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Enter The Anglo-Saxons!

© Elizabeth Batt

The Roman Empire was under attack! Having no choice but to withdraw from Britain to defend the homeland, the Romans left Britain defenceless and the Saxons soon moved in. True Saxons were from Germany, but their culture included people from Denmark as well. All in all, they were a mixed bunch of Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Frisians and Franks and as the differences between them grew less, they became jointly known as the Anglo-Saxons. Once this happened, you were either Anglo-Saxon or English.

The Saxons lands were fairly poor and not being happy with them, they decided they needed more. So why not conquer Britain? Britain's main enemies at the time were the Picts from Scotland. Between them and the Saxon raids, Britain was having a devil of a time. The high king of Britain during this period was a man known as King Vortigen. In an attempt to protect what he had, Vortigen struck a deal with two Saxon chieftains, Hengest and Horsa. In return for protecting his land, the Saxons would receive land that they could settle upon and farm.

Saxons being the people that they were soon grew unhappy with Vortigen's deal and after building up a large enough force they conquered Britain completely. Horsa was killed in battle; while Hengest went on to found the kingdom of Kent. The complete domination of Britain didn't occur immediately, but over a period of time. It is said that by 815 A.D. when Egbert, King of Wessex won his battle, the Anglo-Saxon victory over Britain was complete.

After a peaceful Roman period, Britain was in for a shock! The Anglo-Saxons were not a peace-loving race and they brought much war and upset with them. After taking the cities available to them, they began to turn on one another, always fighting to gain land. Their main goal in life was to see what they could own or could gain from war, a Saxon king had to prove that he could fight and win battles. It was important that he be powerful and could protect his kingdom from attack. Anything less was seen as a sign of weakness, and any sign of weakness usually meant that a king wasn't a king for very long!

What the Romans had established, the Saxons threw aside. Britain once of Christian religion, now dealt with a pagan culture. Pagans worshipped nature, but rather than praying to their Gods for peace, Saxons prayed for success in battle. The fine buildings built by the great engineers of Rome began to fall to rubble and the magnificent villa system introduced by Roman culture disappeared completely.

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