Portal:Anglo-Saxon England

Anglo-Saxon England Anglo-Saxon England or Early Medieval England covers the period from the end of Roman Britain in the 5th century until the Norman Conquest in 1066. It consisted of various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms until 927, when it was united as the Kingdom of England by King Æthelstan (r. 927–939). It became part of the short-lived North Sea Empire of Cnut, a personal union between England, Denmark and Norway, in the 11th century. The Anglo-Saxons migrated to Britain from mainland northwestern Europe after the Roman Empire's withdrawal from Britain at the beginning of the 5th century. Anglo-Saxon history thus begins during the period of sub-Roman Britain following the end of Roman control, and traces the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th and 6th centuries (conventionally identified as seven main kingdoms: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Wessex); their Christianisation during the 7th century; the threat of Viking invasions and Danish settlers; the gradual unification of England under the Wessex hegemony during the 9th and 10th centuries; and ending with the Norman Conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066. The Normans persecuted the Anglo-Saxons and overthrew their ruling class to substitute their own leaders to oversee and rule England. However, Anglo-Saxon identity survived beyond the Norman Conquest, came to be known as Englishry under Norman rule, and through social and cultural integration with Romano-British Celts, Danes and Normans became the modern English people. (Full article...) Selected article The East Angles were initially ruled (from the 6th century until 749) by members of the Wuffingas dynasty, named after Wuffa, whose name means 'descendants of the wolf'. The last king was Guthrum II, who ruled in the 10th century. After 749 East Anglia was ruled by kings whose genealogy is not known, or by sub-kings who were under the control of the kings of Mercia. East Anglia briefly recovered its independence after the death of Offa of Mercia in 796, but Mercian hegemony was soon restored by his successor, Coenwulf. Between 826 and 869, following an East Anglian revolt in which the Mercian king, Beornwulf, was killed, the East Angles again regained their independence. In 869 a Danish army defeated and killed the last native East Anglian king, Edmund the Martyr. The kingdom then fell into the hands of the Danes and eventually formed part of the Danelaw. In 918 the East Anglian Danes accepted the overlordship of Edward the Elder of Wessex. East Anglia then became part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. (more about the kings of East Anglia...) Did you know? Did you know... ...that in Anglo-Saxon England, pregnant women were warned against eating food that was too salty or too sweet, or other fatty foods, and were also cautioned not to drink strong alcohol or travel on horseback? ... the impressive ship burial at Sutton Hoo is not the only example in Anglo-Saxon England; another ship burial, including an impressive glass beaker and gold ring, was found at Snape. ...that the name Taplow of the burial mound at Taplow, comes from Old English Tæppas hláw ('Tæppa's mound'), so that the name of the man buried in the mound would seem to have been Tæppa? ...that the Ordinance Concerning the Dunsaete, which gave procedures for dealing with disputes between the English and the Welsh of Archenfield, stated that the English should only cross into the Welsh side, and vice versa, in the presence of an appointed man who had to make sure that the foreigner was safely escorted back to the crossing point? Subcategories Category puzzle Select [►] to view subcategories Anglo-Saxon England 5th century in England 6th century in England 7th century in England 8th century in England 9th century in England 10th century in England Anglo-Saxon literature Anglo-Saxon archaeology Anglo-Saxon art Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England Conflict in Anglo-Saxon England 11th century in England People executed under the Anglo-Saxons Fiction set in Anglo-Saxon England Hen Ogledd Anglo-Saxon kingdoms Anglo-Norse England Old English Anglo-Saxon paganism Anglo-Saxon people Peoples of Anglo-Saxon England Anglo-Saxon studies scholars Anglo-Saxon settlements Anglo-Saxon society Selected image The 7th century Bewcastle Cross, in Cumbria Selected biography Sweyn I Forkbeard (Old Norse: Sveinn Tjúguskegg; c. 960 − 3 February 1014) was king of Denmark and England, as well as parts of Norway. His name appears as Swegen in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. He was a Viking leader and the father of Cnut the Great. On his father Harald Bluetooth's death in late 986 or early 987, he became King of Denmark; in 1000, with allegiance of the Trondejarl, Eric of Lade, he was ruler over most of Norway. After a long effort at conquest, and shortly before his death, in 1013 he became the first of the Danish Kings of England. (more...) Things you can do Requested articles: Battle of York (867). Complete list of requested history articles... Expansion needed: Battle of Tettenhall • Æthelwold's Revolt • Battle of the Holme • Edward the Elder • Edmund I • Eadred • Eadwig • Edgar the Peaceful • Edmund Ironside • St. Brice's Day massacre • Battle of Assandun • Battle of Fulford • Tostig Godwinson • Edwin, Earl of Mercia Cleanup and/or improvement needed: Councils of Clovesho • Escomb Church • Alfred Jewel • Anglo-Saxon warfare • Mercia • Kent • Featured articles and lists People Events, places, books and documents Kings and earls Ælle of Sussex Æthelbald of Mercia Æthelberht of Kent Æthelred of Mercia Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians Æthelstan Æthelwold ætheling Aldfrith of Northumbria Anna of East Anglia Beorhtwulf of Mercia Cædwalla of Wessex Ceawlin of Wessex Coenred of Mercia Coenwulf of Mercia Eadbald of Kent Eardwulf of Northumbria Egbert of Wessex Ine of Wessex Offa of Mercia Penda of Mercia Siward, Earl of Northumbria Wiglaf of Mercia Wihtred of Kent Wulfhere of Mercia List of monarchs of East Anglia Bishops and archbishops Ælfheah of Canterbury Augustine of Canterbury Ealdred (bishop) Hygeberht Justus Laurence of Canterbury Mellitus Paulinus of York Robert of Jumièges Stigand Wilfrid List of members of the Gregorian mission Authors and poets Asser Cædmon Israel the Grammarian J. R. R. Tolkien Events Gregorian mission Battle of Hastings Places Nico Ditch Books and documents Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Hemming's Cartulary Liber Eliensis Ormulum St Cuthbert Gospel Related portals WikiProjects  •  • Associated Wikimedia The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject: Commons Free media repository Wikibooks Free textbooks and manuals Wikidata Free knowledge base Wikinews Free-content news Wikiquote Collection of quotations Wikisource Free-content library Wikiversity Free learning tools Wiktionary Dictionary and thesaurus