The Origins of a Nation---Early English History

Early English History The Origins of a Nation What shapes a nation Foreign invasionsBritain is better remembered for its past, or its longhistory, and the British history has been a history of invasions.When we talk about British people, we should be clear about the origin of them.The forefathers of British people had different national origins.A.I berians (伊比利亚人)The first known settlers of British people were Iberians. They came to Britain at about 3,000 BC during the New Stone Age. They probably came from the Iberian peninsular, now Spain. They are a dark-haired Mediterranean race. They are short in height, dark in skin and long in head. They were farming folk who kept animals and grew crops.B . Celts (凯尔特人)By the end of the Bronze Age, around 700 BC Celtic people had arrived from northwestern Europe, now France, Belgium and southern Germany. Celts are tall in height, blond in hair and somewhat aggressive. Their language was called the Celtic language. When they came, they brought with them a revolutionary new skill: iron-working. Celtscontinued to come and settle in Britain for about 500 years. They di dn’t kill off the Iberians. They drove some of them to the north and west, kept the rest as slaves and in the end the two races mixed to varying extent in different parts of the country. The Celtic tribes are ancestors of the Highland Scots, the Irish and the Welsh, and their languages are the basis of both Welsh and Gaelic.C. RomansBritish recorded history begins with the Roman invasion.In 55BC, Julius Caesar, the great Roman general, invaded Britain for the first time. He landed in Kent with several thousand men. He met resistance and bad weather, so he decided to withdraw. He returned the following year. Yet, the successful invasion did not take place until nearly a century later, in AD 43, headed by the Emperor Claudius.So at last Romans came. When they came, they brought with them their laws, taxes, engineering skills, architecture and social system as well as theirlanguage, Latin. They also brought the new religion, Christianity, to Britain. Christianity came at first by indirect means, probably brought by traders and soldiers, and was quite well established later.The Romans made good use of Britain’s natural resources, mining lead, iron and tin锡and manufacturing pottery陶器. Though, the Romans gave the Britons a good deal of their civilization, they never settled in Britain in large numbers. They departed in AD411. They left behind a well-established Celtic-Roman culture. They also left behind the first written description of the land and its peoples.Reasons for withdraw in AD 410:a. barbarians from Eastern Europe at the gates of Rome;b. repeated attacks from Picts, so called because of their “painted faces”蓝军, and Scots;Ways to keep Picts: They built two great walls to keep the Picts out of the area they had conquered. These were Hadrian’s Wall and Antonine Wall.c. needing to set up a new military front on the east coast to hold off the Germanic Saxon tribes invading from Europe.D. Anglo-Saxons (盎格鲁-撒克逊人)In the 5th century AD, groups of people from North Europe came to settle in England. They were the Angles, Saxons and Jutes. These Germanic peoples form the basis of the modern English race. Theybrought in Old English, which was to become the official language of the nation. From AD 450 to 600, they gradually took control of most of the country. They became Christians and settled down as farmers. The name England is in fact derived from Anglo-land. The “Eng-”part comes from the word Angles. The word “English” means “ the language that belongs to the Angles.” Because “-ish” means “belonging to.” 1．Anglo-Saxons and the found of Heptarchy The Anglo-Saxons were three tribes of the Germanic people who originally lived in the northwest of modern Germany. In the mid-5th century a new wave of invaders, Jutes, Saxons, and Angles came to Britain. They were three Teutonic tribes.The leader of Jutes, Hengist, became the King of Kent in 449.Then the Saxons established their kingdoms in Essex, Sussex and Wessex from the end of 5th century to the beginning of the 6th century.The Angles settled in East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. These seven principal kingdoms ofKent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria have been given the name of Heptarchy.2．