Chapter 9 & 10

Sea Pirates – A Saxon Timeline

 A Saxon Time Line
350 AD - First raid on Britain by Scots (Ireland), Picts (Scotland) and Anglo Saxon (Germanic Tribes)
400 AD - Extensive settlement of Anglo Saxons on southern and eastern England
- The Brits fight back, lead by Roman-British leader Arthur
410 AD - Romans abandon Britain and leaves it unprotected
449 AD - Arrival of Jutes (Jutland), Angles (South Denmark) and Saxons (Germany)
- Saxons settle in Kent
500 – 600 AD - St. Augustine brings Christianity to Britain
- Pagans’ conversion to Christianity
630 AD - Burial of Sutton Hoo
655 AD - Seven Anglo Saxon kingdoms are established
- Kent, Mercia, Northumbria, East Anglia, Essex, Sussex & Wessex
757 AD - Offa becomes King of Mercia
793 AD - Vikings attacked Lindisfarne, Wessex rose as a powerful kingdom
850 AD - The seven kingdoms consolidate into three large Anglo-Saxon kingdoms; Northumbria, Mercia &
Wessex
871 AD - Alfred becomes King of Wessex (King Alfred the Great)
Sea Pirates!
• In 400 CE, Roman legions in Britain had to go back to protect Rome as
they were being attacked by tribes of warriors from Europe.
• This left England open to attack from other invaders.
• Picts (Scotland)
• Scots (Ireland)
• Angles (Denmark)
• Saxons (Germany)
• Jutes (Belgium)

• Without Roman protection, Britain was easily attacked.

Anglo-Saxons (450 – 1066 AD)
• Three tribes from German; the Angles, Saxons & Jutes
• Reasons for invasion:
1. Britain was rich in jewellery, gold and slaves
2. They wanted a new place to live with rich soil, fresh water and have
materials needed to build new settlements (houses and farms)

• It was the Saxons who captured most of Britain (except for the North,
Wales & Cornwall)
• They came in long, sleek rowing boats with no sail
• The boats would have 60 – 80 people with 30 men rowing the boat
Anglo-Saxons (450 – 1066 AD)
• Three tribes from German; the Angles, Saxons & Jutes
• Ancestors of the English (Angla-land or Land of the Angles > England)
• First they only came to plunder – land from boat, cause destruction, go
back
• Later, they return again and again with bigger number and begin to
conquer the country
• These Germanic tribes began to establish permanent bases and to
gradually displace the native Celts (original people of the island)
• the Anglo-Saxon people spoke in what is now called Old English -
combination of the native Briton's language and the Germanic tribal
tongue they brought with them
Anglo-Saxon warrior and man
The seven kingdoms of Anglo-
Saxon
• Anglo-Saxons rules lots of little kingdoms across the land in Britain
• The earliest English kings were Anglo-Saxons, starting with Egbert in
the year 802
• The Anglo-Saxon period covers about 600 years, and Anglo-Saxon
kings ruled England for about 300 years.
• Archaeologists excavated and found many artefacts from Saxon times
like belt buckles, swords, bowls and even children’s toys
• Anglo-Saxons prayed to pagan gods, but around 600 AD they were
converted to Christianity by Roman missionary St. Augustine
• However, some of the pagans culture remained in Britain – the days
of the week are named after pagan gods
Certain days of the week are named after early Saxon Gods.
• Monan-dæg ( Moon's day - the day of the moon )
• Tiwes-dæg ( Tiw's-day - the day of the Scandinavian sky god Tiw,Tiu or
Tig)
• Wodnes-dæg ( Woden's day - the day of the god Woden (Othin) 
• Ðunres-dæg ( Thor's Day - the day of the god Ðunor or Thunor ), 
• Frige-dæg ( Freyja's day - the day of the goddess Freyja or Frigg, wife
to Woden), 
• Sæternes-dæg ( Saturn's day - the day of the Roman god
Saturn, whose festival "Saturnalia," with its exchange of gifts, has
been incorporated into our celebration of Christmas.)
• Sunnan-dæg ( Sun's day - the day of the sun )
 Homework: Compare the Romans & Saxons

   
The Romans
– Chapter 1
 
The Anglo-Saxons
– Chapter 9
Who were
they?

   
Why did they
invade Britain?