Anglo Saxon Society Flashcards
How many people lived in Anglo Saxon England?
Around 2 Million
Define an ‘Anglo Saxon’
Settlers in England after the Romans left
Define ‘Aristocracy’
People in society seen as wealthy because of their (often inherited) wealth and power
How many thegns were there?
4000 to 5000
How much land did a thegn hold?
5 hides of land (1 hide = 120 acres so around 600 acres)
Why were slaves sometimes not punished as harshly as ordinary people?
It was realised that it could’ve affected their ability to work
Who did peasants ‘rent’ land from?
Thegns
What % of the population were slaves?
Around 10%
What was special/different about ceorls?
They were free to work for any thegn, moving around when they wanted to and not tied down to any specific person
Who did Earls come second to?
The King
What Danish word does Earl come from?
What was the land ruled by an earl called?
What were the names of the 5 Earldoms?
What two Earldoms were completely in the Danelaw?
What Earldom was both inside and outside of the Danelaw?
What did a peasant need to do to become a thegn?
What did a merchant need to do to be classed as a thegn?
Make a number of trips abroad on their own ships
Thegns could become ___, who had a rare (but never 0) possibility of becoming ___.
Earls; King
