MB UNIUD

The spare of time extending from the Anglo-Saxon invasions to the accession of the House of Tudor to the throne is called Medieval Period or Middle Ages.

The Anglo-Saxons were Germanic tribes, these tribes were made up by Jutes, Angles and Saxons. These people invaded Britain in the late 4^th century and they brought with them their traditions (like their religion, the military organisation, the sense of honour and fidelity to their chiefs). Their society was based on the family unit, which branched out to clan and tribe. People lived in country villages where the farmland, woods and pastures were owned communally. Later these villages began to become larger communities called boroughs. The language of the Anglo-Saxons is called Old English which became the English spoken today.

By the end of the 6^th century seven kingdoms were established (like Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex), in the 9^th century they recognised the King of Wessex and England was unified.

In 597 the Roman Church sent to England Augustine and other monks to convert English to Christianity, the Christian religion was influential on the future history and culture of England. These influences brought to the unit of the Kingdoms, they opened the country to the Europe, it was introduced the writing.

From 787 the British coasts were attacked by Viking tribes but Anglo-Saxons defeated Danes.