What Did the Anglo-Saxons Give Us?

Much of the Anglo-Saxons legacy was destroyed after the Viking invasion, but they still made their mark on our country, and in some terrific ways too. If you've ever tried to read Saxon language, then it probably looked like double Dutch to you, but surprisingly, our modern day English is a result of Saxon words. Hard to believe hey? How about this then? The Saxons before converting to Christianity were pagans and worshipped many gods. Some of these gods we can see in our days of the week, particularly these three:

Tiw - Tuesday
Thor - (Thors-day) Thursday
Friya - Friday.

Recognise the similarities?

Not only is our language based on the Anglo-Saxons, but so are our shires, counties and many towns. Yep, they created those shires and counties and chances are that if you live in a town that ends in, '-ton, -wick, -worth, -burn, -hurst, -den or -ham,' then it is Anglo-Saxon in origin, as are many of our surnames!

Most of the buildings the Saxon's created were burnt to the ground with the coming of the Vikings, but there are still some churches that date back to Anglo-Saxon times. These can be found in Canterbury, Northamptonshire, and Bradford. If you live in any of those areas, visit your local library, they should be able to tell you where they are and when they were built. Perhaps you can then ask your parents for a day trip and enjoy some Saxon history all of your own.

In 1939, a terrific discovery was made - the Sutton Hoo treasure! Near the Suffolk coast, found beneath a barrow, a Saxon ship, eighty feet long was discovered buried. Archaeologists believed the great ship was used as a burial chamber for a Saxon king. Surrounding the barrow containing the ship were nineteen others mounds that held treasure and skeletons, but the greatest treasure of all rested within the Saxon ship itself. Visit the Sutton Hoo Room and see the treasures unearthed for yourself.

Also have a look at these pictures from the Sutton Hoo find. On the left rests a young man and buried to his right is his horse. Dr. Sam Newton's Wuffing's Website looks in detail at the belief that the Sutton Hoo gravesite belongs to an Anglo-Saxon family called the Wuffings.

The Anglo-Saxons first turned their attention to Britain in the 5th century and battled for many years to dominate the country. By around 530 A.D. most of our country belonged to them. Peace was still a long way away for although they had invaded and conquered, there was a new threat on the horizon - the Vikings!

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic