The Birth of the English Race

This post caters to the study of the Complementary Course “Evolution of Literary Movements”, assigned for students of BA English programme at CMS College.

The Birth of the English Race

(about the advent and primary establishment of the Anglo Saxon tribes on the British Isles)

Topics of study (Overview)

Introduction: Topography and Prehistoric Life

BC 3000 to AD 455: Pre English

AD 455 – 1066: Old English

Phase I: AD 455 – 597

          Ia. The Birth of the English Race

Phase II: starts from AD 597

Phase III: AD 787 – 1066

AD 1066 – 1485: Middle English

AD 1485 – 1603: Modern English: The Tudor Period

AD 1603 – 1700: Modern English: The Stuart Period

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Phase I: Punctuated by two Roman situations: period of 200 years between the withdrawal of Roman legionaries (AD 410) and the coming of the Roman missionaries (AD 597).

Phase II: starting at AD 597: The coming of Christianity to Britain

Phase III: AD 787 – 1066: Punctuated by the coming of the Danes, and the Norman invasion

These three phases are together known as:

Anglo Saxon Period in the socio-political history

Old English Period in the literary and linguistic history

a.    Phase I:

I a: The Birth of the English Race

a.     Decline of the Roman Empire: Retreat of the Romans from Britain (AD 410)

b.    Problems in Britain: the Celts face invasions from outside; attacks from inside.

c.     Attempts of defence:

d.    AD 429: St. Germanus (Bishop of Welsh): Halleluia Victory

e.     AD 450: Vortigern (British Chief) invites Jute warriors Hengist and Horsa to defeat the Picts and Scots.

Elements that support the study on the decline of the Britons and early phases of the Anglo Saxon period:

•       Writings of the monks Gildas and Nennius: biased and subjective; the travails of the Britons are considered to be punishment from God for their disorderly ways. (Ninnius himself claims no authenticity for his statements.)
•     AD 732: “Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation”- Venerable Bede. Objective accounts
•       Archaeological findings: burial grounds of the early Anglo Saxons
•      Place names: ending with suffix ‘-ing’ / ‘-ings’ – an Anglo Saxon practice. Adding ‘-ingas’ to the name of a leader meant ‘followers of the person’ or ‘land of the person’. Haesta _ingas + Haestingas (later Hastings)

Hengist and Horsa: Warriors of Jutland (Jutes are an Anglo Saxon tribe)

British King Vortigern invites them to control the Picts and Scots. But after accomplishing their mission, they decide not to return to their cold and infertile homeland.
AD 455: Battle; Vortigern and Horsa killed; Hengist becomes King.

The Jutes make the Kingdom of Kent their home, driving out the inhabitants to the north and west.

Thus starts the settlement of the Germanic tribes, and the Anglo Saxon period.

(The name “Anglo Saxons” indicates three tribes: Angles, Saxons, Jutes, who are generally from areas of Denmark, Germany and Holland.)

AD 477: Next band of invaders: the Saxons. Leader – Aella. Several battles with the people who had already occupied the land. Those who resisted the Saxons were killed, driven out or enslaved.

Those who settled in the south named the place “Sussex”. The East Saxons settled in the area named “Essex”. The Middle Saxons had settlements in “Middlesex” and also Surrey. West Saxons settled in “Wessex” (Berkshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset)

The Angles: Leader: Ida. Establish in Northumbria, East Anglia, Mercia.

The Angles: more numerous; hence the land came to be called Angle-land or the land of the Angles, which later becomes Engla-land or England. Their language came to be called “English”.

Hence, this is the start of a history which can be specifically called “English”: since it is the origin, we call it “Old English” period.

The Fate of the Britons:

Britain put up a strong defence against the Anglo Saxons, for a period from AD 450 to 550.

Ambrosius Aurelius/ King Arthur Stories: Venerable Bede presented Ambrosius Aurelius as a leader. But history is not much clear about him; stories steeped in legends and myths, related to the stories of “King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table”. Gildas speaks of Arthur as a defender of Britain; he fought against the Saxons in twelve battles; No clear history exists on King Arthur; it is sometimes believed that Arthur is only the imaginative or romantic alter ego of Ambrosius Aurelius.

The final battle of Mons Badonis (AD 500) inflicted a crushing blow on the Saxons. But after around 50 years, the British defence died down.
By the 7^th C, the Saxons were the true masters of the land; but the north and the west continued to elude them.

The Britons’ fate was thus:

·       Some fled to the north and west

·       Some remained in peaceful submission to the Saxons.

·       Some crossed the Channel and settled in Armorica  (a place in France). This name got replaced as Brittany – the land of self exiled Britons. King Arthur stories were brought over to Brittany, where they underwent additions and exaggerations.

·       A group of Britains settled in Wales; called themselves “Cymry” (comrades); the land named “Cambria”. The Cymry were united by Christian religion and their love for music and poetry.

Literature and Language of the Cymry:

By the time the Saxons arrived in the island, the Britains had a language which developed into the flowery world of literature. The Cymry jealously guarded their religion and language. They avoided contact with the invaders. They had a devotion to nature. Their attitude was one of mysticism.

The Saxon impact on language:

Little remained of the Celtic or Latin language. Only some place names: Rivers Usk, Axe, Exe (forms of the British word ‘isca’ meaning ‘water’).

Saxon impact is seen in the place names: -ing suffix (Hastings); -ley/ -lea suffix: denotes a clearing of the wood (Alderley/ Henley)

Saxon destruction of Roman culture:

Roman cities were destroyed to a great extent. The Anglo Saxons avoided the luxurious villas and baths, for fear that these were haunted. They preferred to live in log cabins. Most of the Christian churches were destroyed. The Anglo Saxons worshipped the gods of their land: Thor, Woden, Frige (these names entered the days of the week.)

The Anglo Saxon Culture:

History of England from this period is continuous.

The Anglo Saxons were clannish and loyal to their leader. (This feature continues in the tradition of British monarchy.)

Submitted themselves to the rule of a leader (beginning of English law)

Division of land into districts (even now, these divisions exist to a great level)

The Anglo Saxon with his boundless energy and vigour, his pleasure in life and living, his thirst for adventure when combined with the sensitive, cultured and superstitious Celt, produced a race of men known for their aggressive exploits, their lust for conquest, and their sensitive expression of thoughts and feelings. The English race was thus born. Further conquests notably by the Danes and the Normans, would only add certain features to this race but the basic pattern was designed. 

(The Shapers of Destiny p 26)