THE GERMANIC PERIOD IN BRITISH HISTORY (ANGLO-SAXON) The Anglo-Saxons were a people who inhabited Great Britain from the 5 th century. They included people from Germanic tribes who migrated to the island from continental Europe, and their descendants; as well as indigenous British groups who adopted some aspects of Anglo-Saxon culture and language. The Anglo-Saxon period denotes the period of British history between about 450 and 1066, after their initial settlement, and up until the Norman conquest 1) 1 st Germanic invasion 2) 2 nd Germanic invasion
Germanic Period AD 410 – AD 1066 REASONS FOR THE INVASION: - the wealth of Britain - the result of its mild climate - centuries of peace
The fifth century (1 st Invasion) the Germanic tribes from the north – western Europe invaded in large numbers: (the Angles and the Saxons); they were warlike and illiterate; they invaded the south-east of the country; in the west their advance was temporally stopped by an army of Britons.
The local population Celtic Britons: 1) either Saxonized 2) driven westwards (to Wales, Cornwall, south-west Scotland)
The life of the Saxons in Britain The Anglo-Saxons were pagan at first The Anglo-Saxons became Christian in Britain
Christianity spread throughout Britain from two different directions: It came directly from Rome when St Augustine arrived in 597 and established headquarters at Canterbury. 2) It had already been introduced into Scotland northern England from Ireland which had become Christian more than 150 years ago. 1)
The influence of the 1 st Germanic Invasion 1)Days of the week were named after Germanic gods: - Tig (Tuesday), - Wodin (Wednesday), - Thor (Thursday), - Frei (Friday)
The influence of the 1 st Germanic Invasion 2) New place-names appeared on the map. The earliest Saxon villages were family villages - The ending -ing meant family (Reading – family of Rada), - The ending -ham meant farm (Birmingham), - The ending -ton meant settlement (Kingston).
The influence of the 1 st Germanic Invasion 3) The Anglo-Saxons established a number of kingdoms, some of which still exist in county or regional names till this day: Essex (East Saxons), Sussex, Wessex, Middlessex. - Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex were the most powerful
The influence of the 1 st Germanic Invasion 4) The Saxons created the King’s Council, called the Witan, a group of senior warriors and churchmen to whom kings turned for advice and support
The influence of the 1 st Germanic Invasion 5) The Saxons divided the land into new administrative areas, based on shires. Over each shire was appointed a shire reeve , the king’s local administrator. In time his name became shortened to “sheriff”.
The influence of the 1 st Germanic Invasion 6) Anglo-Saxon technology changed the shape of English agriculture. The fields were divided into the parts. One part would be used for planting spring crops, and another for autumn crops. The third area would be left to rest for a year.
The influence of the 1 st Germanic Invasion 7) The Saxons settled previously unfarmed areas. They cut down many forested areas drained the wet land built in each district a “manor” or a large house. (a simple building where the villagers came to pay taxes and where men met together to join the Anglo-Saxon army the fyrd. )
The influence of the Germanic Invasion st 1 8) The Anglo-Saxon migrations gave the larger part of Britain its new name, England, “ the land of the Angles”.
2 nd Germanic Invasion The eighth century the Germanic tribes (the Vikings, (a word which probably means either “pirates” or “the people of the sea”), Norsemen and Danes came from Norway and Denmark In 865 the Vikings invaded and settled the extreme north and west of Scotland also some coastal regions of Ireland
2 nd Germanic Invasion King Alfred of the Saxon Kingdom of Wessex defeated the Vikings in 878. The victory resulted in a treaty with the Vikings, which divided England into two parts: - the Viking rule was recognized in the east and north of England. It was called the Danelaw. - In the rest of the country Alfred was recognized as king.
The Anglo-Saxons and the Danes (the Vikings) the cultural differences were comparatively small, they led roughly the same way of life, they spoke two varieties of the same Germanic tongue, the Danes became Christian
AS A RESULT by the 10 th century England was one kingdom with a Germanic culture throughout.
The 10 th century Soon after AD 950 the Danish Vikings started raiding westwards. The Saxon king decided to pay the Vikings to stay away. He set a tax on all people, called Danegeld or Danish money (the beginning of a regular tax system )
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