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Anglo-Saxons.
Who were They?
The Romans invaded Britain in AD43. After that, for 400 years southern Britain was part of the Roman world
. The last Roman soldiers left Britain in AD 410, and then new people came in ships across the North Sea. Historians call them Anglo-Saxons.
The Anglo-Saxons were the people from the Angle, Saxon, and Jute tribes who invaded Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. They left their homelands in northern Germany, Denmark and northern Holland and rowed across the North Sea in wooden boats.
In their own lands, most Anglo-Saxons were farmers. They lived in family groups in villages, not cities. Since they lived close to the sea and big rivers, many Anglo-Saxons were sailors too. They built wooden ships with oars and sails, for trade and to settle in new lands. Raiders in ships attacked Roman Britain.
HOW WAS THEIR LIFE?
When the Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries, they found that most of the towns built by the Romans had fallen into ruins. The early Anglo-Saxons lived in small settlements consisting of just two or three families and a few buildings. Later, settlements grew into villages and small towns.
Anglo-Saxon houses were built of wood and had thatched roofs. Villages were made up of small groups of houses built around a larger hall. The houses had only one room and a hearth for cooking, heating and light.
The early Anglo-Saxons were pagans and believed in many gods. Their beliefs were similar to those of the Celts, who lived in Britain before the Romansinvaded. When people died they were either cremated and put in a pottery urn or buried with their belongings. It was believed that the dead would need their belongings in their next life.
After the Romans left, Christianity continued in the areas of England where Anglo-Saxons did not settle. In 597 the Pope sent a monk called Augustine to England to persuade the Anglo-Saxon kings to become Christians. Over the next two centuries, many Saxons turned to Christianity and hundreds of churches and monasteries were built.
What happened to the anglo-saxons?
VIKING INVASIONS
In the 8th and 9th centuries the people of Scandinavia, who were known as the Vikings, began to come to Britain. Anglo-Saxon accounts describe terrible Viking raids in which people were massacred , churches destroyed, and animals and precious objects stolen. By the end of the 870s, the Vikings occupied most of eastern England. Their territory was called the Danelaw
ALFRED THE GREAT
Great Anglo-Saxon kings included Offa of Mercia (who built Offa's Dyke) and Edwin of Northumbria (who founded Edinburgh or 'Edwin's burh'). But the most famous of all is Alfred, the only king in British history to be called 'Great'.
By 878 the Vikings had conquered all of England except Wessex. King Alfred fought and defeated the Vikings in a battle. Gradually, the areas of England under Viking rule were reconquered by Alfred's descendants.
After Alfred, English kings gradually recaptured land from the Vikings. Alfred's son Edward won control of the Danelaw. Alfred's grandson, Athelstan, pushed English power north as far as Scotland. The most powerful Anglo-Saxon king was Edgar, who died in 975. Welsh and Scottish rulers obeyed him.
VIKINGS TAKE THE CROWN
After King Edgar, things went downhill for the English kings. One not very good king was Ethelred the Unready (his name comes from an Old English word unraed, meaning "bad advice").
Ethelred tried to pay off invadining Vikings with gold and land. It didn't work and he had to flee to France. After more fighting, a Dane (Vickins were called Danes) called Cnut became king of England in 1016.
After the Viking conquest, Ethelread, his wife Emma and his two sons Edward and Alfred, lived in Normandy (France). Emma decided to return to England and married the Viking Cnut.
Cnut also ruled Denmark and Norway. He ruled well, but left much of the government in England to noblemen, now called "earls”.
KING EDWARD AND THE EARLS
In 1042, Edward the Confessor, son of Ethelred and Emma, was crowned the new king of England. He was known as the Confessor because of his construction of Westminster Abbey.
Edward allowed the English earls, like Earl Godwin of Wessex to become very strong. When Edward died in 1066, the English witan chose Godwin’s son, Harold, as the next king. This was the end of the Anglo-Saxon period.
THE NORMAN CONQUEST
Harold had a rival: Duke William of Normandy. King Edward had promised him that he would be the next king of England. William decided to invade England.
In 1066, William's Norman army landed in Sussex. Harold hurried south and the two armies fought the Battle of Hastings (14 October 1066). The Normans won, Harold was killed, and William became king. The story of how the Normans conquered England was told in the Bayeux Tapestry. The Anglo-Saxon period of English history was over.
ACTIVITIES
1. Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? When did they arrive to England?
2. Name three important Anglo-Saxon kings.
3. What is the wittan?
4. What is the Danelaw?
5. Who was the worst Anglo-Saxon king? Why?
6. Draw your timeline of the Anglo-Saxons' history.
7. Write a secret message using runes, the alphabet of the Anglo-Saxons. Click here to find out how.
Anglo-Saxons.
Who were They?
