After the departure of the Romans (407) the Celts retained their independence for a short period of time. From the middle of the 5th century they were subject to the attacks of the Germanic tribes of the Jutes, the Saxons and the Angles. The Jutes and the Angles came from tHeTutland peninsula (southern Denmark) and […]

THE  ANGLO-SAXONS  AND  HOW  THEY  LIVED The  Anglo-Saxons  made  up  the  bulk  of  the  population  in  Britain  after  the  conquest  of  the  country. The  early  medieval  history  of  Britain  is  the  history  of  the  Anglo-Saxons.

Besides  arable-farming,  the  Anglo-Saxons  continued  their  old  occupations  of  cattle-breeding,  hunting  and  fish­ing.  Oxen,  sheep  and  goats  belonging  to  the  villagers  grazed  on  the  common  pastures,  and  poultry  (hens,  geese,  ducks)  would  feed  there  also.  Pigs  were  turned  into  the  woodland  to  feed  on  nuts  and  acorns.

Each  village  was  self-sufficient,  that  is,  most  of  the  necessities  of  life  were  produced  in  the  village  itself.  The  needs  of  the  villagers  were  few  and  simple.  Food,  clothing  and  shelter  were  their  basic  needs.  Arable-farming  and  cattle-breeding  satisfied  the  needs  of  the  people  in  the  way  of  foodstuffs,  clothing  and  footwear.  Wool  from  the  […]