Anglo Saxon Influence

To many people, the Anglo-Saxons may seem brutish, uncultured, and primitive. After all, they were essentially the Viking’s counterpart during the Middle Ages. However, this belief is merely a misconception—the Anglo-Saxons were a complex, advanced society with rigid social structures, customs, and most important, individual rights, an idea that is conventionally thought of as a modern invention. Since then, these unprecedented ideas and traditions have become the basis of the current English society and continue to influence and govern people’s lives today.

Though, England would not have faced this influence had it not been for the initial British invasion of the Anglo-Saxons. In 449, the German Anglo-Saxons along with the Danish Jutes sailed across the North Sea and began a series of invasions. Between 449 and 600, they invaded England in large waves, first settling in the east before driving westward. Eventually, they were able to successfully drive out the Britons who previously resided there. The Anglo-Saxons then

settled in the region of the Elbe and Weser estuaries, as well as its lower courses.
During these times, Christianity, as well as Roman culture, virtually disappeared. Early place names indicated purely Pagan worship. For example, Thursley was known as “Thor’s Glade”, while Frigidene was known as “Frigg’s Meadow”. However, in 597, the Anglo-Saxons were gradually converted to Christianity by missionaries sent by Pope Gregory the Great. Gradually, the Germanic runes were replaced by the Latin alphabet and Christianity began to be assimilated into Anglo-Saxon culture. The Pagan character became rare and a symbol of individual expression. In the meantime, the culture developed a common Christian significance. Christian relics became plentiful, as many secular items such as jewelry and belt buckled became hallowed with the inscription of religious symbols. Churches became more widespread and graveyards began to produce Christian monuments.
However, this is not to say that Pagan culture was completely eliminated from Anglo-Saxon society – the Pagan tradition of cremation was the common burial practice until the fall of the Roman Empire. As a result, cemeteries containing urns were widespread. Urns were typically adored with baroque decorations, bulges, knops, and stamps. In addition, many also had articles such as brooches, parts of belts, and small utensils. In addition to urn adornment, items were buried with people in both cremations and inhumations. Typically, Pagans were buried with clothes, jewelry, and pottery, as well as with weapons.
It makes sense that Anglo-Saxons would be buried with weapons—after all, fighting is their way of life. Kings were expected to display the heroic ideal and rush into battle headlong. On the other hand, they were also expected to dish out battles to their warriors so that they could share the same pride. Moreover, the Anglo-Saxons believed that avenging the death of a murdered family member is of paramount importance. In fact, not doing so is considered a social disgrace. However, this feeling of vengeance can spiral into a never-ending blood feud. There were only a few ways to end a blood feud. One way was to pay the “wergild” which is the man’s price, while another way was to arrange a marriage between the two families. Though, since fighting was deemed so honorable, these agreements were rarely effective. Furthermore, though Anglo-Saxon society was patriarchal, women’s rights may have prevented an arranged marriage as well. A woman could not be married without her consent. In addition, she could own her own goods, rule a kingdom if her husband died, and could own property in her own right.
A typical dwelling consisted of a hut with a sunken floor, where humans lived with the pit. Though this conception was the common belief, recent excavations have uncovered hearths at ground level, which could indicate that the pit functioned as cellars instead. In addition to these huts, there were also rectangular houses which bore family resemblance. They had the both characteristic double square as well as opposing doors in the middle of the two longer sides. These rectangular houses were extremely similar to Anglo-Saxon royal palaces—they were smaller, but were the same type of building. However, they did not resemble continental structures such as English longhouses; perhaps it is because they preferred more simple architecture, but also perhaps because they did not have as much as a need to have copious amounts of space to house animals.
In fact, meat was not a significant part of their diet— they predominantly ate grains such as oatmeal, rye, and barley. Still, people ate some beef and pork, especially soldiers who depended on lard for provisions. In the sweltering heat, the meat would often become rancid. As a result, people coated it with herbs and spices to offset the taste. In addition to meat, people also ate fish, which were caught using lines, hooks, and nettings. Furthermore, preserved fruit as well as alcoholic drinks were a staple and were often consumed.
Food is essential for all cultures’ wellbeing and survival; though in addition to that, literature was very important to the Anglo-Saxon’s as well. There were many pieces of poetry and prose written during the Middle Ages. However, the poem Beowulf, estimated to be written between 700 CE and 750 CE, is the oldest and perhaps the most famous. It tells the story of Beowulf’s, a young Swedish prince, ascendance into kingship. Though this poem is a Pagan novel, it reflects a lot of Christian values. For example, Beowulf is seen as the paragon of good against the forces of evil and sacrifices his life for this cause.
These ideas are not much unlike the idealistic values of today’s society. Altruism and selflessness are coveted by people all over the world. A few years ago, Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani teenager, gave up her own personal safety to advocate for gender equality in education. As these actions went against the extremist views of the Taliban, they shot her in the head. However, she did not give up—she continued to rally for equal education. As a result, she has not only won a Nobel Peace Prize, but has also been able to build libraries to fulfill her goal. Though selflessness may seem like a modern practice, its roots stem from the virtues of that the three monotheistic religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, taught. Before, people made a conscious effort to sacrifice themselves to preserve goodness and light in the world. However, this idea has become so ingrained in today’s society that we no longer are aware of the small everyday actions that people make for this cause; only the outstanding, overwhelmingly heroic actions now stand out to us.
Not only did the virtues portrayed in Beowulf have a continuing influence, but the literature itself had a significant effect on the literature of today.

Many famous novels are inspired by Anglo-Saxon culture and life. The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien features many Anglo-Saxon motifs and symbols. In addition, many of the character and place names were derived from Old English. On a different note, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling also drew upon Anglo-Saxon culture for inspiration. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry fights a dragon called the Hungarian Horntail, which parallels Beowulf’s fight with the evil dragon that eventually takes his life. Furthermore, Harry later attacks the grindylow, an underwater species which is thought to have been derived from Grendel, another of Beowulf’s antagonists. Though most books do not have such overt references to Anglo-Saxon culture, most books embody its virtues and

values.
Books and literature have evolved significantly, causing their roots to be subtle at best; likewise, British cuisine is much more elaborate than the Anglo-Saxon diet but nevertheless shares the same basis. Spices initially introduced to the Anglo-Saxons to mask the rancid taste of the rotting meat, but are now used religiously to make food more flavorful. The consumption of fish was also popularized during this time. Currently, fish has become one of the main staples of English cuisine, especially in dishes such as fish and chips. Moreover, the grains that were once a staple continue to be integral parts of foods—Yorkshire pudding and sandwiches are only a few examples. Because the Anglo-Saxons popularized basic food items, British food was able to make more elaborate courses from these building blocks.
In essence, the spheres of influence that other tribes and groups had on the Anglo-Saxons have shaped their culture and in turn, have transformed modern society into what is today. Many nations, especially England, owe many of their customs, habits, and traditions to the Anglo-Saxons. Without their influence, perhaps people would have adopted different beliefs and thus favor a different form of government. Without their influence, perhaps the distinguishing characteristics of England and America as well would be nonexistent.