In 829, Egbert, King of Wessex, became an overlord of all the English.King Arthur was the ruler of England in the 6th century. According to legendary stories, Arthur was the bastard私生子of the king of England. After the king died, Arthur was brought up secretly by an ordinary man. When he grew up, he got from the stone successfully the supernatural sword (神剑). This he was made sure the king of England.Many people know the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. According to the story, Arthur’s knights were often arguing about the seats while having meetings. Arthur was annoyed, then he ordered his men to have the big round table as the table for meetings. In this way, there would be no difference between the seats, and there would be no arguments over the seats. Maybe that’s the origin of round tables for meetings.King Arthur’s Round TableIn Arthurian legend, based on stories about the Anglo-Saxon hero King Arthur, the Round Table at Camelot served as a gathering place for Arthur’s knights. The table’s shape ensured that all who sat around it were equals. This replica of the Round Table can be seen at Winchester Castle in England.E.D anesNext came the Viking raiders (维金人/北欧海盗) from Scandinavia and Danes from Denmark. They attacked various parts of England from the end of the 8th century. They became a serious problem in the 9th century. They even managed to capture York, an important center of Christianity in 847. They plundered掠夺the coastlands and islands but eventually, they too settled, intermarried通婚andfused with the local population. During the 9th and 10th centuries, England was divided almost in half between the Viking Danes in the east and northeast and the Saxons in the west. By the end of the 10th century, however, the Saxons controlled most of the country. (Alfred the Great defeated the Danes and came to a relatively friendly agreement with them in 879.)Alfred was born in 849 at Oxfordshire and died in 901. He was one of the earliest and greatest of English Kings. He was also a pillar of light灯塔in the Dark Ages.The Dark Ages is a period of time in European history from 5th to the 11th centuries (黑暗时代). It is called the Dark Ages because this period of time was lacking in cultural achievements while ignorance and harsh despotism暴政became the ruling force.Alfred was the Saxon King. In 835, Danes began to come to England. The year 835 was the time before Alfred was born. So when Alfred became the King in 871 AD. The Danes were already in England in large numbers. They were threatening to take over England.Situation was bad for Alfred. Yet, he began to lead his men to fight against the Danes bravely. He reorganized the land army. At the same time, he built boats to fight against the Danes on the sea and rivers. Thus, he got the name of “the Fath er of the British Navy.”Of course, it was not easy for Alfred and his men to defeat the Danes, for the Danes were already very strong at the time. In the spring of 878, Alfred was defeated and compelled to flee逃跑for refuge.Many people know the story of “Alfred and the Burnt Cake” (烧焦的饼子). It’s said that once Alfred was surrounded by the Danes when he was in a farmhouse in the Danes’ occupied area. To hide from the Danes, the hostess of the house asked him to bake the cake. Alfred was so busy thinking of the ways of defeating the invading Danes that he let the cakes burn. Just at this time, the Danes came into the house in searching of Alfred. The hostess was a clever lady. She was pretending to scold Alfred for his burning of the cakes. In this way, he was not recognized by the Danes. Two months later, Alfred came out of his hiding place and organized his army again and beganhis plan for a counter attack反击. He finally defeated the Danes. But he was not able to drive the Danes out of the country. He made a treaty协议with them, allowing them to keep the northern and eastern parts of England.Alfred liberated half of England. Yet, he still worried about the Danes. He began to build the system of defense. Thus, he was regarded as an outstanding military leader in the British history.However, King Alfred did great contributions in peace.1) He established many schools.2) He took the lead to learn Latin.3) He repaired the churches and monasteries.4) He did translations and writings, which have been called the beginning of literature in England.Anglo-Saxon chronicleAlfred died in 901. After his death, more Danes came to England, because the later kings were not very strong. At last, a Danish King was put on the throne王冠. Yet, this Danish king didn’t rule long, and so didn’t his two sons. After their death, therewas no other man of the Danish royal family suitable for the throne. So, in 1042, Edward,an Englishman became the king. Edward ruled over England for 24 years. His main contribution as a king was the building of Westminster Abbey.Westminster Abbey was founded in 