The Iberians
● Settled in the Neolithic period.
● They spread from the South.
● Evidences: archaeological remains  beakers or cups of early pottery.
● Land mark: Stonehenge.

The Celts
● Time: 700 B.C.
● From north-west Germany.
● Language: "Welsh" in Wales and "Gaelic" in Scotland.
● Physical appearance: tall, muscular, fair skin, blue eyes and blond hair.
● Occupation: farmers, hunters, fishermen and metal workers.
● Social works: warrior, merchants and navigators.
● Social traded: iron, tin and silver, goods, pottery and cloth between tribes.
● Clothes: cloaks, skirt and trousers dyed with striped or fastened by a piece of jewellery.
● Famous leader: Boudicca

Their priests
● Religion: Druidism (justice, education, medicine)
● Rites: ceremonies in the forest
● Special sign: mistletoe

● Worship: natural elements  Sun, Moon, trees, rivers, Water.
● Creed: immortality, transmigration of the soul from one person to another.
● Means of communication with the spiritual world: sacrifice, offerings of precious objects to the gods.

 

 

THE EUROPEAN SCENE( LATE 4TH C. - 1485)

The term ‘Middle Ages'
● Period of several centuries.
● Time: from the ancient classic era to Renaissance.

Unifying Features
● Christianity and Feudalism
● Feudalism: hierarchical structure  sovereign, vassals, serfs and their families.
● Great power to local kings and weakened central ecclesiastical authority.

Factors of change
● Invasions, crusades and travel.
● Invasions: destruction, new settlements, new kingdoms.
● Crusades: ravaged of countries, open the Eastern Mediterranean trade and travel.
● Travel: journeys for trade, pilgrimage, professional reasons  hard condition.

Emergence of Cities and the Middle Class
● Development of towns  economic and political reasons.
● Development sites: trade routes, textile towns, capitals.
● New social class: bourgeoisie or middle class  merchants and artisans.

 

 

Early and Late Middle Ages
● Period of time: from Anglo-Saxon invasions (4th century) to accession of the House of Tudor to the throne (1485).

Angles, Saxons and Jutes
● Britain under control of Rome for five centuries.
● Germanic tribes: Angles, Saxons and Jutes  settled in Britain.
● British leader: Arthur  fought against the pagan Saxon.

Anglo-Saxon England
● England began to take shape (end of the 6th C.)  seven kingdoms.
● Most powerful kingdoms: Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex.
● England unified under one Anglo-Saxon king (9th C.).

Spread of Christianity in Britain
● Augustine and other Benedictine converted the heathen English to Christianity.
● Anglo-Saxon king became Christian.
● Monasteries: Canterbury, island of Iona (west coast of Scotland), Lindisfarne (Northumbrian coast).

Viking Invasion
● Viking tribes attacked the British coast  raiding towns and settlements (787).
● Danes established in London (872)
● Anglo-Saxon defeated the Danes.

Famous Anglo-Saxon and Danish Kings
● Anglo-Saxon kings: Alfred the Great, King Edward (the Confessor).
● Danish kings: Cnut, William of Normandy.

The Historical MacBeth
● MacBeth defeated his processor Duncan in battle and took the throne.

 

The Saxon Invaders
● Germanic tribes brought: Nordic religion, strong military organization, code of values based on a high sense of honour and fidelity to their chiefs; farming and fishing methods, social structure.

Anglo-Saxon Society and Life
● Ruled by a chiefs or king  military leader.
● Earls: nobles by birth.
● Thegns: personal companions of the king.
● Freemen: lived in country village  farmland, woods, pastures, meadows.

Early Towns
● Anglo-Saxon people began to form larger communities  boroughs (8th and 9th C.).
● Boroughs: military bases, centres of trade; developed within walled fortresses and inhabited by soldiers, merchants and their families.

Language
● Anglo-Saxon language: Old English  English spoken today.
● Celtic languages: survived in Wales, Ireland and in the North-West of Scotland.

Influence of Christianity
● Unifying the kingdom and opening the country to the influence of Europe.
● Danish king Cnut: reconciled the Anglo-Saxon and the Danish elements of English society.
● Church: introduced the writing of documents.