Who Were the Anglo-Saxons?
Picture this around 1,500 years ago, fierce Germanic tribes from Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark crossed the sea to Britain. These Anglo-Saxons didn't just visit – they conquered, pushing out existing populations and creating what we now call England (which officially became a country in 925 AD).
By 1066, these skilled craftsmen and warriors had completely transformed. They'd converted from worshipping Germanic gods to Christianity, mixed their beliefs with ancient traditions, and even created our weekday names! The last Anglo-Saxon king, Edward the Confessor, ruled until 1066 when everything changed.
Life wasn't easy for the roughly two million people living in Anglo-Saxon England. Most were farmers growing their own food, facing Viking raids from Scandinavia that had terrorised the coasts for over 200 years. The Church cleverly used these attacks, claiming they were God's punishment and that obeying Christianity offered protection.
Did you know? Many northern English place names ending in '-by' and '-thorpe' come from Viking settlers who stayed and mixed with Anglo-Saxon communities!