background: the anglo saxons Flashcards
when did they rule england?
between the end of the roman empire and the start of the norman conquest
circa. 5th century - 1066 (aka the dark ages)
where did they come from?
the east; german lands
who were the anglo saxons made up of?
angles, saxons and jutes
what kingdoms was england divided into?
saxons - essex, sussex, wessex
angles - east + middle anglia, mercia, northumbria
jutes - kent
who was alfred the great?
king of the west saxons
son of aethelwulf
united the kingdoms in the 9th century, fighting off attacks from the danes
who was aethelstan?
first king of all of england
alfred’s grandson
built alliances (married off his half sisters), regulated currency (silver’s weight), etc.
why was england so attractive to neighbours in the 1050s?
wealthy
based on agriculture + traded quality goods
vikings’ inheritance rule of dividing land between sons
way of life - food?
big feasts
grew and killed for food
had beer more often than water as water was too polluted to drink
way of life - religion?
when anglo saxons brought their own gods and beliefs
the early anglo saxons were pagans (non christian)
