The Anglo-Saxon time period was the examination of religion in Europe. Religion often spread through the work seen in poets such as Ovid and Caedmon. Britain's first religion was a form of animism performed by the Celts. After this fact, Julius Caesar invaded Britain, and a few years later Christianity was the religion of Rome. After Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire fell the Anglo-Saxons took over Britain and also adopted Christianity as their religion.
Ovid and Caedmon were one of the first to bring religion into their writings but they weren't the last. Ovid was a Roman poet who wrote Metamorphoses which was a type of religion and belief. He was a big inspiration for later poets and writers. Caedmon was the first English Christian poet. His religion inspiration was brought in hymns. Some of which are still used today. Ovid and Caedmon was just a couple of the poets and writers that had used religion in their writing.
Bust of Julius Caesar from the British Museum
Britains Floral Garden ~ memories from my childhoo...
britain - bretagneThe Celts religion was a form of animism, which they saw spirits everywhere and in everything. Some of the things they saw spirits in were rivers, trees, stones, ponds, fire, and thunder. These spirits, which they called gods controlled every detail of life and had to be satisfied all the time. Sometimes they had to do ritual dances to satisfy the gods, while other times they had human sacrifices. Priests, which were called Druids communicated between the people and the gods. This mythology has influenced English and Irish writers to this day. Animism was just one of the religions in Britain at the time.
In 55 B.C. Julius Caesar invaded Britain and took over the Celts. During Roman rule of Britain, Christianity gradually started. It took a strong hold under the leadership of European missionaries. It later became a unifying force among people. With the increase of belief in Christianity led the vanishing of the Celtic belief of animism. In 409 A.D. the Roman had problems back home and had to remove all of their troops from Britain leaving no government at all. This resulted in non-Christian attacks and invasions into Britain from Germanic regions of Continental Europe.
These non-Christian people later became known as the Anglo-Saxons. They were made up of 3 groups: The Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes. Anglo-Saxon England was as weak as Celtic England until Alfred the Great held off the Danes. With this and the reemergence of Christianity England became unified. Irish and Continental missionaries converted the Anglo- Saxon kings and their subjects. Alfred the Great fought to protect and preserve the Anglo-Saxons' culture and church.
These 3 groups of people were just the beginning of Christianity in Britain and Europe. It continued to grow and grow with the help of groups like these and writers that let Christianity be brought into their writings. Many writers still let their religion come out in their writings. Also Christianity is tremendous in size now. There are sub groups and sub groups of those sub groups too. The Anglo-Saxon time period was an examination of many religions, Christianity was just one of them.
Britains Floral Garden ~ memories from my childhoo...
The Alfred Jewel, a piece of ninth-century Anglo-S...
English: Early 9th century Anglo-Saxon silver broo...