What was Anglo-Saxon art and culture like?

What do we know about Anglo-Saxon art and culture?

A cartoon Beowulf with a strong body is standing in a wooden room. He is wearing a furry cape, a belt, and a skirt-like outfit, and is holding one arm across the chest.

The Anglo-Saxons were skilled craftspeople. They made metalwork and jewellery using materials such as gold and gemstones.

They enjoyed playing games and story-telling. The most famous story they told is about a brave warrior called Beowulf.

Important words for the Anglo-Saxons

Keyword	Definition
Garnet	A gemstone, usually red in colour.
Pagan	A person who worships many gods. They are often from outside the culture's main, organised religions.
Beowulf	The earliest Anglo-Saxon poem. It was written in Old English.
Riddle	A puzzling question.
Lyre	A stringed musical instrument.

What was Anglo-Saxon culture like?

An Anglo-Saxon storyteller captivates his audience around the camp fire at night — Image caption,
A storyteller played music on a small harp or a lyre to accompany their stories and poems.

The Anglo-Saxons were great craft workers. They made intricate jewellery, musical instruments and homemade toys and games.

They were also keen storytellers. They would gather together in feasting halls and tell thrilling stories.

Often their stories would be accompanied by music played on a string instrument called a lyre.

The Saxons liked to play with words too. They amused themselves by telling clever riddles.

What did their art and treasure look like?

Anglo-Saxon jewellers made brooches, beads and gold ornaments. At first, their artwork was pagan, but after the conversion to Christianity in the AD600s astonishing artwork was made for churches.

Take a look below at these Anglo-Saxon treasures.

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Image caption,
Pieces of this helmet were found at Sutton Hoo. They have been placed together and reconstructed in this photo. There are boars' heads on the end of each eyebrow and a dragon head above the nose. Together they make the shape of a bird with outspread wings.
Image caption,
This purse lid was found at the Sutton Hoo burial site. It's made of gold set with glass and gemstones.
Image caption,
This belt buckle is made of gold and silver. It is decorated with a fish, a Christian symbol.
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This brooch was found in a grave. Brooches were pinned to clothes to make them look nice and to hold them up, like a safety pin.

Trading for gold and garnets

A shiny gold necklace with round beads and red gems, shaped like drops and squares, with a little gold cross hanging at the bottom. — Image caption,
The Desborough necklace, made with gold and garnets, dates from the 7th century AD.

Archaeology has revealed some of the treasures of the Anglo-Saxons. The most famous burial site was found at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, in 1939.

The Staffordshire Hoard, the largest hoard of gold and silver jewellery, was discovered in 2009 and dates to AD650-675.

Gold was important as it showed high status and wealth.

Garnets were believed to protect warriors. Garnets were also used to represent the blood of Christ.

Objects found at Sutton Hoo and the Staffordshire Hoard came from as far afield as Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Greece, Turkey and Syria. This shows there was a trade network between Asia and Europe.

What kind of stories did they tell?

Written work was in Latin, the language of the Church, or in Old English. Very few Anglo-Saxons could read or write.

All their stories were told to them by their friends and family. Anglo-Saxons loved tales about brave warriors and their adventures.

On dark winter days, people gathered in the great hall around a log fire. They listened to stories and poems, feasted and sang songs. They ate roast meats with bread and fruit, and they drank ale or a strong drink made from honey called mead.

An Anglo-Saxon cartoon in armour with a sword and shield.

A favourite story told how Beowulf, a heroic prince, battled the fierce man-eating monster Grendel. The story of Beowulf was first written down around the 8th or 9th century, but long before that the story was told around the fire.

Watch: The story of Beowulf

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What games and sports were there?

Three children playing games on an Anglo-Saxon farm

Children played with homemade toys. They had rag dolls and carved wooden toys, as well as games that used counters and dice.

From finds in graves, we know children also had spinning tops and played tunes on pipes made from reeds or animal bones.

Anglo-Saxon men enjoyed sporting pastimes, like wrestling, weight-lifting (using heavy rocks) and horse-racing. These sports kept them fit for work and strong for war.

Think like a historian

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Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.