Презентація "The History of Britain. Invasions"

The History of Britain

The Celts. During the period from the 6th to the 3rd century B. C. a people called the Celts spread across Europe from the East to the west. Some Celtic tribes invaded Britain. Later the tribes of Scots settled in the North. They came in such large numbers that in time the name of Scotland was given to that country. Powerful Celtic tribes, the Britons( стародавні брити), held most of the country and the southern part of the island was named Britain after them. Today the words “Briton” and “British” refer to the people of the whole of the British Isles.

Family life. The basic unit of Celtic life was the clan, a sort of extended family. Children were actually raised by foster parents. The foster father was often the brother of the birth-mother. The lot of women was a good deal better than in most societies of that time. They were technically equal to men, owned property, and could choose their own husbands. Is it true? Some women could train young men in arms.

Religion. The Celts worshipped Nature. They imagined the sky, the sun, the moon, the earth and the sea, to be ruled by beings like themselves, but much more powerful. Sometimes the same pagan gods in various places were called by different names. The Celts believed in another life after death. Is it true? The Celts sacrificed not only animals, but also human beings to the gods.

Language. There was a written Celtic language, but it developed well in Christian times, so for much of Celtic history they relied on oral transmission of culture, primarily through the efforts of bards and poets. These arts were tremendously important to the Celts, and much of what we know of their traditions comes to us today through the old tales and poems that were handed down for generations before eventually being written down. The influence of Celtic upon Old English was slight. In fact, very few Celtic words have lived on in the English language. But many of place and river names have Celtic origins: Kent, York, Dover,Cumberland, Thames, Avon, Trent, Severn.

The Roman conquest of Britain The Romans occupied Britain in the first century BC. They established a Romano-British culture across the southern half of Britain. They couldn’t conquer Scotland. The Romans brought the skills of reading and writing to Britain. The written word was important for spreading ideas and establishing power. Is it true?Most people in Britain spoke Latin at that time.

The Romans brought Latin to Britain, which was part of the Roman Empire for over 400 years. But Latin disappeared both in its written and spoken forms when the Romans left Britain and in the 5th century AD it was invaded by the Anglo-Saxons.

The Anglo-Saxons The newcomers from Germany, Denmark and Netherlands spoke their own languages , which in time became a language now known as Anglo-Saxon or Old English (450 - 1100 AD). The Anglo-Saxons themselves called it “Englisc”. In the 8th century Britain experienced one more wave of Germanic invasions, the Vikings. Several written works have survived from the Old English period. The most famous is a heroic epic poem called "Beowulf". Is it true?Viking children didn’t go to school

The Normans In the 11th century England was conquered by the Normans. French words entered the English language. Anglo-Norman became the language of the ruling classes for centuries. The Old French took over as the language of the court, administration, and culture. Latin was mostly used for written language, especially that of the Church. Meanwhile, the English language, as the language of the lower class, was considered a vulgar tongue.

Middle English. By about 1200, England and France had split. English changed a lot, because it was mostly being spoken instead of written. The use of Old English came back, but with many French words added. This language is called Middle English (1100- 1500 AD). The most famous example of Middle English is Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales",