AS Vikings

H 2031: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings: the making of England,
c.400-1000.
1 The Venerable Bede sharpening his quill pen, from a codex at Engelberg
Abbey, Switzerland.
Course Handbook
Course Co-ordinator: Professor Terry Barry
2 Welcome to this course in Senior Freshmen (2nd) year. There will be two
lectures throughout the Semester, and one tutorial per week for seven
weeks usually starting in week 3. There will be no lectures or tutorials in
‘Reading Week’ 24th February-2nd March 2014.
Lectures are WED 16.00-17.00 Room 4050B Arts Building
FRI 12.00-13.00 pm Room 5052 Arts Building.
Course Aims:
This course aims to give you an outline understanding of the major
developments in politics and society in Britain between the end of
Roman Rule and the start of the new millennium.
Outcomes:
•
•
•
•
Allow you to understand the broad chronology of the period.
Allow you to analyse the relevant literature.
Allow you also to realise the importance of key contemporary
texts in translation.
Allow you to chart the main developments in Early medieval
society in Britain.
Lectures:
1. General introduction to the course (TBB)
2. The governmental structure of Roman Britain (TBB)
3. The end of Roman Britain (TBB)
4. Background to the Anglo-Saxon invasions of Britain (TBB)
5. Anglo-Saxon Settlements (TBB)
6. The conversion of Anglo-Saxon England: The Augustinian
Mission (TBB)
7. The conversion of England: Paulinus and Northumbria (TBB)
8. Anglo-Saxon society and the Law Codes (TBB)
9. Introduction to Anglo-Saxon art and archaeology (TBB)
10. The politics of the early Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (TBB)
11. The politics of the middle Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (TBB)
12. The “Golden Age” of Northumbria (TBB)
13. Bede and Northumbria (TBB)
14. Anglo-Saxon England during the Mercian hegemony (TBB)
3 15. The Rise of Wessex (TBB)
16. Viking expansion in Western Europe (TBB)
17. The Viking invasions of England (TBB)
18. The Viking settlement of England (TBB)
19. The Viking impact on Ireland (TBB)
20. Society and Government in late Anglo-Saxon England (TBB)
21. The theory and practise of Anglo-Saxon kingship (TBB)
22. Monastic reform in 10th century England (TBB)
ESSAY QUESTIONS
1.
What is understood by the term ‘Sub-Roman’ Britain?
2.
Assess the importance of Paulinus in bringing Christianity to
Northern England.
3.
How has archaeology contributed to our understanding of the
7th-8th century kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England?
4.
What is understood by the ‘Golden Age’ of Northumbria?
5.
Discuss the major reasons behind the successful
establishment of the Danelaw?
6.
Critically analyse the main components of Anglo-Saxon
kingship.
Select Bibliography
General Books
P. H. Blair, An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England (1962).
James Campbell, The Anglo-Saxon State (2000).
D. J. V. Fisher, The Anglo-Saxon Age c. 400-1042 (1978).
K. Harrison, The Framework of Anglo-Saxon History to A.D. 900 (1976).
E. James, Britain in the First Millennium (2001).
4 E. James, Europe’s Barbarian’s AD 200-600 (2009).
H. R. Loyn, Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest (1991).
P. H. Sawyer, From Roman Britain to Norman England (1978).
F. M. Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (1971).
L. Webster and J. Backhouse (ed) The Making of England (1991).
D. Whitelock, Beginnings of English Society
D. Whitelock (ed.), English Historical Documents vol. I (500-1042)
Ann Williams, Kingship and Government in Pre-Conquest England, c.5001066 (1999).
Specific Topics
L. Alcock, Arthur's Britain (2001)
Maurice Barley and R.W. C. Hanson (eds.), Christianity in Britain, 300-700
(1968).
Stephen Bassett (ed.), The Origins of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms (1989).
Wendy Davies (ed.), From the Vikings to the Normans, 800-1100 (2009)
R. Bruce-Mitford, The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial , 3 vols (1976-83).
R. Bruce-Mitford, The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial: A Handbook (1968).
J. B. Bury, A History of the later Roman Empire (1958).
Martin Carver, Sutton Hoo Burial Ground of Kings? (1998).
http://www.suttonhoo.org/archaeology.htm
Thomas Charles-Edwards, ‘The Arthur of History’, in R. Bromwich et al,
eds., The Arthur of the Welsh ( 1991), pp. 15-33.
R. Collingwood and J. F. L. Myres, Roman Britain and the English
settlements (1949).
5 P. Clemoes and K. Hughes (eds), England before the Conquest (1971).
S. S. Frere, Britannia: a history of Roman Britain (1987).
Edward Gibbons,The history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire
(1776–81).
Seamus Heaney (trans), Beowulf (1999).
Nicholas Higham, The English Conquest: Gildas and Britain in the Fifth
Century (1994).
Joan Liversidge, Britain in the Roman Empire (1973).
J. Morris (ed.), Gildas (1978).
J. Morris (ed.), Nennius (1980).
J. Morris, The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650
(1973).
P. Sims-Williams, "Gildas and the Anglo-Saxons", Cambridge Medieval
Celtic Studies 6 (1983), 1-30.
Leo Sherley-Price (trans.), Bede: A History of the English Church and
People (1965).
Ann Williams, Kingship and Government in Pre-Conquest England, 5001066 (1999).
D. M. Wilson, The Anglo-Saxons (1971).
Specific Topics II
P. H. Blair (ed), Northumbria in the Days of Bede (1976).
P. Brandon (ed.), The South Saxons (1978).
James Campbell, The Anglo-Saxon State (2000).
A. Dornier (ed.), Mercian Studies (1977).
6 Dawn Hadley, The Northern Danelaw: Its social structure, c.800-1100
(2000).
D. Hinton, Alfred's Kingdom (1977).
K. Leahy & R. Bland, The Staffordshire Hoard (2009).
H. R. Loyn, The Governance of Anglo-Saxon England, 500-1087 (1984).
A. P. Smyth, King Alfred the Great (1995).
Tutorials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The end of Roman rule: Gildas
The coming of Christianity: Bede and Letters of Gregory
Beowulf
Asser and Alfred
The Viking Invasion: Battle of Maldon
The Burghal Hidage.
Wulfstan’s Institutes of Polity.
[email protected]
Room 3148.
7

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