What does Anglo-Saxon mean? Who are the Anglo-Saxons?

Today Europe uses the term Anglo-Saxons when referring to England. This is because the people living in the area are descendants of a community called the Anglo-Saxons who ruled the area for a very long time before calling themselves British. The word “Anglo-Saxon” describes both the culture and the community. We told you what Anglo-Saxon means, which nation is Anglo-Saxon and who is Anglo-Saxon.

You can also check out this content: “Hidden in the Stars: 5 Celestial Events Thought to Change History”

What does Anglo-Saxon mean?

Anglo-Saxons are a mixture of Angles, Saxons and Jute Germans. The word Anglo-Saxon came to continental Europe with the advent of the Vikings, and Anglo-Saxon control over England was significantly weakened and completely stopped with the advent of the Normans.

The term Anglo-Saxon comes from the union of the Angles and the Saxon Germanic tribes north of the region that the Romans called Germania (now northwest of Hamburg).

After the Norman invasion, the word “Anglo-Saxon” began to be used in the English sense. The term Anglo-Saxons is used today to describe the white races of English origin.

You may also want to check out this content: “7 Surprising Facts About Highclere Castle Filmed as Downtown Abbey”

Who are the Anglo-Saxons?

The Anglo-Saxons are a Germanic people made up of Angles, Saxons and Jutes who came from northern Europe and came to the region of Britain between 410 and 1066 AD. According to Bede, Germanic peoples made up of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes migrated from Germany and settled in various parts of England from the 5th and 6th centuries. All these peoples, which we have mentioned, formed separate kingdoms. These peoples came at the invitation of the leader of the British tribe Vortigern to protect the lands of Vortigern from the Pictish and Irish invaders.

The first groups arrived before 410, when the Romans withdrew from Britain. Anglo-Saxon settlements in England and the peoples who founded these settlements: Essex, Sussex and Wessex (Saxons), East Anglia, Middle England, Mercia and Northumbria (Angles) and Kent (Utites).

These seven communities formed a heterarchy in the sense of joint rule, but could not stop the raids of the Danes, which began on the island from the 9th century. Finally, in 871, Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, managed to defeat the Danes and become King of Southern England. In 878 the Danes agreed with Alfred and agreed to withdraw from Wessex.

Although the kings who came after Alfred managed to thwart the Danes for a while, they had to agree to pay the Danes a large amount of tax. Great Britain even briefly became part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Finally, in 1066, the Norman prince William I’s invasion of the islands came to an end. The Norman invasion was also the last invasion of England.

What language did the Anglo-Saxons speak and what religion did they practice?

The Anglo-Saxons spoke Old English, which is the basis of modern English. They are also known to speak Old Germanic. The Anglo-Saxons, like all Germans, used to believe in Germanic mythology. However, they converted to Christianity at the end of the 6th century.

What are the Anglo-Saxon countries?

Anglo-Saxons and continental Europe are generally divided into English-speaking and non-English-speaking states. The United Kingdom is one of the Anglo-Saxon countries. Along with the United Kingdom, Great Britain, countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are among the Anglo-Saxon countries.

Source: 1