An analysis of the religious ideas before and during the emergence of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England, and an exploration of the forms of art, literature and craftsmanship of the time.

1. Anglo-Saxon CultureAnglo-Saxon Culture
Focus:
To discuss the dominance of Christianity.
To discuss types and forms of art, literature and
craftsmanship [e.g. Fuller Brooch]

2. ArchitectureArchitecture
Early Anglo-Saxon buildings were
generally simple – usually made of
timber, with thatched roofs.
Anglo-Saxons preferred to build small
towns near their means of agriculture,
at fords in rivers or sited to serve as
ports.
In each town a main hall was in the
centre.
At least 50 churches are of Anglo-
Saxon origin, which were mostly made
of stone or brick.

3. ArtArt
 Art, before the time of Alfred the Great, was a
mixture of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic techniques
and motifs.
 The Sutton Hoo treasure is an exceptional
example of early Anglo-Saxon treasure and
jewelry – from a royal grave of the early 7th
century.
 Anglo- Saxon art is mainly known through
‘illuminated manuscripts’ – texts which are
decorated in initials, borders and miniature
images.
 Master-pieces of the late ‘Winchester’ style was
a mixture of Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Carolingian,
and Byzantine art.
 Anglo-Saxon gold-smithing and embroidery
were considered especially fine by
contemporaries in Europe.
 The best known piece of Anglo-Saxon Art was
the Bayeux Tapestry.
 Anglo-Saxon artists also worked with Fresco,
Ivory, Stone carving, Metal work, and Enamel.

4. Sutton HooSutton Hoo

5. Bayeux TapestryBayeux Tapestry

6. Fuller BroochFuller Brooch
 A piece of late 9th
century piece of Anglo-Saxon
art.
 Its centre roundel is decorated with
personifications of the five senses. In the centre
is Sight with large staring oval eyes, surrounded
by the other four senses, each in his own
compartment. Taste has a hand in his mouth.
Smell's hands are behind his back, and he stands
between two tall plants. Touch rubs his hands
together. Hearing holds his hand to his ear.
This is the earliest known representation of the
five senses. The outer border consists of 16
small medallions decorated with human, bird,
animal and plant motifs.
 The brooch has remained in remarkable
condition.

7. LiteratureLiterature
Genres included: epic
poems, the biographies of
saints, sermons, Bible
translations, legal works,
chronicles, riddles, and
others.
There are only 400 surviving
manuscripts from the
period.
The most famous of these
works is Beowulf, a poem of

8. Anglo Saxon RiddleAnglo Saxon Riddle
When I am alive I do not speak.
Anyone who wants to takes me captive and
cuts off my head.
They bite my bare body
I do no harm to anyone unless they cut me
first.
Then I soon make them cry.

9. AnswerAnswer
An Onion

10. ReligionReligion
 The indigenous religion of the Anglo-Saxons was
of Germanic Paganism – very closely related to the
Old Norse religion.
 Christianity eventually superseded this belief,
around the 7th
and 8th
century – starting with a
Celtic version of Christianity but then gradually
turned to Roman Catholic.
 Christianity made an outright prohibition on any
pagan customs in any form.
 Despite this, many pre-Christian ways stayed in
Anglo-Saxon culture, for example the days of the
week:
 Tuesday after Tiw[Tyr],
 Wednesday after Woden[Odin],
 Thursday after Þunor[Thor],
 and Friday after Fríge [Frigg]

11. Moe info on Religion
Essay- Assess the development of the
Christian Church in Anglo-Saxon Society.
EXAM SKILLS