1 00:00:01,350 --> 00:00:06,840 [Auto-generated transcript. Edits may have been applied for clarity.] The aim of this podcast is to provide you with a quick tour of the Anglo-Saxon exhibits on display at the British Museum. 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:12,770 This is meant as a guide to accompany you around the various items on display at various points. 3 00:00:12,780 --> 00:00:16,200 I will suggest you pause the podcast while you move to the appropriate exhibit. 4 00:00:17,550 --> 00:00:22,110 It is possible to do this tour along at the tour available for the Old English manuscripts in the British Library. 5 00:00:22,770 --> 00:00:27,060 It is suggested you do the British Library tour first, and then this one for the British Museum. 6 00:00:29,460 --> 00:00:32,700 To begin with, you should be standing in the main foyer of the British Museum. 7 00:00:33,780 --> 00:00:38,940 The British Museum is situated in Bloomsbury in London. Press pause until you are there. 8 00:00:42,190 --> 00:00:45,610 You need to find your way to room 41, the early medieval European. 9 00:00:46,270 --> 00:00:52,750 This is on the first floor. Take the large staircase to your left as you enter the British Museum, and at the top, go straight ahead. 10 00:00:53,590 --> 00:00:56,890 Pause the podcast until you're at the entrance of room 41. 11 00:01:01,230 --> 00:01:06,389 He should now be at the entrance to room 41, which has a range of cases and exhibits ahead of you, 12 00:01:06,390 --> 00:01:12,150 and slightly to the right should be a sign reading Early Medieval Europe A.D. 300 to 1100. 13 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:20,520 This room has two main problems with it. First, it adopts a rather confusing layout which really defies rhyme and reason at times. 14 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,379 Secondly, although it has a lot of exhibits which are of interest, for some curious reason, 15 00:01:25,380 --> 00:01:29,700 it downplays information on the Anglo-Saxons almost to the point of non-existence. 16 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:36,750 Quite why the British Museum sees fit, not to provide adequate explanation about the first 500 years of English history, 17 00:01:36,990 --> 00:01:39,900 is a question you should ask at the information desk on departing. 18 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:48,030 Nevertheless, there are several key exhibits on display in this room related to the Anglo-Saxons, most notably, of course, the Sutton who burial. 19 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:55,620 More importantly, we will build up to this by showing the influences on Anglo-Saxon artwork and the commonality shared with other Germanic art. 20 00:01:58,910 --> 00:02:05,480 Before we look at art in general, let us begin with by briefly considering the survival of what could be called classical art, 21 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:12,470 or certainly the art of the Roman Empire. Go to the cases immediately to your left and Late Antiquity in Byzantine art. 22 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:14,870 Pause the podcast until you are there. 23 00:02:18,630 --> 00:02:23,910 Due to the size of the Roman Empire at its height, we recognise the division that took place between the Eastern and Western empires. 24 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:30,240 The eastern empires often been called the Byzantine Empire, and its central focus was on the capital of Constantinople. 25 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:36,780 In case ten, look at the artefacts on display of Byzantine silver, notably items 2 to 11, 26 00:02:37,050 --> 00:02:40,230 a collection of spoons from the third to fifth centuries, and the bowls. 27 00:02:41,340 --> 00:02:43,710 We will come back to similar items later in the tour. 28 00:02:45,540 --> 00:02:51,690 Now read the panels on the world of late Antiquity in the early Byzantine Empire, and pause the podcast until you are finished. 29 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,940 We are now going to look at the barbarians, i.e. the people who live beyond the Empire's northern borders. 30 00:03:00,390 --> 00:03:04,710 Our aim here is to quickly move through the main tribes, noting obvious features evident in their artwork. 31 00:03:05,370 --> 00:03:11,100 All of this will help us to show the origins of contemporaries of the artwork we will see on display from Anglo-Saxon England. 