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An [[Anglo-Saxon]] council of major ranked land-owners, senior [[church]] officials and the [[royal household]] that met irregularly to discuss matters of interest, like [[tax]]es, [[law]], land [[grant]]s, foreign policies etc. They also approved the [[Becoming king|succession of the new king]]. Some see the Witan as a forerunner to the modern [[parliament]].

It was derived from the [[Old English]] word ''witenagemot'', meaning a moot or meeting.
[[category:old english]]