European History - The Spread of Christianity

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The Spread of Christianity

The spread of Christianity overtime replaced the old warrior religion changing the way of life, and at the giving it new meaning. With the coming of Christianity a hope for poets also came about. As the conversion of Ireland to Christianity took place a new era known as Ireland's Golden Age began to take over. Christian munks worked hard preserving literature of the ancient world and works of popular culture. Due to the rapid growth of Christianity the Anglo-Saxon's were given a common faith, a common system of morality and right conduct, linking England with Europe.

Anglo-Saxon religion was based on ethics. It was the earthly values such as bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship that Anglo-Saxon life was based upon. The Anglo-Saxon religion derived from Germany and was very similar to Scandinavian mythology. They had gods for any and everything that all played important roles in everyday life. Symbols like the dragon and the swastika are also a part of the religion that can't be forgotten.

In 432 Celtic Ireland was converted to Christianity by Patricius. Patricius, a Romanized Briton became a bishop and gradually started converting people to Christianity. It was when the rest of Europe sank into constant warfare confusion, and ignorance that Ireland experienced a Golden Age. In Ireland Christianity was said to have, "burned and gleamed through the darkness", in the words of Winston Churchill. If it hadn't been for the Irish missionaries that converted the Anglo-Saxon kings and the constant reemergence of Christianity in Britain, even king Alfred might have failed to unify the Anglo-Saxons . The Anglo-Saxons fought hard under Christianity and Alfred to protect their people, their culture, and their church from the Danes. Eventually Christianity took over and the old warrior religion was forgotten.

In the Anglo-Saxon world poets could only hope that heroic deeds would be enshrined in the society's memory. Christianity on the other hand brought them new hope. Monasteries were for learning, and preserved Latin, Greek, and popular literature. Day and night the church had the munks copying manuscripts by hand completely silent. If it hadn't been for the coming of Christianity the literature of the ancient world and the literature of popular culture would be nonexistent.

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