Overview:
Spanning from the 5th century when Germanic tribes inhabited the island of modern-day England to 1066 when they were taken over by the Normans, the Anglo-Saxon period consisted many moments forever ingrained in history. The Anglo-Saxon people sprouted the seed in which would one day sprout to become the English nation we know today. Accomplishments of the Anglo-Saxons were the advancements in government and law, the growth of Christianity, a flowering in literature, and the language in which was called “Old English” that became the English spoken by people of the UK in modern day time.
The Anglo-Saxon empire began as separate kingdoms (Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Kent, and Wessex) but under the face of the treat of the Vikings (or Danes as they called them) who often raided Anglo-Saxon land (most notably at the monastery in Lindisfarne 793, in which this trend started) they united as one (along with the Kingdome of Danelaw that consisted of Danish people that had settled) under Athelstan in 927, who had already been stylized with the title “King of the Anglo-Saxon” due to the house of Wessex being formerly the ruling house. The power of the house of Wessex had been established by Alfred the Great, who had drove back the Danish people in their attempt at conquest, ruling as King of Wessex from 871 to 899. He was the only English ruler to have been given the title “The Great”
Reflection:
Each of the Categories in my scrapbook was carefully picked out and each represents a key point of the culture and history of the Anglo Saxons. The page In which is titled “Famous People” was used to present a handful of famous rulers that left a mark in Anglo-Saxon history, along with a famous poet that is still remember today. The page of Food and Drinks represents what was available to the people to eat, along with the unavailability of meat and the difficulties and precautious the people had to take due to the pollutions of the local waters. The entertainment page shows the games in which the people played using the resources they had (such as wooden boards with stone pieces and die made from knuckle bones), the physical sports of horseback, wrestling and swimming that was popular at the time, and the art of music and reciting of literature, in which was a common practice. The inventions/technology page demonstrates the technology the Anglo-Saxons invented or utilized in an attempt to simplify life. Lastly, the postcard page tells of the experiences of visiting the Anglo-Saxon empire first hand, and what it would be like for someone in modern times to visit the empire of old.
Synthesis:
Throughout conducting my research for the Scrapbook, I found bits of information that greatly startled and intrigued me. First of all, I was alarmed by how often the people of the separate Anglo-Saxon kingdoms fought among themselves. When I first started research on the Anglo-Saxon people, I thought of them as one. As I continued further with my studies, I found that they were in fact separate (at first). The different kingdoms often fought with each other, in attempt to gain full power over all of the land. An example of this is King Offa of Mercia, who fought and gained control of much of the Anglo-Saxon land. He was regarded as the most powerful ruler before Alfred the Great. It wasn’t until Alfred that the Anglo-Saxons realized their similar roots and cultural similarities that they became one to push back the Danish invaders, in which they successfully did, denying their attempt at full-scale conquest. Also, the information that I found concerning the diet of the people greatly puzzled me. It was interesting to learn that the people were mostly vegetarian due to meat being expensive and reserved for the wealthy and the fact that people mostly drank a light alcoholic beverage to stay hydrated, as opposed to the water that was polluted and would result in sickness if consumed. If I had the choice to experience the culture I would, In order to see firsthand the amazing lifestyle and culture of the people who overcame the unavoidable struggles of the Dark Ages and problems of the ancient world, in which modern technology we take for granted was not at hand.
Spanning from the 5th century when Germanic tribes inhabited the island of modern-day England to 1066 when they were taken over by the Normans, the Anglo-Saxon period consisted many moments forever ingrained in history. The Anglo-Saxon people sprouted the seed in which would one day sprout to become the English nation we know today. Accomplishments of the Anglo-Saxons were the advancements in government and law, the growth of Christianity, a flowering in literature, and the language in which was called “Old English” that became the English spoken by people of the UK in modern day time.
The Anglo-Saxon empire began as separate kingdoms (Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Kent, and Wessex) but under the face of the treat of the Vikings (or Danes as they called them) who often raided Anglo-Saxon land (most notably at the monastery in Lindisfarne 793, in which this trend started) they united as one (along with the Kingdome of Danelaw that consisted of Danish people that had settled) under Athelstan in 927, who had already been stylized with the title “King of the Anglo-Saxon” due to the house of Wessex being formerly the ruling house. The power of the house of Wessex had been established by Alfred the Great, who had drove back the Danish people in their attempt at conquest, ruling as King of Wessex from 871 to 899. He was the only English ruler to have been given the title “The Great”
Reflection:
Each of the Categories in my scrapbook was carefully picked out and each represents a key point of the culture and history of the Anglo Saxons. The page In which is titled “Famous People” was used to present a handful of famous rulers that left a mark in Anglo-Saxon history, along with a famous poet that is still remember today. The page of Food and Drinks represents what was available to the people to eat, along with the unavailability of meat and the difficulties and precautious the people had to take due to the pollutions of the local waters. The entertainment page shows the games in which the people played using the resources they had (such as wooden boards with stone pieces and die made from knuckle bones), the physical sports of horseback, wrestling and swimming that was popular at the time, and the art of music and reciting of literature, in which was a common practice. The inventions/technology page demonstrates the technology the Anglo-Saxons invented or utilized in an attempt to simplify life. Lastly, the postcard page tells of the experiences of visiting the Anglo-Saxon empire first hand, and what it would be like for someone in modern times to visit the empire of old.
Synthesis:
Throughout conducting my research for the Scrapbook, I found bits of information that greatly startled and intrigued me. First of all, I was alarmed by how often the people of the separate Anglo-Saxon kingdoms fought among themselves. When I first started research on the Anglo-Saxon people, I thought of them as one. As I continued further with my studies, I found that they were in fact separate (at first). The different kingdoms often fought with each other, in attempt to gain full power over all of the land. An example of this is King Offa of Mercia, who fought and gained control of much of the Anglo-Saxon land. He was regarded as the most powerful ruler before Alfred the Great. It wasn’t until Alfred that the Anglo-Saxons realized their similar roots and cultural similarities that they became one to push back the Danish invaders, in which they successfully did, denying their attempt at full-scale conquest. Also, the information that I found concerning the diet of the people greatly puzzled me. It was interesting to learn that the people were mostly vegetarian due to meat being expensive and reserved for the wealthy and the fact that people mostly drank a light alcoholic beverage to stay hydrated, as opposed to the water that was polluted and would result in sickness if consumed. If I had the choice to experience the culture I would, In order to see firsthand the amazing lifestyle and culture of the people who overcame the unavoidable struggles of the Dark Ages and problems of the ancient world, in which modern technology we take for granted was not at hand.