listen to the scop or gleeman reciting whole sagas.

  2.The deeds of their warriors, remembered forever in poems passed on by word of mouth.

  3. The use of literary devices (alliteration, caesura, etc) to help the scop / gleeman remember the lines.

• 1. The scop composing (in his head) the poems later recited by him or a gleeman.

  2. The sound of the harp, which accompanied the recitation.

  3. The sense of a shared heritage and a shared past in the tribe.