32 00:03:14,050 --> 00:03:19,300 Go to the sign describing early Germanic groups AD 450 and read the information there. 33 00:03:20,290 --> 00:03:31,240 Pause the podcast until you have done so. We will now consider some of the artwork of these varying tribes. 34 00:03:31,870 --> 00:03:36,310 As we can see, we attempt to name the various Germanic tribes and chart the migrations and invasions. 35 00:03:36,670 --> 00:03:40,450 The Goths, for example, were an East Germanic tribe, possibly originating in Scandinavia, 36 00:03:40,690 --> 00:03:44,980 but moving into modern day Poland, Slovenia and further south in the third and fourth centuries. 37 00:03:45,730 --> 00:03:50,230 As the Roman Empire declined, the Goths expanded, splitting into the Ostrogoths and Visigoths, 38 00:03:50,530 --> 00:03:54,400 with their empire stretching throughout modern day Italy, Spain, and the Balkans. 39 00:03:55,060 --> 00:04:00,550 The Vandals and other East Germanic tribes also harried the north east of the Roman Empire in the fifth centuries, 40 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,460 and eventually reached Carthage on the North African coast. 41 00:04:06,910 --> 00:04:12,940 Look at the cases 15 and 16 and the artwork on display from the Goths, Vandals, Ostrogoths and Lombards. 42 00:04:13,690 --> 00:04:19,240 Note the common artefacts such as belt buckles, brooches and drinking horns and more importantly, the designs and stars. 43 00:04:20,020 --> 00:04:30,750 Pause the podcast until you are ready to proceed. Now let us look at Western Germanic tribes, the Franks. 44 00:04:31,590 --> 00:04:35,550 We use the term east and west to indicate roughly the main thrust of their original migrations, 45 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,420 the Franks being along the northern coast of modern day Germany, Holland and France. 46 00:04:40,290 --> 00:04:44,670 30 cases 19 and read about the Franks. Looking at the items on display. 47 00:04:45,810 --> 00:04:51,390 Again, note the similarities in terms of the artefacts on display, with those we have already seen from the other Germanic tribes. 48 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,260 The coast, with such things as the shield boxes and the throwing spear. 49 00:04:55,470 --> 00:05:02,460 The so-called Francisca, named after the tribe, which is item 74, is the podcast until you have finished. 50 00:05:06,750 --> 00:05:10,530 In case 21 we can see items from early Scandinavia Scandinavia. 51 00:05:11,190 --> 00:05:14,760 Again, note the similarities. Pausing the podcast until you are done. 52 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:23,939 In summary, so far we have seen that although the Germanic tribes seem to have originated in roughly the same area, 53 00:05:23,940 --> 00:05:26,970 their paths of migration and conquest led them in different directions. 54 00:05:27,270 --> 00:05:30,870 Hence our terminology of North, East and West Germanic. 55 00:05:31,770 --> 00:05:37,830 This is exactly the same terminology we use to describe the Germanic languages, e.g. the language of the Anglo-Saxons. 56 00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:45,330 Old English is a West Germanic language. What we have also seen are commonalities in the various artefacts and art forms. 57 00:05:46,470 --> 00:05:54,810 Now let us look at this in more detail. Go to case 42, entitled Germanic and Viking Art, and pause the podcast until you get there. 58 00:05:59,830 --> 00:06:05,650 Quite why. The sign indicates that there is a distinction between Germanic and Viking art is open to debate, but we shall let this pass. 59 00:06:06,340 --> 00:06:09,460 Here we can see an explanation of some of the designs you already observed, 60 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:14,770 in particular what is called the interlaced style, with plant and animal motifs in particular interwoven. 61 00:06:16,090 --> 00:06:22,780 Note how we can categorise the various periods of design into interlaced one, interlaced two, etc., and thus help date the objects. 62 00:06:24,190 --> 00:06:29,739 It is interesting to note the interlaced designs are also evident in the manuscript art of such works as the Lindisfarne Gospels, 63 00:06:29,740 --> 00:06:36,820 on display in the British Library. The Lindisfarne Gospels were produced in the late 17th century or early eighth century in Northumbria, 64 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:44,140 and demonstrate the sophistication of Anglo-Saxon artwork. They are described as an example of high bono Saxon artwork, 65 00:06:44,980 --> 00:06:49,600 the Saxon part indicating the influence of Germanic interlaced art, which is evident before you. 66 00:06:50,620 --> 00:06:56,800 We shall come back to the high Bono part later. Pause the podcast until you are ready. 