![]() Ethelbert of Kent was the first Anglo-Saxon king to be converted to Christianity, by St Augustine around 595 AD.Ģ. By 650 AD there were seven separate kingdoms, as follows:ġ. These kingdoms sometimes acknowledged one of their rulers as a ‘High King', the Bretwalda. They formed several kingdoms, often changing, and constantly at war with one another. The various Anglo-Saxon groups settled in different areas of the country. The Celtic areas of Britain regarded the Saxons as enemies and foreigners on their borders: their name became Sassenachs to the Scottish and Saesneg to the Welsh. However, the monk Gildas, writing in the mid-6th century, talks about a British Christian leader called Ambrosius who rallied the Romano-British against the invaders and won twelve battles. Around 500 AD, however, the invaders were resisted fiercely by the Romano-British, who might have been led by King Arthur, if he existed – and there is no hard evidence that he did. Initially they met little firm resistance from the relatively defenceless inhabitants of Britannia. When the Roman legions left Britain, the Germanic-speaking Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians began to arrive – at first in small invading parties, but soon in increasing numbers. Their invasions were slow and piecemeal, and began even before the Roman legions departed. There is even some evidence to suggest that, initially, some Saxons were invited to help protect the country from invasion. After the departure of the Roman legions, Britain was a defenceless and inviting prospect.Ī short history of the Anglo-Saxons in BritainĪnglo-Saxon mercenaries had for many years fought in the Roman army in Britain, so they were not total strangers to the island. These people eventually began looking for lands to settle in that were not so likely to flood. Warmer summers meant better crops and a rise in population in the countries of northern Europe.Īt the same time melting polar ice caused more flooding in low areas, particularly in what is now Denmark, Holland and Belgium. It was a time of war, of the breaking up of Roman Britannia into several separate kingdoms, of religious conversion and, after the 790s, of continual battles against a new set of invaders: the Vikings.Ĭlimate change had an influence on the movement of the Anglo-Saxon invaders to Britain: in the centuries after 400 AD Europe's average temperature was 1☌ warmer than we have today, and in Britain grapes could be grown as far north as Tyneside. However, most historians now prefer the terms 'early middle ages' or 'early medieval period'. The period used to be known as the Dark Ages, mainly because written sources for the early years of Saxon invasion are scarce. The Anglo-Saxon period in Britain spans approximately the six centuries from 410-1066AD. For access to hundreds of other high-quality resources by primary history experts along with free or discounted CPD and membership of a thriving community of teachers and subject leaders, join the Historical Association today Jump to: Anglo-Saxons in Britain | Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms | Areas to examine | Key concepts & links
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