The Anglo-Saxons

The Anglo-Saxons were a group of tribes from the German regions of Angeln and Saxony that entered Great Britain and ruled until the invasion of Normans in 1066. It is thought that the Anglo-Saxons were the descendants of four Germanic tribes:

1.      The Angles from Angeln

2.      The Saxons from lower Saxony

3.      The Jutes from Jutland in modern Denmark

4.      The Frisians from Netherlands

The area now called England has been settled by these peoples and it takes its name from the Angles. These tribes came in different moments and they were organized in 7 Kingdoms called Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia,  Essex,  Kent, Sussex and Wessex. The Anglo-Saxons spoke Old English that derives from West Germanic dialects.

The Middle Ages cover a period of history that goes roughly from 1066 to 1485. The 1066 is a very crucial date because it marks the Norman conquest.  This people  came from Normandy  a region in northern France and they were descended from Vikings conquerors of the territory. The leader of this tribe was William I , called the conqueror because he overcame all the England in a battle at Hastings. This king was very important because introduced the feudal system. He brought from Europe a new social organisation according to which the king or the emperor divides his lands among knights, vassals and barons in exchange for spedcial services. Then , in turn, they divide their land among less powerful vassals. The king was very afraid of the power of barons so he distributed little lands to not put his power at risk. For English people this was a new and innovative system but it was already existing in Europe.

So the feudalism was an hierarchical organization according to which the Pope was at the top of this pyramid, then there was the king or emperor, at third estate the aristocracy and at the bottom the serfs. The church and the Pope were at the top because the most important code to all social classes was religion; all were interested in salvation, whatever social class they belong to. This hierarchical organization began to break down when the barons and vassals grew tired of the king’s heavy taxes. The 1215 was a crucial date because the nobility forced the king to sign the Magna Charta, a document that limited the royal power. The peasants lived isolated in the lands , they were very poor ,religious and they also rebelled against the king’s taxes.