THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE

Why was Alfred called “the Great”?

The answer we found is because he succeeded in/managed to defeat the Vikings. But we have to go deeper in toour research. Indeed Alfred was called “the Great” also thanks to his contribute in writing the first historical Anglo-Saxon document: “the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Whenever we speak about population or countries we have to take information from documents, events or thinkers’ ideas that are generally handed over orally from generation to generation.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recalls the most important events happened on Anglo-Saxon lands, so historians could  get from it information about their lifestyle and their social, economical and political organization.

Lifestyle

The Saxons, the Jutes and the Angles, populations coming from northern Europe, arrived into Great Britain in the 5^th and 6^th centuries. They brought with them a strong organization in addition to their Nordic religion that was based on a code of values, as a high sense of honor and absolute fidelity to their chief.

They also brought with them their farming and fishing methods, that allowed them to survive in the difficult weather conditions of the Nordic countries.

Their social structure had the family as it centre, which branched out to the clans and the tribes. Their tribe was ruled by a chief or a king who was generally the military leader.

In the social pyramid, the king was at the top, then came the earls who were nobles by born. It followed the thegns, who were the personal companions of the king. All other people were free men. They were compelled/obliged to help maintain roads, bridges and forts and provided military service when necessary.

People lived in country village where farmlands, woods, pastures and meadows were owned communally.

Language

The Anglo-Saxons imposed their language later known as Old English, which became through several modifications the English spoken today. The Celtic languages  of the native Britons survived only in Wales, Ireland and the north-west of Scotland.

Influent of Christianity

Christianity, which began to spread throughout pagan Anglo-Saxon Britons from the end of the 6^th century proved a driving force in uniting the kingdom and in opening the country to the influence of Europe.

When the Danish king Cnut (1016 – 35 b.C.) became Christian, he took pains to reconcile the Anglo-Saxons and the Danish. The Church was also very influential on aspects of culture because it introduced the writing of documents, since pagan Anglo-Saxon culture was mainly based on oral tradition. Anglo-Saxon culture was handed out orally from generation to generation. Oral culture is based on people’s ability to remember.

BEOWULF

We should wonder why do we know something about Anglo-Saxon culture.    

Beowulf is one of the most important examples of Anglo-Saxon culture. It is an epic poem, so it belongs to the genre Epic Poetry. An epic poem celebrates the great gestures and deeds of Anglo-Saxon civilization. Indeed Beowulf tells of legendary people and heroes and great events.  

We don’t have detailed information about the origins of Beowulf. We don’t know neither who wrote it nor when it was written exactly.