Anglo-Saxon England
The Anglo-Saxon period of England lasted roughly from the 5th century until the defeat of Harold Godwinson in 1066.
History
At the beginning of the 6th century England was populated by Brythonic Celts and a migrant population of Angles, Saxons and Danes. These groups gradually encroached, supported by further immigration from mainland Europe, displacing the British population. With the remnants of Celtic power pushed to the west in Wales, Cumbria and Cornwall, numerous Anglo-Saxon kingdoms began to emerge. The seven most powerful, known as the Heptarchy, were successively united by war, until in 829 Egbert was named King of all England.
Time
The Anglo-Saxon period in England can divided into three periods:
- 410-650 - Early Anglo-Saxon Period
- 650-800 - Middle Anglo-Saxon Period
- 800-1066 - Late Anglo-Saxon England
Language
Main article: Old English
The Old English language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons was a West Germanic language, related to Old Frisian and Old-Saxon.
Names
Main article: Old English Names
Arts and Sciences
Music and poetry
Main article: Anglo-Saxon Poetry
Very little is known about Anglo Saxon music, as only a small amount was ever written down. Several instruments are known about, some through archaeological digs.
Anglo-Saxon poetry was mainly alliterative but end rhyme was sometimes used as in, for example, the Riming Poem.
Fibre arts
Clothing
Main article: Anglo-Saxon clothing
Most of what is known about Anglo-Saxon clothing has been learned through manuscripts and archaeological finds. In appearance it seems very similar to contemporary continental clothing. Wool and common natural colours predominated, although for the upper classes more exotic dyes and fabrics were often used.
Equipment for Combat
Main article: Saxon fighting kit
Animals
- On the Domestication of Certain Animals in England between the Seventh and Eleventh Centuries by John Thrupp, Transactions of the Ethnological Society of London , Vol. 4, (1866), pp. 164-172, published by Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
References
- History of Anglo-Saxons (1831) by Francis Palgrave - As this was written during the 19th century, be aware that the information provided may not be completely accurate.
- Married Women's Property in Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman Law and the Origin of the Common-Law Dower by Florence Griswold Buckstaff, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 4, (Sep., 1893), pp. 33-64, Sage Publications, Inc.
