Anglo-Saxons and Vikings

The lesson

After the Roman army left, Angles, Saxons, and Jutes settled in Britain and established kingdoms. Their languages helped shape Old English. Christian missionaries arrived from different parts of Europe; St Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, while St Columba established a monastery on Iona.

Viking raids began in the late eighth century and were followed by settlement, including in the Danelaw. Alfred the Great resisted Viking expansion in England. In the north, Kenneth MacAlpin is associated with the formation of the kingdom of Scotland.

More on this topic

By around AD 600, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were established in England. The Anglo-Saxons initially followed their own religions, then gradually became Christian. St Augustine arrived from Rome and became Archbishop of Canterbury; St Columba had earlier founded a monastery on the Scottish island of Iona.

Viking raids began in AD 789. Some raiders later became settlers. Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, resisted the Vikings and agreed a settlement that left a large part of eastern and northern England under Danish control. This area was called the Danelaw. England eventually became a more united kingdom.

Sutton Hoo in Suffolk contains an Anglo-Saxon royal ship burial with treasure and armour. Viking settlers came from Denmark and Norway. Cnut, also called Canute, was a Danish king who ruled England. Kenneth MacAlpin is associated with the unification of peoples in the kingdom that became Scotland.

Missionaries brought Christianity to different communities. St Patrick is associated with Ireland’s conversion. St Columba came from Ireland and founded a monastery on Iona, off Scotland’s west coast. St Augustine came from Rome and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. These missions helped replace earlier Anglo-Saxon religions over time, rather than converting the whole of Britain in a single event.

Vikings came from Scandinavian regions including Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Early raiders sought goods and enslaved people; later settlers farmed and lived in Britain. Place names such as Grimsby and Scunthorpe reflect Scandinavian settlement. In Scotland, Kenneth MacAlpin is traditionally associated with the union of peoples in the kingdom of Alba. Scotland’s formation was a gradual process involving several peoples and rulers.