67 00:07:01,610 --> 00:07:05,750 Now go to case 43 to look at the techniques used by the demonic craftsman. 68 00:07:07,010 --> 00:07:17,680 Pause the podcast until you are ready. We are now almost ready to consider the Anglo-Saxons, but not quite. 69 00:07:18,250 --> 00:07:22,030 Before we do so, let us consider the British Isles in this early migration period. 70 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,560 Go to the displays on Celtic Britain. Pause the podcast until you get there. 71 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:35,600 Britain was, of course, part of the Roman Empire, extending up to the modern day Scottish Borders. 72 00:07:36,380 --> 00:07:39,380 The indigenous British, usually lumped together under the term Celts, 73 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:44,330 became Christianised in the latter stages of the empire, and the Celts in Ireland were converted by Saint Patrick. 74 00:07:45,350 --> 00:07:53,330 Look briefly the displays of Celtic artwork, noting in particular the bronze hanging bowl in case 26 and the facsimile of part of the Book of Durrow. 75 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:59,090 Here we can see common Celtic designs which influenced the artists of the later Lindisfarne Gospels. 76 00:07:59,450 --> 00:08:03,859 Hence the term we used earlier to describe the artwork there as high burner. 77 00:08:03,860 --> 00:08:07,940 Saxon Art holds the podcast until you are finished. 78 00:08:12,990 --> 00:08:19,200 Let us consider what we've seen so far. We have noted that in its latter stages, the Roman Empire split into two halves, 79 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,710 and we've seen some of the artwork from the eastern part of the Byzantine Empire. 80 00:08:23,340 --> 00:08:28,770 We've seen the migrations of the various Germanic tribes and the common artefacts and designs, notably interlace art. 81 00:08:29,310 --> 00:08:34,770 We have also looked at Celtic artwork. Now we are ready for the Anglo-Saxons. 82 00:08:36,510 --> 00:08:38,940 It is at this point that the room slowly lets us down. 83 00:08:39,210 --> 00:08:44,730 There is no proper explanation of who the Anglo-Saxons were, where they came from or where they went to. 84 00:08:46,770 --> 00:08:49,380 So before we proceed, we need some background information. 85 00:08:50,490 --> 00:08:56,640 In short, the Anglo-Saxons originated from around northern Germany, in Jutland sometime in the mid fifth century. 86 00:08:57,330 --> 00:09:01,830 By invitation, conquest or economic migration, they began to settle in Britain. 87 00:09:02,940 --> 00:09:09,120 The Venerable Beech, writing in the early eighth century, tells us that the migration was made up of three main tribes the angles, 88 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:15,960 who settled in the North Midlands and the East, the Saxons who settled in the south, and the Dukes who settled in Kent in the Isle of Wight. 89 00:09:17,130 --> 00:09:23,459 Undoubtedly, the situation was much more complicated, and there is evidence that Franks also migrated along with other tribes during the period. 90 00:09:23,460 --> 00:09:31,170 For example, the opportunity for the migration invasion arose out of the abandonment by the Roman Empire of Britain in the early fifth century. 91 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:37,080 The Romano-British, who were left, possibly invited the Angles and Saxons over as mercenaries to begin with, 92 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:43,350 and for whatever reasons, power shifted to the newcomers. The indigenous population, namely the Celts, 93 00:09:43,350 --> 00:09:50,040 were either assimilated or pushed westward by the heathen Saxons to the traditional Celtic lands of Wales, Cornwall and Ireland. 94 00:09:51,810 --> 00:09:54,600 Gradually, the tribes of the Anglo-Saxons formed small kingdoms. 95 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:59,729 We know of over 30 in the early periods, which merged into the seven large kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons, 96 00:09:59,730 --> 00:10:05,520 namely Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Kent, Essex, Wessex and Sussex. 