1065, one year before the death of Edward. From the 11th century to the 16th century, the palace was the reigning king’s place of residence. After the middle of the 16th century the king stopped to live at Westminster. Westminster is famous for its Poets’ Corner, which has been the traditional burial groundof the most famous English poets. Moreover, it is a place of coronation加冕for all the kings and queens since the Norman Conquest.F.Norman ConquestIn 1066, William of Normandy (William the conqueror) landed with a large armed force on the south coast and won a great victory over the Saxons (in the Battle of Hasting). William the conqueror and his followers set up a strong central government. This brought a new unified discipline and control to the country. They made French the official language and firmly established the feudal system封建体制. The king granted land to the aristocracy贵族. The French influence was so strong that many aspects of England’s social and cultural life became totally French.The Norman Conquest was the last invasion of England by foreigners.A) Norman ConquestThen in 1066, Edward died. Upon his deathbed, he recommended Harold as his successor继承人.Harold was Edward’s wife’s brother. He was also a great warrior. Yet, he was not from the royal family. He was accepted as king only upon Edward’s recommendation. So this gave rise to great dispute. William, Edward’s cousin表兄, was then Duke of Normandy. He was very angry when he heard the news that Harold became the king of England. He thought he should be the successor as the king of England. And this led to the Norman Conquest.Harold knew that William would come to measure swords 比剑with him. He was prepared to fight, placing an army on the southern coast of England to watch for William’s coming. Several months passed by and William failed to appear. When the harvest ti me in England came, many of Harold’s soldiers went back to their homes to gather in the crops. The coast was thus left undefended.William seized the chance and landed his army in Southeastern England without opposition in September 1066. Harold, who was fighting in the north, hurried back with his men. The two armies met near Hastings in Southeastern England. TheNormans, armed with bows and arrows, defeated the Anglo-Saxons who fought with battle-axes斧子. Harold was killed. This is the famous Battle of Hastings in English history.But the Normans were not so strong as to storm London directly. They crossed the Thames River and established their camps扎营a few miles from the city, cutting its connection with the hinterland(腹地). Finally, London was forced to give in and a big group of noblemen and churchmen came out of the city to welcome William. So on Christmas Day, 1066, Duke William was crowned in Westminster Abbey.William I of EnglandWilliam I, known as William the Conqueror, was king of England from 1066 to 1087. As king, William reorganized the feudal system, making all landholders swear greater loyalty to him rather than to theirseparate lords. William also ordered an exhaustive survey of the landed wealth in his realm. The written results, known as the Domesday Book, helped determine the revenues owed him by his subjects.After William was crowned the king of England (William I), the Norman aristocracy began to rule over a largely Saxon and English-speaking population. And this produces another of England’s heroic legends, the legend of Robin Hood.Robin Hood is a legendary hero of medieval中世纪England. In most tales about him, Robin Hood leads an outlaw band called the Merry Men in brave forest adventures. The Merry Men fight authority当权政府and rob the rich to give to the poor. For more than 600 years, the adventures of Robin Hood have been celebrated in stories, poems, ballads民谣, and motion pictures.The stories of Robin Hood are typically set in England between the 1100s and the 1400s. Most of the events take place in or near Sherwood Forest. The stories about Robin celebrate his courage, generosityand skill in archery (剑术). He does not hesitate to fight and steal from his enemies, but he always shows compassion (同情) for the poor, protects women and children, and offers assistance to anyone of honor.Although Robin fights to overturn the power of rich landowners, church leaders, and government representatives, he and his band respect the authority of the ruling king, who in most stories is Richard I. In many stories, the king disguises 乔装himself and joins the Merry Men, intending to capture Robin. But the king then discovers Robin’s honorable ways and pardons him.A number of prominent authors wrote about Robin Hood in the 18th and 19th centuries, including