History of Britain: The Saxon Invasions

The Long Occupation of The Germanic Tribes

4 Oct, 20235 min read

This is a part of an ongoing series of articles concerning ''The History of Britain''. Although the series of articles can be read separately, it is advised to read the series starting from the beginning as they are connected to each other chronologically and serve as a piece of puzzle to make up a full set. In the previous articles; Prehistoric Britain, until the Iron Age, The Brief History of Celts, and the long Roman reign in Britain were given. This article continues with the Saxon invasions in Britain which had a major cultural and literary impact on England.

After the long-lasting glorious rule of the Romans, Britain witnessed another set of invasions by the Germanic tribes sailed from the coasts of Northwest Germany, Holland, and Denmark who came by boats to overcome the land around the year 450. They were the Germanic invaders consisting of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, they were later named 'Angli' by Bede in 730 AD, and Glidas referred to them as Saxons around 530 AD. However, the most remarkable account came from Pope Gregory I. ''Pope Gregory the Great saw some fair-skinned children in a slave market and asked who they were. “Angles” came the answer, to which Gregory responded in what might be one of the first recorded puns “No, not Angles, but angels” (non-Angli, sed angeli!).'' (Roberts).

An Illustration of Anglo-Saxons

The Anglo-Saxon settlers divided the land into seven major kingdoms;

Northumbria,
Mercia,
Anglia,
Wessex,
Essex
Sussex
and Kent

Each kingdom had its own king or Bretwalda ''any of several Anglo-Saxon kings said to have had overlordship of kingdoms beyond their own. The word is used in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in its account of the events of 829 and also in a charter of Aethelstan, king of the English, and probably means “ruler of the Britons” or “ruler of Britain.” (Britannica).

A Handmade Map of the Seven Kingdoms

PART ONE: THE ANGLO-SAXON CULTURE

The Anglo-Saxon community lived in kinship groups where the king was a great source of patronage as well as power and wealth. As a result, the king gave feasts in the halls where his mighty warriors attended. They were settled in boroughs where they not only lived as a close-knit community but also defended the country.

The class system consisted, slightly, of a hierarchy;

The coral or churl - was the freeman or the farmer
The elite- were the warriors of the king

PART TWO: THE COMING OF THE CHRISTIANITY

Around the year 597, Papa Gregorius saw Anglo-Saxons in Rome and thought that they were angels! So, he sent St.Augustine to England from Rome so that he could spread the Christian religion all over the kingdoms. King Ethelbert of Kent gave him land in Canterbury to build a Church. Hence, he became the first Anglo-Saxon king to Christianize his people. He probably thought that Christianity would strengthen his royal authority to secure his throne. Around 600, Ethelbert became the most powerful king of England.

Bede, the first historian, wrote his book Ecclesiastical History of the English People he demonstrated the triumph of Christianity. He wrote about Christianity in Roman Britain and St. Augustine's travels to England. Thus, it is clear that the coming of Christianity has been very beneficial in many terms. Before Christianity, there was oral literature. Yet, Christianity brought education, medicine, literacy, and a wide range of connections with the monasteries. In addition, numerous manuscripts have been produced that contributed to literature immensely.

PART THREE: THE DECLINE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON POWER AND VIKING INVASIONS

Over history, there have been fights between the several kingdoms as they aim to gain dominance. After the conversion to Christianity, King Athelberth became the most powerful in England. Then, after a series of conflicts, Northumbria became the supreme kingdom following the rise of Mercia in 729. By this time, the island started to be threatened by the Vikings, the first recorded attack happened on the Dorset coast in 793.

Around the year 829, Wessex became the supreme kingdom after King Egbert, who was the king of the West Saxons, conquered Mercia and forced Northumbria to submit as well. As a result, his grandson, Alfred initiated the creation of a single kingdom that would rule Egland. However, the Viking attacks halted the Anglo-Saxon glory. They came across the North Sea as fierce raiders and immediately began to attack the English coasts. The Vikings, or Danes, successfully overcame the Anglo-Saxons and inhabited the land to settle permanently which divided the Anglo-Saxon kingdom, consisting of Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. A major struggle between them was about to begin.