📚 Fact Book · Ages 7–11
ANGLO-SAXONSAfter the Romans! 🏭
Most everyday English words — house, bread, water, child — come from the Anglo-Saxons!
Let’s explore the people who shaped England! 👑
410 ADRomans Left Britain
597 ADChristianity Arrived
927 ADFirst King of England
1066 ADAnglo-Saxon Era Ended
🏭 The Anglo-Saxons
After the Romans left Britain in 410 AD, Germanic tribes from across the North Sea began to settle the land. These Angles, Saxons and Jutes gradually formed the English people — and their language became Old English, the ancestor of the language you are reading now. Anglo-Saxon England lasted for over 600 years before the Norman Conquest in 1066 changed everything.
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Who Were the Anglo-Saxons?
- Anglo-Saxons were Germanic tribes from what is now Germany and Denmark
- They settled in Britain after the Romans left in 410 AD
- Main groups were: Angles, Saxons and Jutes
- They divided England into seven kingdoms (the Heptarchy)
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Anglo-Saxon Life
- Most Anglo-Saxons were farmers living in small villages
- They built with wood — very little stone, which is why few buildings survive
- A typical village had a great hall at its centre where the community gathered
- Women ran the household and could own property and be buried with jewellery
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Anglo-Saxon Writing
- Anglo-Saxons used an alphabet called runes (futhorc) for carving
- They also used the Latin alphabet, introduced by Christian monks
- Beowulf — the oldest surviving English poem — was written in Old English
- Monks produced beautifully illustrated manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels
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Anglo-Saxon Kings
- King Alfred the Great of Wessex defeated the Vikings and united much of England
- Alfred set up schools and translated books into English to improve education
- Aethelstan became the first true King of England in 927 AD
- The last Anglo-Saxon king was Harold II, defeated at the Battle of Hastings in 1066
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Anglo-Saxon Words
- Most everyday English words come from Old English (Anglo-Saxon): house, bread, water, earth, child
- Place names ending in –ton, –ham, –ley, –wick are Anglo-Saxon
- Birmingham, Reading, Hastings and hundreds of other towns have Anglo-Saxon names
- The days Monday through Saturday have Anglo-Saxon or Norse origins
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Anglo-Saxon Beliefs
- Early Anglo-Saxons worshipped Germanic gods: Woden, Tiw, Thunor and Frige
- Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday and Friday are named after these gods
- Anglo-Saxons were gradually converted to Christianity from 597 AD onwards
- The monk Bede wrote the first history of the English people around 731 AD
✨ Amazing Anglo-Saxon Facts
🏭 The word ‘England’ comes from ‘Angle-land’ — the land of the Angles.
👑 King Alfred the Great is the only English monarch ever given the title ‘the Great’.
✏️ Anglo-Saxon monks wrote on vellum — thin sheets made from calf or sheep skin, not paper.
💀 The famous Sutton Hoo ship burial (discovered 1939) contained treasure suggesting an Anglo-Saxon king was buried inside a full-size ship.
🏭 Anglo-Saxons played a ball game called ‘fot-ball’ — an early ancestor of modern football.
✏️ Hundreds of Anglo-Saxon riddles survive — they were a popular form of entertainment. One famous riddle describes a book as an enemy turned into a treasure.
🤔 Anglo-Saxon Quiz
Click each answer to check it instantly!
Question 1 of 6
Where did the Anglo-Saxons originally come from?
- The Roman province of Gaul
- France and the Normandy coast
- Scandinavia — Norway and Sweden
- Germanic tribes from modern Germany and Denmark
Question 2 of 6
Who was King Alfred the Great?
- The first Roman emperor to visit Britain
- The Anglo-Saxon King of Wessex who defeated the Vikings and promoted education
- A Viking king who conquered England
- The Norman king who won the Battle of Hastings
Question 3 of 6
What is Beowulf?
- An Anglo-Saxon king who fought the Vikings
- A type of Anglo-Saxon weapon used in battle
- The oldest surviving poem written in Old English
- An Anglo-Saxon god of strength and courage
Question 4 of 6
What do place names ending in '-ton' tell us?
- It has an Anglo-Saxon origin — 'ton' meant a farm or settlement
- It was a Norman town built after 1066
- It was once a Viking settlement
- The town was built by the Romans
Question 5 of 6
Which was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England?
- Harold II
- Alfred the Great
- Edward the Confessor
- Aethelstan
Question 6 of 6
What was the Lindisfarne Gospels?
- A Viking battle plan for invading England
- A collection of Anglo-Saxon poetry and riddles
- A magnificently illustrated religious manuscript produced by Anglo-Saxon monks
- A set of laws written by King Alfred the Great
📚 Key Words
Anglo-Saxon
The collective name for the Germanic peoples — mainly Angles, Saxons and Jutes — who settled in Britain from the 5th century AD.
Heptarchy
The seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of early England: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex and Wessex.
Old English
The language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons, from which modern English developed. Also called Anglo-Saxon.
great hall
The large central building in an Anglo-Saxon settlement, used for feasting, meetings and storytelling.
runes
The alphabet used by early Anglo-Saxons and Vikings for carving inscriptions into wood and stone.
manuscript
A hand-written book, often beautifully illustrated by monks. 'Manu' means hand in Latin.
Bede
A monk from Northumbria (673–735 AD) who wrote the first comprehensive history of the English people.
Witan
The council of Anglo-Saxon nobles and church leaders who advised the king and could choose a new one.
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