97 00:10:06,450 --> 00:10:13,200 Eventually, by the 10th century, this had become a single nation England, the land of the Angles or England. 98 00:10:15,630 --> 00:10:25,650 Now let us look at some of the Anglo-Saxon exhibits. Look at the items in cases 22 to 25, which so material for men, women and warriors. 99 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:32,010 Many of the items should be familiar now, sharing similarities to those we have seen from other Germanic tribes. 100 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:42,330 Pause the podcast until you are ready. It is important to remember one thing from all of this, which is outlined in case 24, 101 00:10:42,570 --> 00:10:47,010 namely, that what we are generally seeing here are grave goods items buried with the person. 102 00:10:48,030 --> 00:10:50,309 Why was this done? In short, 103 00:10:50,310 --> 00:10:57,120 it was a practice to indicate a belief that these goods could be used in the afterlife that material goods were of used in this world and the next. 104 00:10:57,750 --> 00:11:02,790 This is a non-Christian practice. The Anglo-Saxons were, after all, heathens when they migrated. 105 00:11:04,410 --> 00:11:11,130 So just consider these lines from the beginning of Beowulf, the great Anglo-Saxon epic describing the funeral of a leader called shall Cheugy. 106 00:11:12,090 --> 00:11:15,360 Here is written as language, body in shape, and send it out to sea. 107 00:11:15,630 --> 00:11:20,820 Adorned with treasure and laid on the lay off method. 108 00:11:20,820 --> 00:11:25,420 And are good Britain on the arm. Ships known by master. 109 00:11:26,310 --> 00:11:33,629 There was mad a fellow on fell welcome flat violated the head each the child you gave, 110 00:11:33,630 --> 00:11:41,400 and Hilda went with them on how the wild and fill them and pnm they laid then the beloved Lord, 111 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:48,090 the giver of rings, in the embrace of the ship, the famous one by the mast there was brought much treasure from far away. 112 00:11:48,090 --> 00:11:58,640 Some precious items I have never heard of a more commonly being prepared with war weapons and battle garments, swords, and béarnaise him on be armed. 113 00:11:58,650 --> 00:12:01,920 They made my money. Go to him. Meet Sheldon on floor. 114 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:06,620 This art favour you return null as he hinnom Larson. 115 00:12:06,870 --> 00:12:12,899 Lark continued and told the Australian bond that dude on the hyaena at from Shea after 116 00:12:12,900 --> 00:12:20,100 forth on send them on over to the humble ways and done on his breast lay many traces, 117 00:12:20,490 --> 00:12:24,270 which then with him had to journey into the floods ownership far away. 118 00:12:25,290 --> 00:12:29,669 That's told that they furnish him the lesser with gifts, with the people's treasures than those dead, 119 00:12:29,670 --> 00:12:33,780 who at the beginning sent him forth as a child alone over the waves. 120 00:12:36,730 --> 00:12:42,580 Let us consider this further. Go to the Franks Casket in the middle of the room, and pause the podcast until you get there. 121 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:48,109 The France Casket, named after Sir Augustus Franks, 122 00:12:48,110 --> 00:12:53,300 dates from the eighth century and is a wonderful item illustrating all kinds of influences on Anglo-Saxon thinking. 123 00:12:54,260 --> 00:12:58,580 Let us start at the front. Here the panel is divided into two halves. 124 00:12:59,390 --> 00:13:04,940 On the left we have illustrations from the story of William the Smith of the gods, a story from Germanic pagan mythology. 125 00:13:05,450 --> 00:13:11,390 Vaillant is a great blacksmith, but he's captured and imprisoned, forced to make wonderful items as seen on the far left of the panel. 126 00:13:12,290 --> 00:13:18,830 He eventually escapes and wreaks his revenge. On the right hand side of the panel, we have the adoration of the Magi. 127 00:13:19,460 --> 00:13:24,350 In other words, on this single panel we have Germanic myth juxtaposed with Christianity. 128 00:13:26,780 --> 00:13:33,290 Moving around the castle on the left hand side, we have a depiction of the story of Romulus and Remus, a story from classical mythology. 129 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:40,580 On the back we have a depiction of the sacking of Jerusalem by the Emperor Titus in A.D. 70. 