They were in England for 600 years from 410AD to 1066AD, a long time! There were three aggressive tribes: Saxons, Jutes and Angles, farmer warriors from North-West Europe.
When the Romans left after giving England nearly three hundred years of relative peace and prosperity, there was a period of uncertainty and disorder. The way of life disintegrated, food supplies became erratic, disease returned, fear and panic was spreading through the population.
Basically, with the country defenceless, these Germanic tribes crossed the North Sea and created their own kingdoms, driving the local population out to Ireland and Wales.
There were three Germanic tribes and they settled in different areas of the country:
- Saxon kingdoms were established in Middlesex, Wessex, Essex and Sussex.
- The Jutes in Kent
- The Angles in northern and eastern England.
They loved fighting each other, fortunately, they weren’t just fighters, they were also good farmers, while more importantly they were experts at making cloth and leather goods.
Most of what we have learnt about them has come from graves, such as that at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, which is depicted in the Netflix film “the Dig”
In 1939 at Sutton Hoo, which is near the River Deben in Suffolk, they found eleven mounds or ‘barrows’ dating back to the 7th century along with a ship buried in a mound.
The Musical
We have created a factional musical The Saxon King – The Story of Sutton Hoo by matching the treasures discovered at Sutton Hoo with the story of King Edwin of Northumbria and King Readwald’s alliance against King Ethelfrid from “Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People”.
You can download it today at The Saxon King – The Story of Sutton Hoo and be rehearsing it immediately.
Let’s Make History Fun!
Ten questions to discuss:
- What were the names of the three aggressive tribes that settled in England from 410 AD to 1066 AD?
- Describe the period in England after the Romans left and before the Germanic tribes arrived.
- Where did the Saxon kingdoms establish themselves?
- Which area did the Jutes settle in?
- Where did the Angles settle in England?
- Aside from being fighters, what other skills were the Germanic tribes known for?
- How do historians primarily gather information about these tribes?
- What significant archaeological discovery was made at Sutton Hoo in 1939?
- How many mounds or ‘barrows’ were found at Sutton Hoo?
- What century do the artifacts discovered at Sutton Hoo date back to?
For more information:
https://www.bl.uk/anglo-saxons/articles/who-were-the-anglo-saxons
https://www.thecollector.com/who-were-the-anglo-saxons/
https://www.history.org.uk/primary/resource/3865/anglo-saxons-a-brief-history
©Tony Dalton