Anglo-Saxon England

After the Roman army left Britain in AD 410, the Jutes, the Angles, and the Saxons – collectively known as the Anglo-Saxons – settled here. These were tribes from northern Europe, and their languages became the basis of modern-day English. By around AD 600, the Anglo-Saxons had established their kingdoms. The Anglo-Saxons were not Christians when they arrived in Britain, but missionaries came to introduce Christianity, and the country gradually converted. One of the most prominent missions was led by St Augustine, sent from Rome, who later became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Vikings

The Vikings, who came from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, began raiding the coastal towns of Britain in AD 789. They set out to seize goods and to take people as slaves. In time, some of them chose to settle in eastern England and Scotland, forming their own communities. The Anglo-Saxon King, Alfred the Great, pushed back the Vikings successfully and brought the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England together. The Vikings who remained in Britain mixed with the local population, and some converted to Christianity.

Further north, the local population united under King Kenneth MacAlpin to resist the Viking threat. This part of Britain became known as “Scotland”.

The Norman Conquest

In 1066, the Anglo-Saxon King Harold was defeated by Norman forces led by William, the Duke of Normandy, at the Battle of Hastings. Harold was killed in the fighting. William, later known as William the Conqueror, became King of England. The Bayeux Tapestry, now on display in France, portrays the events of the Battle of Hastings.

The Norman Conquest, the last successful foreign invasion of England, brought major changes to England’s government and society. The Normans also left a lasting mark on the English language through their own language, Norman French.