Sir Walter Scott and John Keats. In England during the Victorian Age (1837-1901), the legend became a popular inspiration for children's tales.Robin HoodThe legendary hero Robin Hood is a popular figure from English folklore. According to the stories about him, he led a band of outlaws called the Merry Men, who robbed from the rich to give to the poor.Statue of Robin HoodEnglish ballads tell the story of the outlaw Robin Hood, who lived in England’s Sherwood Forest. No one knows for sure if Robin Hood existed, but the ballads about him give valuable information about English society in the late 14th and early 15th century.B) Influence of the Norman ConquestThe Norman Conquest was the last invasion of England by foreigners. Since then, no foreign invaders have ever set foot on this country. The Norman Conquest sped up the development offeudalism封建主义in England. The development of feudal aristocracy resulted in the appearance of noble titles. What’s more, the Norman way of life, French civilization imposed itself on the English people. And one of the most striking manifestations(证明) of the great influence of the conquerors was naturally to be seen in the language. The Norman continued to speak French for about three centuries after their conquest of England while their English subjects（仆人）retained their English tongue, which had developed into “Middle English”. The period of Middle English began soon after 1066. The Normans and the Anglo-Saxons,however, gradually got mixed and became intermingled融合.Exercises:1.Who are said to be the first forefathers of British people? (Iberians)2.When Celts went to Britain, they brought with them a revolutionary new skill. What is it? (iron working)3.Who introduced Christianity to Britain? (Romans)4.Who introduced Latin to Britain? (Romans)5.Who formed the basis of the Modern English race? (Angles, Saxons and Jutes) The Origins of a Nation(5000 BC -1066)Ⅰ.Settlers (5000 BC –55 BC)1.Iberians (the first known settlers)①At about 3000 BC, these short, dark and long-headed people came to Britain, probablyfrom the Iberian Peninsula, now Spain.②Long barrows in Wiltshire and Dorset were their communal burial mounds.③Stonehenge in Wiltshire is more dramatic monuments, which may have religious andpolitical means.2.Beaker Folk①At about 2000 BC they come from the areas now known as Holland and the Rhineland.②They took the name from their bell-shaped drinking vessels with which they wereburied in crouching positions in individual graves.③They built hill forts, with the finest examples of Maiden Castle.3.Celts①A taller and fairer race began to arrive about 700 BC.②They may originally come from eastern and central Europe, now France, Belgium andsouthern Germany.③They came in three main waves: a. Gaels at 600 BC (Gaelic); b. Brythons at 400 BC; c.Belgae at 150 BC (industrious and vigorous).④The Celtic bribes are ancestors of Highland Scots, the Irish and the Welsh, and theirlanguages are the basis of both Welsh and Gaelic.⑤The Celts’ religion was Druidism (human sacrifices). The Druids were the wise men,astrologers and soothsayers.Ⅱ.Roman Britain (55BC-410AD)1.Roman ConquestBritish recorded history begins with the Roman invasion. Julius Caesar, invaded Britain for the first time in 55BC. He returned the following year, but he didn’t succeed. The successful invasion was take place in AD43, headed by the Emperor Claudius.2.Reasons for untotal occupation: a. some parts of the country resist; b. Roman troops wereoften withdraw from Britain to fight in other parts of Roman Empire.3.Ways to keep Picts: They built two great walls to keep the Picts, so called because of their“painted faces”, out of the area they had conquered. These were Hadrian’s Wall and Antonine Wall.4.Three problemsa.Picts still attacked them periodically;b.Saxon pirates attacked them in the southeast;c.Control was only effective in the south-eastern part of the country.5.Achievementwork of towns and roads.①Caster and Chester means camp.②Capital: London (Londinium).③Two cities: York had been created as a northern stronghold; Bath rapidlydeveloped because of its waters.b.Make use of Britain’s natural resou rces, mining lead, iron and tin and manufacturingpottery.6.Religion: Christianity.7.Reasons for withdraw in AD 410: a. barbarians from Eastern Europe at the gates of Rome;b. repeated attacks from Picts and Scots;c. needing to set up a new military front on theeast coast to hold off the Germanic Saxon tribes invading from Europe.8.Why was the Roman influence on Britain so limited?The Romans always treated the Britons as a subject people of slave class. Never during the4 centuries did the Romans and Britons intermarry. The Romans had no impact on thelanguage or culture of ordinary Britons.