130 00:13:41,660 --> 00:13:47,030 Note at this point another feature of the casket, namely the runic inscriptions running around the box. 131 00:13:49,100 --> 00:13:52,850 At the very top left of the Titus picture, you may be able to make out the runes. 132 00:13:52,850 --> 00:14:00,740 For Titus. The tea room looks like an arrow. For example, look at the rest of the casket and pause the podcast until you are finished. 133 00:14:05,230 --> 00:14:12,880 If you wish to find out more about runes, go to case 39 and look especially item 29 to say axe or short sword common to the Saxons. 134 00:14:14,140 --> 00:14:24,090 Pause the podcast until you are finished. We have already mentioned that when the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain, they were pagan, 135 00:14:24,090 --> 00:14:30,090 presumably worshipping the Norse pantheon of gods, including two Wotan, Thor and Freya. 136 00:14:30,420 --> 00:14:34,350 Evident in the names of our weekdays, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 137 00:14:35,250 --> 00:14:41,340 But the Franks Casket has a scene from An Activity of Christ. So at some point they begin to adopt Christianity. 138 00:14:42,540 --> 00:14:47,010 Go to page 38, read about the coming of Christianity and look at the items on display. 139 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,350 He pulls the podcast until you are finished. 140 00:14:52,060 --> 00:14:56,860 It is important to remember that when the Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain, it was already Christian under the Roman Empire. 141 00:14:57,490 --> 00:15:02,920 As they migrated westwards, Celtic Christianity was reduced to Wales, Cornwall and most importantly, Ireland. 142 00:15:03,940 --> 00:15:04,780 In the sixth century, 143 00:15:04,780 --> 00:15:11,770 Irish missionaries returned to mainland Britain to start the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon decades in advance of Saint Augustine's landing in Kent. 144 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:20,770 The Irish Church therefore, was a major influence on Anglo-Saxon Christianity and artwork, especially in Northumbria, hence the Lindisfarne Gospels. 145 00:15:23,500 --> 00:15:28,660 The other major influence on Anglo-Saxon Christianity came later with the rise of the Carolingian Empire, 146 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:32,740 especially under Charlemagne in the late eighth century and early ninth century. 147 00:15:33,820 --> 00:15:36,760 In case 34, you can see examples of Carolingian art, 148 00:15:37,020 --> 00:15:41,590 and in the corner a large sign with an illustration from the New Minster charter presented by King Edgar. 149 00:15:41,830 --> 00:15:43,180 In the mid 10th century, 150 00:15:43,180 --> 00:15:51,220 an Anglo-Saxon manuscript illustration of the king presenting his charter to Christ is very similar to the designs in Carolingian art, 151 00:15:51,460 --> 00:15:54,640 which in turn were drawn originally from Byzantine art. 152 00:15:55,750 --> 00:15:59,469 The school of art from this period of Anglo-Saxon England returned the Winchester 153 00:15:59,470 --> 00:16:03,460 School after the centre where it flourished under the Benedictine Saint Arthur Wold. 154 00:16:04,810 --> 00:16:11,560 Look also at the wonderful examples of Anglo-Saxon ivory art in case 37, and pause the podcast until you are finished. 155 00:16:15,820 --> 00:16:20,020 We have seen many things so far, including common designs amongst the art of the Germanic tribes, 156 00:16:20,020 --> 00:16:23,440 the prevalence of grave goods, and the reappearance and rise of Christianity. 157 00:16:24,430 --> 00:16:28,960 Before we move to one of the greatest collections of Anglo-Saxon art, let us look at a major burial. 158 00:16:30,730 --> 00:16:35,800 Go to the Tableau burial site in case 40 and pause the podcast until you get there. 159 00:16:39,010 --> 00:16:44,329 What do we have here? Well, first of all, we have a wonderful collection of Anglo-Saxon artefacts glass beakers, 160 00:16:44,330 --> 00:16:49,570 a bucket, buckles, etc., all placed in a burial mound overlooking the Thames in the 17th century. 161 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,880 Many of the designs will look familiar by now. But what else can we glean from this? 162 00:16:55,870 --> 00:16:59,920 The wealth of the hoard indicates a nobleman. But was it Christian or pagan? 