7th-10th Centuries (600s-900s)

Question 1

Who was Saint Augustine of Canterbury and what is his significance? (c.534-604)

Answer 1

• Who He Was:
  
  • A missionary sent by Pope Gregory the Great in 597 AD to convert the Anglo-Saxons of England, becoming the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
• Significance:
  
  • Successfully converted King Æthelberht of Kent, leading to the Christianization of southern England.
  • Laid the foundation of the English Church, with Canterbury becoming its religious center.

Question 2

What was the Christianization of Britain and its significance? (7th-8th centuries)

Answer 2

• What It Was:
  
  • The process of converting the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to Christianity, beginning with St. Augustine in 597 AD.
  • King of Kent, Æthelberht converts first.
• Significance:
  
  • Established Christianity as the dominant religion in England, leading to the development of monasteries and literacy.
  • Unified the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms under a common religion.

Question 3

Who was the Venerable Bede, and what is his significance? (c. 672-735 AD)

Answer 3

• Who Was He:
  
  • An Anglo-Saxon monk, historian, and scholar from the Kingdom of Northumbria, known as the “Father of English History.”
• Significance
  
  • Wrote the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, a crucial source for early Ænglish history.
  • Contributed significantly to the preservation of historical knowledge and Christian scholarship in medieval Europe.

Question 4

What was the Ecclesiastical History of the English People and what is its significance? (c.731)

Answer 4

• What Was It:
  
  • A historical work written by the Venerable Bede, chronicling the Christianization and early history of England.
• Significance:
  
  • An important sources for understanding early Anglo-Saxon and Ænglish history.
  • Provides a detailed account of the spread of Christianity in England and the lives of early English saints.

Question 5

What are the Lindisfarne Gospels and their significance? (c. 715-720 AD)

Answer 5

• What They Were:
  
  • An illuminated manuscript created at the Lindisfarne Monastery, containing the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
• Significance:
  
  • A masterpiece of Anglo-Saxon and Irish Insular art, blending Christian themes with Celtic and Anglo-Saxon styles.
  • Represents the early cultural and religious exchange in the British Isles.

Question 6

What was the Heptarchy and its significance in English history? (7th-9th centuries)

Answer 6

• What It Was:
  
  • The term refers to the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms—Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Wessex—that existed in England.
• Significance
  
  • These kingdoms laid the groundwork for the eventual unification of England.

Question 7

What were the Viking invasions, and their significance for England? (8th-11 centuries)

Answer 7

• What It Was:
  
  • A series of raids and invasions by Scandinavia or Norse warriors targeting England and other parts of Europe.
• Significance
  
  • Resulted in the Danelaw.
  • Led to significant cultural, political, and territorial changes in England.

Question 8

What was the Danelaw and its significance? (9th-11 centuries)

Answer 8

• What It Was:
  
  • A region of England under the control of Danish Vikings, where Danish laws and customs prevailed.
• Significance:
  
  • Represented the division of England between Anglo-Saxon and Viking territories.

Question 9

Who was Alfred the Great and what is his significance in English history? (r.871-899)

Answer 9

• Who He Was:
  
  • King of Wessex who successfully defended his kingdom against Viking invasions and laid the groundwork for the unification of England.
• Significance
  
  • Known for his military strategies, legal reforms, and promotion of education.
  • His achievements set the stage for the eventual unification of England.

Question 10

What was the Battle of Brunanburh and is it significance? (937 AD)

Answer 10

• What It Was:
  
  • A decisive battle in which King Æthelstan of England defeated an alliance of Scots, Vikings, and other forces.
• Significance:
  
  • Marked the beginning of English national identity.
  • United all of Britain, as Æthelweard writes in 975, “The fields of Britain were consolidated into one, there was peace everywhere, and abundance of all things.”

Question 11

What was the Witan and its significance in Anglo-Saxon England? (c.900s-1066)

Answer 11

• What It Was:
  
  • The Witan (“wise men”) was a council of nobles, clergy, and who advised the king in Anglo-Saxon England.
• Significance:
  
  • Played a crucial role in the governance of the kingdom, including approving laws and selecting new kings.
  • Its practices laid the groundwork for later English parliamentary traditions.