Ⅲ.Anglo-Saxons (446-871)1.Anglo-Saxons and the found of HeptarchyThe Anglo-Saxons were three tribes of the Germanic people who originally lived in the northwest of modern Germany. In the mid-5th century a new wave of invaders, Jutes, Saxons, and Angles came to Britain. They were three Teutonic tribes. The leader of Jutes, Hengist, became the King of Kent in 449. Then the Saxons established their kingdoms in Essex, Sussex and Wessex from the end of 5th century to the beginning of the 6th century.The Angles settled in East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. These seven principalkingdoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria have been given the name of Heptarchy.2.Wars among Heptarchya.Offa, King of Mercia, built the great earthwork known as Offa’s Dyke, control for along time virtually all central, eastern and south-eastern England.b.In 829, Egbert, King of Wessex, became an overlord of all the English.3.Religiona.Teutonic religion (The names Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday derive fromtheir gods)b.Christianity①Columba, 563, convert north commoner.②In 597, Pope GregoryⅠsent St. Augustine, the Prior of St. Andrew’s Monasteryin Rome, to England to convert the heathen English to Christianity. In 597, St.Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Augustine was remarkablysuccessful in converting the king and the nobility, but the conversion of thecommon people was largely due to the missionary activities of the monks in thenorth.c.Disagreement: The Roman missionaries held that the Pope’s authority was supreme,and the Celtic missionaries held that Christian belief did not require a final earthlyarbiter. They held a conference at Whitby in 664. Finally, the Roman missionariesgained the upper hand.4.AchievementsThe Anglo-Saxons laid the foundations of the English state. They divided the country into shires. They devised the narrow-strip, three-field farming system. They also established the manorial system. And they created the Witan.5.QuestionsⅣ.Viking and Danish1.The Norwegian Vikings and the Danes from Denmark attacked various parts of Englandfrom the end of the 8th century. They became a serious problem in the 9th century, especially between 835 and 878. The Vikings and the Danes were posing a threat to the Saxon kingdom.2.Alfred, king of Wessex was strong enough to defeat the Danes and came to a relativelyfriendly agreement with them in 879.a.Danes gained control of north and east of E ngland, i.e. “the Danelaw”.b.Alfred, king of Wessex, rule the rest.3.Alfred’s achievements.Alfred, king of Wessex, is known as “the father of the British navy” as he founded a strong fleet which first beat the Danes at sea, then protected the coasts and encouraged trade. He also reorganized the fyrd (the Saxon army), making it more efficient. Alfred, who is said to have taught himself Latin at the age of 40, translated into English Bede’s Ecclesiastical history of the English People. A learned man himself, he encouraged learning in others, established schools and formulated a legal system. This, as well as his admirable work with the army and the navy, makes him worthy of his title “Alfred the Great”.4.Successors.a.King Ethelred the Unready tried paying the invaders, who renewed invasions becausethe successors reconquered the Danelaw, to stay away by imposing a tax, called thedanegeld, on his people.b.Canute, the Danish leader, was chosen by Witan as king. He made England part ofScandinavian empire which included Norway as well as Denmark.Ⅴ.The Norman Conquest (1066)1.Background: King is also said to have promised the English throne to William, Duke ofNormandy. But, when Edward was on his deathbed, four men laid claim to the English throne. Finally, the Witan chose Harold as king. Four men: King of Norway / Tostig ←→Harold (king) →Duke of Normandy( join together ) ( fight ) ( fight )2.Process: ①1066.10.14, the battle on Senlac Field (near Hastings), where Harold waskilled; ②1066 Christmas, William crowned King of England by the Archbishop of York.3.Measure to face Saxon risings in the north: “harrying of the north”.Significance: The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the Conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England. Relations with the Continent were opened, and civilization and commerce were extended. Norman-French culture, language, manners, and architecture were introduced. The Church was brought into closer connection with Rome, and the church courts were separated from the civil courts.。