THE SAXON INVASION After 430 three Germanic powerful tribes, the Saxons, then Angles and the

Jutes, came in Britain. The Anglo-Saxon migration gave larger part of Britain its new name, England, the land of the Angles. The strength of their culture is obvious even today: the name of the days of the week, the names of the villages, for instance, re of Anglo-Saxon origin. The Anglo-Saxons established a number of kingdoms, such as: Essex, Sussex, Wessex, Middlesex, East Anglia. In 757, King Offa of Mercia claimed kingship of England. He was the most powerful king of his time. The Saxons created institutions which made the English state strong for the next 500 years. The courts most important institution was the Kings Council, called the Witan. The council advised and supported the king on difficult matters. The Witan established a system, part of the kings method of government. The Saxons divided the land into new administrative areas, based on shires or counties. Anglo-Saxon technology changed the shape of English agriculture; they introduced a far heavier plough, useful for cultivating heavier soils. The village land was divided into two or three large fields, these where divided again into long thin strips. Each family had a number of strips and some of these families could afford to keep a team of oxen, and these had to be shared on a co-operative basis. In each of these Saxon districts there was a manor or large house, where local villagers came to pay taxes, where justice was administered and where men met together to join the Anglo-Saxon army. Furthermore, there was a lord of the manor who organized all these. This was the beginning of a class system. In the last hundred years of government, Christianity became established across Britain. In 597 Pope Gregory the Great, sent a monk, Augustine, to re-establish Christianity in England. He was successful. However, he and his group made little progress with the ordinary people. It was the Celtic Church which brought Christianity to the ordinary people. The Celtic and the Roman Churches did not always get along. The disagreement between the Celtic and Roman Churches reached a crisis because they disagreed over the date of Easter. England became Christian very quickly. Saxon kings helped the Church grow and the Church increased the power of kings. Monasteries were established not only as places of worship but also as places of learning and education. However, the Anglo-Saxon kings preferred the Roman Church to the Celtic Church for economic reasons. At the end of the eighth century Vikings were tempted by Britains wealth. They came from Norway and Denmark. In 865 they invaded Britain, they came to conquer and to settle. They accepted Christianity. Only king Alfred, held out against the Vikings. In 878 he won a decisive battle and made a treaty with the Vikings. Viking rule was recognized in the east and the north of England. In the remaining parts of the country Alfred was recognized as king. He built walled settlements, burghs and prosperous market towns to keep the raiders out. By 950 England seem rich and peaceful. The Saxon king, Ethelred paid the Vikings to stay away. He introduced a tax- Danegeld. When Ethelred died, Cnut, the Danish ruler, controlled much of England.

After Cnuts and his sons death, the Witan chose Edward, one of Ethelreds son to be king. He was known as the Confessor as he was more interested in the Church than in kingship. Edward died without an heir. It was Godwinson, Harold whom the Witan chose to be the next king. Harolds right to the throne was challenged by William, Duke of Normandy. In 1066 Harold had to march in the north, to defeat the Danes. No sooner had he defeated the Danes than he learnt that William had landed in England with an army. Harold decided to fight with the army that had done so well against the Danes, but he was defeated and killed in the battle near Hastings. So, in 1066, on Christmas day, William was crowned king of England