The Celtic retrieve

After the Romans retrieve, Great Britain went back to

Barbarism. How did this happened? Excidio Britanniae (The ruin of Britain) written around 550 by Gildas: Picts and Scots moved southwards with no great opposition. Britans wanted to throw them away from their territories.

The Celtic retrieve

Britons asked Aecius for help. Was not sent, since the Romans were fighting the

Goths (front of North Italy) and the Huns (front of West Italy). Vortigern, a Britan chief, asked the Jutes for Help. Jutland (Jylland) is located between Schleswig (Anglos) and Saxony (Saxons).

Arrival of the Saxons.

Jute Chiefs Hengist (Stallion) and Horsa (Horse)

responded the call. By 456 they landed in Kent (449 according to Beda). Instead of helping the Britons against the Picts, they ended up conquering the territory. This gave birth to the Legend of Vortigern.

Arrival of the Saxons

Other Germanic tribes followed the Path of the Jutes. By 477 Saxons cross over Calais and landed in the

south part of England. Founded the Three Saxon Kingdoms (Wessex, Essex and Sussex)

The Battle of Mount Badon

Gildas, a historian, describes a great battle ca. 500 a.D.

in Mount Badon. The only Battle Britons won. The Britain chief Ambrosius Aurelianus (RomanBriton) defeated the Germanics. Nennius (800 a.D.), reproduces the story giving birth to the epoch of legends:

The Legend of Mount Badon

Ambrosius is a magician servant of Vortigern who

commands the Britons with the help of a royal commander named Arthur. Arthur fights twelve battles, winning them all against the Saxons. Arthur becomes a King and establishes his Kingdom in Camelot. In reality, Saxons defeated the Britons badly.

The arrival of the Anglos

Much later, ca. 540 the Anglos landed in the former

Icenii land and founded a series of Kingdoms along the Thames. Founded: Anglia, Mercia (Marc), Deira and Bernicia. Both, the Anglos and Saxons conquered the Jute terrotories. Considered themselves of the same race. The Anglos dominated the Island with their 4 Kingdoms and soon began Great Britain to be know as the Angle-land.

 The name of England can only be applied to the

territories that were dominated by these three barbaric tribes. The whole Island is Great Britain. The Saxons made the Celts retrieve as well who established themselves In the northern part: Wealhas (Land of strangers). Wealhas becomes Wales and the Wealhean Celts become the Welsh (They called themselves Cymri).

Division of England.
Thus England was divided more or less as it is now: Great Britain: 1) England (Three Saxon kingdoms + 4 Anglo ones) 2) Scotland 3) Wales

What about Ireland?

The other Island, the Smaller, was never conquered by

no one. It remained 100% Celtic. Although not conquered by troops it was conquered by religion.

Conversion of Ireland
Pelagius conceives Christianity in a form that was

considered a Heresy. And spreads his ideas along Britain (Ca. 420 a.D.) By 429, the Pope sends the Bishop of Auxerre to fight him and in his way he lands in Ireland. He paved the way to Christianity to be spread in the smaller Island. Later a portentous missioner, Patricius (later nick named Patrick), spread the religion allover. Died the 17 of March 461.