Frequently Asked Questions

1) Why did you do this website?

First and foremost I did this website from my own interest in the Anglo-Saxon period of England, especially the pre-Christian period. And also because there seemed to be a distinct lack of websites dealing with such a subject. The Anglo-Saxons as a whole, whether Christian or Heathen, in my opinion are not given the credit that they deserve for who they were and what they created. They were a proud people with a beautiful culture capable of creating beauty, whether in stories and song, or in the jewelery that we find today beneath our feet. Many books and historians seem to feel that the creation of England goes no further back than the 1066 Norman invasion, but in truth they did no more than occupy what already existed. And what already existed was England, an English people with their own identity, the English language and an English culture. And it was the Heathen Anglo-Saxons that laid the foundations for the creation of all this.

2) Who were/are the Anglo-Saxons?

The Anglo-Saxons were a mixture of several Germanic tribes, namely the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, who laid the foundations for the creation of England and the English people in the fifth century. Anglo-Saxon is a term used to describe the coming together of these three tribes in England and the age that they lived, the tribes of course eventually became one people and called themselves English.

3) When did the Heathen age of England start and end?

It started roughly at the start of the fifth century when the Anglo-Saxon tribes started to settle the island of Britain. It's demise came in the year 597AD with the arrival of the missionary Saint Augustine. But Heathenism lasted for far longer, and there more than likely would have been pockets of lasting Heathen worship up until the arrival of the Vikings at the end of the eighth century, at which time the Vikings brought their own brand of Heathen worship.

4) What is meant by the term Germanic?

In an ancient sense the term Germanic or German shouldn't be confused with how we use this word today. Today we use Germanic and German to describe the culture and people of modern day Germany. But in an ancient sense they are used as an umbrella term to describe the culture and tribes that in-habited Dark Age England and the lands of continental Europe and Scandinavia that bordered the Roman Empire.

5) So the Anglo-Saxons weren't Celtic?

In language and culture the Angles, Saxons and Jutes were very much Germanic. But in their settlement and creation of England it is very likely that many Celts or Romano-British were incorporated into this new society, and basically Anglicised to form in many areas of England what could be described as an Anglo-Celtic society, where, the Germanic Anglo-Saxon culture and Language eventually became dominant..

6) Were they un-cultured barbarians?

To the Romans the Anglo-Saxons and their related tribal peoples were very much barbarians, and by the standards of society in the western world today they certainly were barbaric. This was a very brutal time in European history, and being barbaric and warlike was essential if a tribe was to defend itself and it's land from other tribes and the advance of the Roman Empire. But un-cultured they certainly were not. Just because the ancient Germanic peoples didn't build vast stone temples or carve marble statues doesn't mean that they were culturally inferior to any other peoples. They lived simple lives in basic wooden huts, but the Germanic peoples were capable of creating jewellery and other beautiful objects that could rival that of any other European peoples.

7) Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from?

They came from what is today Northern Germany and Southern Scandinavia?

8) So they are Vikings then?

No the Anglo-Saxons were not Vikings, but they were very closely related peoples. The Anglo-Saxon age started sometime in the middle of the fifth century, whereas the Viking age started almost 300 years later with attacks on the monasteries of the now Christianised Anglo-Saxons and coastal areas of Celtic Britain and Ireland.

9) Why did they come to Britain?

Legend says that after the Romans pulled their legions out of Britain, the Romano-British peoples came under heavy attack from the more northern people, namely the Scots and Picts. A British Chief called Vortigen is said to have asked for the help of many warriors of the Anglo-Saxon tribes to help defend his land and people from these attacks. After great success it is said that these warriors turned on the people they were helping and eventually took the land for themselves. And in time the tribes of these warriors t made the new gained land their home. It is also theorised that the Anglo-Saxon tribes were themselves forced from their Germanic homelands due to changing water levels on the coasts of continental Germania or by the movements of other tribes and thus escaped to Britain.

10) What is Heathenism?

Christians called the people who had not yet turned to the new Christian religion Heathens, which basically means 'those of the heath'. This is because the common folk who lived on the heath in the remote countryside away from the towns and well populated villages, where Christianity was strongest, remained followers of their native beliefs for far longer.

11) Is this an Asatru site?

No I wouldn't describe this site as Asatru. Today many who practise the pre-Christian religion of the Germanic peoples choose to call their faith Asatru. But as there is no surviving evidence that the Anglo-Saxons ever called their native beliefs Asatru, then neither do I.