163 00:17:00,850 --> 00:17:05,440 The occurrence of grave goods seems to indicate the latter, but perhaps this is not the case. 164 00:17:08,590 --> 00:17:12,069 We are now going to look at the greatest Anglo-Saxon discoveries so far. 165 00:17:12,070 --> 00:17:13,990 The great ship burial at Sutton Head. 166 00:17:16,420 --> 00:17:21,460 Go to the signs describing the burial and excavation and the far wall, and post the podcast until you have read them. 167 00:17:24,220 --> 00:17:29,980 Again. We have a burial in a mound this time, you know, now lost ship and again overlooking the river. 168 00:17:30,430 --> 00:17:33,339 This has important resonance with the burial at the end of Beowulf, 169 00:17:33,340 --> 00:17:37,540 where the mourners build a mound on a headland so that sailors will remember the hero of the poem. 170 00:17:38,710 --> 00:17:49,150 Now, let us consider what was in the mound. In case 45 we can see some of the jewellery, including wonderful cloths on enamels. 171 00:17:50,290 --> 00:17:55,000 Here's the podcast and you will study them and remember the designs you have seen elsewhere. 172 00:17:59,330 --> 00:18:05,000 In cases 46 and 47, we have an array of goods for the meat haul, including a liar for entertainment. 173 00:18:06,290 --> 00:18:10,730 This is very similar to the illustration in the Vespasian Psalter, an Anglo-Saxon manuscript. 174 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:15,140 Pause the podcast until you study studied all these goods. 175 00:18:20,500 --> 00:18:25,840 So far this is classic pagan symbolism. The goods are there for the dead nobleman to use in the afterlife. 176 00:18:26,470 --> 00:18:37,540 However, now go to case 48. Here we can see examples of Byzantine silver that we noted earlier, but look closely at the items ten and 11. 177 00:18:38,770 --> 00:18:41,920 Are these baptismal spoons engraved with salts and Paulus? 178 00:18:42,610 --> 00:18:49,240 If so, then possibly the person buried here was also Christian or a pagan recently converted to Christianity. 179 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:56,890 In case 49 we have yet more influences. Note the roundels on the bowl items one, two, three. 180 00:18:57,130 --> 00:19:01,300 These are very like the Celtic designs we have seen earlier and prevalent in the Lindisfarne Gospels. 181 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:08,410 We also get a suggestion as the identity of the king, namely Ronald, who died in 62526. 182 00:19:12,250 --> 00:19:18,100 In case 50 we have even more jewellery. And again note the by now very familiar patterns and designs. 183 00:19:20,700 --> 00:19:25,020 In the central case we have the famous helmet, sword, shield, extended male, 184 00:19:25,620 --> 00:19:32,280 all the trappings of a powerful and important warrior, again mirroring many of the descriptions in Beowulf of the arms and armour. 185 00:19:36,390 --> 00:19:40,720 It is difficult to summarise somehow, and it's important. It shows us many things. 186 00:19:41,170 --> 00:19:43,220 Familiar patterns in the art and artefacts. 187 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:50,410 It demonstrates possibly the fusion of Christianity and Paganism, Germanic and Celtic art all understandable at that period of time. 188 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:57,430 But it also shows the wealth and craftsmanship for the Anglo-Saxons and the extent of their reach all the way to purchasing Byzantine silver. 189 00:19:58,270 --> 00:20:03,790 Finally, and most importantly, brings some of the descriptions of Beowulf and other poems to life before our eyes. 190 00:20:06,070 --> 00:20:11,680 Before you depart, take a look at the other examples of Anglo-Saxon art, evident in the fragments of stone crosses in the centre of the room. 191 00:20:12,220 --> 00:20:18,130 The most famous stone cross, that which contains lines from the poem The Dream of the rood, now stands in Dumfriesshire. 192 00:20:18,460 --> 00:20:22,750 But if you are interested, a replica cast can be found in the Victorian Albert Museum. 193 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,380 I hope this guide has helped you in your wanderings around this room. 194 00:20:31,070 --> 00:20:35,520 The most important lesson to learn from this is just how many influences they were in the Anglo-Saxon, 195 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:41,540 not explained by their origins, the people they encountered, and the religious struggle of the period.