Year 5 Anglo-Saxon Experience:

On Thursday 24th May our pupils were visited by a couple of guests who had travelled through the mists of time to host an Anglo-Saxon experience. Our pupils explored a time when England was divided into several, smaller kingdoms, each one thinking itself better than the rest. They were split into the kingdom of Wessex, Mercia, East-Anglia and Northumbria. To decide which kingdom was best they undertook a range of challenges worthy of a warrior. Firstly, was a sword duel between the king's champion warriors. Points could only be scored for fatal blows to the chest. Next, came of challenge of hand eye co-ordination by the king's chief hunters. A fearsome boar had to struck with an arrow to provide the centre piece for the king's feast. Finally, came a test a balance for the king's jugglers who had to undertake a series of challenges while try to balance heavy rocks on their heads! The Kingdom of Mercia emerged triumphant from the challenges.

Next followed a re-telling of the traditional Saxon warrior's tale of Beowulf. Our pupils were transported to King Hrothgar's realm where his hall was haunted by the beast named Grendel. A brave hero arrived (Louis Lee) who promised to rid the King's hall (Jack Farragher) of this loathsome guest. What followed was an interactive account of the tale involving some amazing acting from the cast and using the latest in special effects. (puppets for the monsters!!!) Eventually our brave hero emerged victorious and was gifted the kingdom by a grateful King Hrothgar.

Finally in the hall, our pupils were given an experience of everyday life in Anglo-Saxon times. They experienced the Anglo-Saxon chores of building manure covered houses, making beer and telling stories. They also had to behave, as they discovered about to traditional Dark Ages crime and punishment any talking and the penalty for this is was being thrown into a river! Anglo Saxon life can be quite harsh! The final part of the experience was an investigation into some of the artefacts left behind by our Anglo-Saxon ancestors and what they might have been used for. Our pupils dusted off their trowels and buckets and conducted a time-team style investigation into a range of Anglo-Saxon household items. We discovered that as well as the obvious weapons of the warriors, the Saxon's had a love of art and fine jewellery.

                         

So after an interesting yet exhausting morning our pupils bade farewell to our guest from Touchstones Museum in Rochdale and returned to the 21st Century with a new found knowledge of the mystical kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England.