The Romans invaded Britain in AD43. After that, for 400 years southern Britain was part of the Roman world
. The last Roman soldiers left Britain in AD 410, and then new people came in ships across the North Sea. Historians call them Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxons were the people from the Angle, Saxon, and Jute tribes who invaded Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. They left their homelands in northern Germany, Denmark and northern Holland and rowed across the North Sea in wooden boats.
In their own lands, most Anglo-Saxons were farmers. They lived in family groups in villages, not cities. Since they lived close to the sea and big rivers, many Anglo-Saxons were sailors too. They built wooden ships with oars and sails, for trade and to settle in new lands. Raiders in ships attacked Roman Britain.
HOW WAS THEIR LIFE?
When the Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries, they found that most of the towns built by the Romans had fallen into ruins. The early Anglo-Saxons lived in small settlements consisting of just two or three families and a few buildings. Later, settlements grew into villages and small towns.
Anglo-Saxon houses were built of wood and had thatched roofs. Villages were made up of small groups of houses built around a larger hall. The houses had only one room and a hearth for cooking, heating and light.
The early Anglo-Saxons were pagans and believed in many gods. Their beliefs were similar to those of the Celts, who lived in Britain before the Romansinvaded. When people died they were either cremated and put in a pottery urn or buried with their belongings. It was believed that the dead would need their belongings in their next life.
After the Romans left, Christianity continued in the areas of England where Anglo-Saxons did not settle. In 597 the Pope sent a monk called Augustine to England to persuade the Anglo-Saxon kings to become Christians. Over the next two centuries, many Saxons turned to Christianity and hundreds of churches and monasteries were built.
What happened to the anglo-saxons?
VIKING INVASIONS
In the 8th and 9th centuries the people of Scandinavia, who were known as the Vikings, began to come to Britain. Anglo-Saxon accounts describe terrible Viking raids in which people were massacred , churches destroyed, and animals and precious objects stolen. By the end of the 870s, the Vikings occupied most of eastern England. Their territory was called the Danelaw
ALFRED THE GREAT
Great Anglo-Saxon kings included Offa of Mercia (who built Offa's Dyke) and Edwin of Northumbria (who founded Edinburgh or 'Edwin's burh'). But the most famous of all is Alfred, the only king in British history to be called 'Great'.
By 878 the Vikings had conquered all of England except Wessex. King Alfred fought and defeated the Vikings in a battle. Gradually, the areas of England under Viking rule were reconquered by Alfred's descendants.
ALFRED, KING OF THE ENGLISH , REIGN:- King Alfred was advised by a council of nobles and Church leaders. The council was called thewitan. The witan could also choose the next king. Alfred made good laws. - He had books translated from Latin into English, and translated some himself. - He told monks to begin writing the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. - Alfred built warships to guard the coast from Viking raiders. He built forts and walled towns known as burhs. - He split the fyrd (the part-time army) into two parts. While half the men were at home on their farms, the rest were ready to fight Vikings. - Alfred's capital was Winchester. |
VIKINGS TAKE THE CROWN
After King Edgar, things went downhill for the English kings. One not very good king was Ethelred the Unready (his name comes from an Old English word unraed, meaning "bad advice").
Ethelred tried to pay off invadining Vikings with gold and land. It didn't work and he had to flee to France. After more fighting, a Dane (Vickins were called Danes) called Cnut became king of England in 1016.
After the Viking conquest, Ethelread, his wife Emma and his two sons Edward and Alfred, lived in Normandy (France). Emma decided to return to England and married the Viking Cnut.
Cnut also ruled Denmark and Norway. He ruled well, but left much of the government in England to noblemen, now called "earls”.
KING EDWARD AND THE EARLS
In 1042, Edward the Confessor, son of Ethelred and Emma, was crowned the new king of England. He was known as the Confessor because of his construction of Westminster Abbey.
Edward allowed the English earls, like Earl Godwin of Wessex to become very strong. When Edward died in 1066, the English witan chose Godwin’s son, Harold, as the next king. This was the end of the Anglo-Saxon period.
THE NORMAN CONQUEST
Harold had a rival: Duke William of Normandy. King Edward had promised him that he would be the next king of England. William decided to invade England.
In 1066, William's Norman army landed in Sussex. Harold hurried south and the two armies fought the Battle of Hastings (14 October 1066). The Normans won, Harold was killed, and William became king. The story of how the Normans conquered England was told in the Bayeux Tapestry. The Anglo-Saxon period of English history was over.
ACTIVITIES
1. Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? When did they arrive to England?
2. Name three important Anglo-Saxon kings.
3. What is the wittan?
4. What is the Danelaw?
5. Who was the worst Anglo-Saxon king? Why?
6. Draw your timeline of the Anglo-Saxons' history.
7. Write a secret message using runes, the alphabet of the Anglo-Saxons. Click here to find out how.
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