Introducing the Anglo Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons dominated Britain from the 5th to 11th centuries 450−1066CE, creating a Germanic warrior society that valued bravery, honor, and glory in battle. Originally from Scandinavia, they settled on the island of Brittania and established a distinctive culture.
Their society was built on three core values kinship (ancestral relationships), comitatus (loyalty bonds between kings and warriors), and fraternity (close social bonds among men). Glory and violence were everyday motivations—death of tribe members required revenge or wergild (compensation payments based on social status).
When not fighting, Anglo-Saxon men gathered in the mead-hall, a central room symbolizing the king's power and serving as the safest place in the kingdom. This is where warriors drank mead honey−basedalcohol and celebrated their victories.
Did you know? Many of our weekday names come directly from Anglo-Saxon gods! Wednesday (Woden's day), Thursday (Thor's day), and Friday (Frige's day) all honor their pagan deities.