Timeline of Medieval Britain

Early Anglo-Saxon Period (c. 410 - 600 CE)

• After the Romans withdrew, Britain was vulnerable to raids and invasions. • Germanic tribes - the Angles, Saxons and Jutes - began settling, mostly from what is now Germany and Denmark. • Native Britons were pushed west into Wales, Cornwall and Scotland. • Small kingdoms began to form, such as Kent, Sussex, Wessex and Northumbria.

The Heptarchy: Seven Anglo - Saxon

Kingdoms

By the 7th century, seven main kingdoms had emerged: • Northumbria • Mercia • East Anglia • Essex • Kent • Sussex • Wessex These often warred with one another for dominance. Some kings became known as Bretwaldas, or overlords of all England.

Christianity and Culture

Early Paganism

• The early Anglo-Saxons worshipped gods like Woden, Thunor and Tiw. • Many place names still reflect these deities (e.g., Wednesday = Woden’s Day).

Christianisation (from c. 597 CE)

• In 597, St Augustine of Canterbury arrived to convert the Anglo- Saxons. • Christianity spread rapidly, supported by kings like Æthelberht of Kent and Oswald of Northumbria. • Monasteries such as Lindisfarne and Whitby became centres of learning and art (e.g., the Lindisfarne Gospels).

Viking Invasions (from c. 793 CE)

• The Vikings raided and later settled in large parts of Britain, beginning with the attack on Lindisfarne in 793. • The Danelaw was established in eastern and northern England - areas under Viking control. • The Anglo-Saxon kings, particularly Alfred the Great of Wessex, resisted.

The Unification of England

• Alfred the Great (r. 871 - 899) is remembered as a wise and brave leader who defended against the Vikings and promoted learning. • His descendants gradually reclaimed Viking-held lands and united England. • Æthelstan (r. 924 - 939), Alfred's grandson, is often considered the first true King of England.

End of Anglo-Saxon Rule: 1066

• After a brief Viking resurgence under Cnut the Great (a Danish king who ruled England from 1016 to 1035), the Anglo-Saxon line was restored with Edward the Confessor. • When Edward died in 1066, a succession crisis led to the rise of Harold Godwinson - the last Anglo-Saxon king. • Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings in October 1066 by William the Conqueror, ending Anglo-Saxon rule.

Legacy of Anglo-Saxon Britain

• Old English: The basis of the English language we speak today. • Law codes and village life shaped medieval and modern English society. • Place names: Many towns and features have Anglo-Saxon roots (e.g., -ham, -ton, -bury). • Important literature: Beowulf, the epic Old English poem, comes from this era.

Pictland Northumbria Mercia Dál Riata Ireland Strathclyde North Wales Wessex Sussex East Anglia Essex Kent

Anglo-Saxon Britain refers to the period between the end of Roman rule in Britain (c. 410 CE) and the Norman Conquest in 1066 CE. It was a formative time in British history that saw the emergence of early English kingdoms, the spread of Christianity, and the development of the Old English language.

Anglo-Saxon Britain

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