British legendary life(英国----一个曾被侵略的国家).doc

（英语国家社会与文化入门第四周论文）海师外国语学院2010级英语2班201003010217 李冬云201003010218 李芳琦 Question:Why is it said British history has been a history of invasion? How did each of the invasion influence English culture?(P18) (w3: essay) British legendary life an invasion history As so far, I think it has been very familiar to us that British history is an invasion history, but what is the reason that someone concluded it so? We can find the fact through its history as following:Prehistoric times: (Time: -3000BC; Early settlers :Iberians) Around 3000 BC, the Iberians came from the Mediterranean region to settle in the British Isles. Very few people knew about the earliest inhabitants of the British Isles, but these residents in the aspect of Stonehenge , which was a circular stone structure, confirmed the island residents had a commensurate level of developed civilization. In fact, those inhabitants were in the period of the Bronze Age civilization. And Megalith Culture means megalithic civilization, from North Africa, are found in the west of Spain, France and Germany, as well as British Isles. From this world heritage, we can know the civilization of primitives very well. Influence: Megalith Culture, Neolithic cultureCeltic period:(Time: 8th BC-1st AD; residents:Celts) Celtic people invaded and occupied the British Isles from the continent of Europe. Also, their powerful culture originated in central Europe. In the history, Celts were made of three kinds of people: Gaels, Briton and Belgae. By the way, their religion was Druidism. The Celtics originally lived in southern Germany, they were the first nation learned in Europe to manufacture and use iron and gold ornaments; they had conquered Spain: Portugal, Italy and other regions before the conquest of Britain, France. After coming to Britain, the part of the Celtics settled down in the Contemporary Ireland and Scotland and the remaining part occupied the southern and eastern of England. Wherever Celts went, they killed Iberians brutally. Celtic speaking Celtic. Today, Gaels live in the northern and western mountains of Scotland still use this language.Influence: Celtic, DruidismRoman conquest(Time: 43AD-410AD; invaders:Romans) In 43 AD Britain was invaded by the Roman Empire and England and Wales (though not Scotland and Ireland) became a part of Roman for nearly 400 years. In reality, Roman Conquest was started from the year after 43AD. Claudius, the Roman Emperor, led forty thousand troops to conquer the British Isles in central and south-central in three years at last. Subsequently, the whole England was firmly in the control of Rome. For avoiding the invasion from different races,Roman did a lot of efforts. The Hadrians Wall, which was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 2th AD, was used to avoid the invasion from the Pict in the northern England. Besides that, Roman Empire had developed in all walks of life. For example, towns developed on the British Isles, and in order to ensure the smooth development of military actions, the construction of road network linking up towns, which were the regional land transport infrastructure in England. Roman also built the London Bridge, which made a great contribution to its development. In the aspect of business, the Roman Empire have frequent business travel, for instance, grape, olive oil, ceramics and furniture were the most important imports. And about the culture, Roman introduced Christianity and Latin to Britain so that Christianity and Latin were handed down to generations from then on. However, the Roman influence was very limited because Roman just to govern but not to settle in Britain and they treated the Britons as slave class so that they never intermarried with Britons.Influence: London, London Bridge, Christianity, Latin and so on.Anglo-Saxon era(Time:5th-8th; invaders:Angles-Saxon and Jutes) As the Roman Empire came under the threat from the east，the Roman armies and Roman protection were withdrawn from Britain, which resuled to that again Britain was divided into small kingdoms and came under threat from outside. Between 3rd century to 5th century AD, they constantly invade the British Isles and then established one after another Kingdom. They came accompanied by the Jutes, which were a race of Germanic people. These categories of persons, coupled with the descendants of earlier immigrants in Rome, who are Celtic. This era was known as the age of Heroes. One of the best-known English legend derives from this time.In the 5th century AD it is said that a great leader appeared, united the British, and with his magical sword, Excalibur, drove the Saxons back. This is the story of king Arthur,and has been embellished by singers, poets, novelists, and even filmmakers ever since. And he created the famous Round Table at which all knights would have equal precedence. Despite the fact that contemporary English think of King Arthur as their hero, really he was fighting against them, for these Anglo-Saxon invaders were the forefathers of the English, the founders of Angle-land or England as it has become known. After he died, the Anglo-Saxon continued their aggressive pace.In 650AD, they established many barbarian Kingdom in England, the most important are seven: Wessex, Sussex, Essex, Mercia, Northumbria, East Anglia and Kent. They contended for hegemony for as long as 200 years and in the United Kingdom in history it was known as the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. In the midst of turmoil, Anglo-Saxon created many miracles. As a classic, Beowulf, the most famous epic poem from the Old English period, appeared in the history of literature. And also, Anglo-Saxons brought their own religion to Britain. And after the arrival of St. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, the pagans were converted to Christianity successfully. From then on, British religion had converted to Roman Christianity.Influence:Beowulf, Roman Christianity.Vikings invasion (Time:8th-10th; invaders:Vikings) From the late 8th century on, raiders from Scandinavia, the ferocious Vikings, threatened Britains shores. Their settlement in England grew until large areas of northern and eastern England were under their control. In 866AD, Denmark pirate always did a lot of expeditions, gradually established Colonial zones in the North-East of England, and invaded into South West England regularly. Then in 878AD, Denmark occupied the North-East of England, which had existed to 975AD. Between this time, many English heroes appeared, such as king Alfred the Great, who turned the tide in the south against the Vikings. There remains to this day a certain culture divide between northerners and southerners in England, which while not consciously Saxon versus Dane, may have its origins in this time. The richer southerners tend to think of northerners as less sophisticated than themselves, while northerners think southerners arrogant and unfriendly. They are also marked by having distinctly different accents. Norman conquest:(Time:1066-1366; invaders:Norman) The next invaders were the Normans, from northern France, who were descendants of Vikings.Under the William of Normandy (known as the William Conqueror) they crossed the English Channel in 1066, and in the Battle of Hastings, defeated an English army under King Harold. This marks the last time that an army from outside the British Isles succeeded in invading. William took the English throne, and became William the frist of England. The tower of London, a castle in the center of London which he built, still stands today. The Normans did not settle England to any great extent : rather than imported a ruling class. The next 300 years may be thought of as a Norman (and French-speaking) aristocracy ruling a largely Saxon and English-speaking population. It is this situation which produced another of Englands heroic legends. This is the legend of Robin Hood. The Saxon nobleman oppressed by the Normans, who became an outlaw, and with his band of merry men hid in the forest of Sherwood in the north midlands of England. From this secret place, armed with their longbows, they then went out to rob from the rich to give the poor. The next few hundred years following the Norman invasion can be seen as a process of joining together the various parts of the British Isles under English rules, so that any English identity eventually became swamped by the necessity of adopting a wider British identity, both to unite the kingdom internally, and to present a single identity externally as Britain became an Imperial power. Referring to the contributions, the United Kingdom fully established a feudal system and had built its relations with the European continent. Also, the commercial civilization began to develop. Besides, Norman culture,namely France culture had been introduced to England. Certainly, Norman had a great change in language, manners, and building.Influence: feudal system, religionThe advantages and disadvantage of British invasion history :Advantages: The invasion brought the development in British economy, culture and social construction and so on. British cul