Bede Notes

Background
- Majority of Britains are illiterate
- Through the monastery, Bede had access to books and literature
The Situation of Britain and Ireland: Their Earliest Inhabitants
- Britain (Albion) is surrounded by Gaul, Germany, and Spain
- Opposite side of Britain is the isles of Orcades
- Britain is known for good pasture, rich in grain, rivers, shellfish, pearls, metals
- Nights are short in summer ; summer days and winter nights are long
- 5 books of divine law, five languages, four nations- English, British, Scots, Picts
- Latin is common medium through the study of the scriptures
- Original inhabitants were Britains in south; Picts in north
- Ireland is mild and healthy in climate, no reptiles, scented air; original home of the Scots

from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
- East Anglia and Northumbria were split up by Vikings and those w/o property went oversea to Seine
- The king's best thanes died at the same time
- Anglia and Northumbria harassed Wessex with raiding bands
- 6 ships did evil in the Isle of Wight
- The English battled the Danes at sea and the English won
- That summer, 20 ships perished with men
- Alfred, the English king, passed away 6 days before All Saint's Day
- Athelwald went over sea to Essex with all the ships he could get, lured Anglian forced to break the peace
- Eohric, Aethelwald, Byrhtsige, Ysopa, and Oscytel died in battle
- The Kentish and Danes fought
- A comet appeared
- Alfred died; peace was fastened in Tiddingford