12) Is this website in anyway anti-Christian?

No, not at all. This website is all about the pre-Christian Heathen religion and culture of the Anglo-Saxon people of England. The Heathen religion slowly ceased to be with the gradual introduction of Christianity throughout the land. So it's very difficult to talk about such a subject without explaining how Christianity brought about it's demise. And all that is written and talked about on this website concerning the erosion of the Heathen religion is written from an historical point of view, and not from an anti-Christian one.



		Frequently Asked Questions

	1) Why did you do this website? First and foremost I did this website from my own interest in the Anglo-Saxon period of England, especially the pre-Christian period. And also because there seemed to be a distinct lack of websites dealing with such a subject. The Anglo-Saxons as a whole, whether Christian or Heathen, in my opinion are not given the credit that they deserve for who they were and what they created. They were a proud people with a beautiful culture capable of creating beauty, whether in stories and song, or in the jewelery that we find today beneath our feet. Many books and historians seem to feel that the creation of England goes no further back than the 1066 Norman invasion, but in truth they did no more than occupy what already existed. And what already existed was England, an English people with their own identity, the English language and an English culture. And it was the Heathen Anglo-Saxons that laid the foundations for the creation of all this. 2) Who were/are the Anglo-Saxons? The Anglo-Saxons were a mixture of several Germanic tribes, namely the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, who laid the foundations for the creation of England and the English people in the fifth century. Anglo-Saxon is a term used to describe the coming together of these three tribes in England and the age that they lived, the tribes of course eventually became one people and called themselves English. 3) When did the Heathen age of England start and end? It started roughly at the start of the fifth century when the Anglo-Saxon tribes started to settle the island of Britain. It's demise came in the year 597AD with the arrival of the missionary Saint Augustine. But Heathenism lasted for far longer, and there more than likely would have been pockets of lasting Heathen worship up until the arrival of the Vikings at the end of the eighth century, at which time the Vikings brought their own brand of Heathen worship. 4) What is meant by the term Germanic? In an ancient sense the term Germanic or German shouldn't be confused with how we use this word today. Today we use Germanic and German to describe the culture and people of modern day Germany. But in an ancient sense they are used as an umbrella term to describe the culture and tribes that in-habited Dark Age England and the lands of continental Europe and Scandinavia that bordered the Roman Empire. 5) So the Anglo-Saxons weren't Celtic? In language and culture the Angles, Saxons and Jutes were very much Germanic. But in their settlement and creation of England it is very likely that many Celts or Romano-British were incorporated into this new society, and basically Anglicised to form in many areas of England what could be described as an Anglo-Celtic society, where, the Germanic Anglo-Saxon culture and Language eventually became dominant.. 6) Were they un-cultured barbarians? To the Romans the Anglo-Saxons and their related tribal peoples were very much barbarians, and by the standards of society in the western world today they certainly were barbaric. This was a very brutal time in European history, and being barbaric and warlike was essential if a tribe was to defend itself and it's land from other tribes and the advance of the Roman Empire. But un-cultured they certainly were not. Just because the ancient Germanic peoples didn't build vast stone temples or carve marble statues doesn't mean that they were culturally inferior to any other peoples. They lived simple lives in basic wooden huts, but the Germanic peoples were capable of creating jewellery and other beautiful objects that could rival that of any other European peoples. 7) Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? They came from what is today Northern Germany and Southern Scandinavia? 8) So they are Vikings then? No the Anglo-Saxons were not Vikings, but they were very closely related peoples. The Anglo-Saxon age started sometime in the middle of the fifth century, whereas the Viking age started almost 300 years later with attacks on the monasteries of the now Christianised Anglo-Saxons and coastal areas of Celtic Britain and Ireland. 9) Why did they come to Britain? Legend says that after the Romans pulled their legions out of Britain, the Romano-British peoples came under heavy attack from the more northern people, namely the Scots and Picts. A British Chief called Vortigen is said to have asked for the help of many warriors of the Anglo-Saxon tribes to help defend his land and people from these attacks. After great success it is said that these warriors turned on the people they were helping and eventually took the land for themselves. And in time the tribes of these warriors t made the new gained land their home. It is also theorised that the Anglo-Saxon tribes were themselves forced from their Germanic homelands due to changing water levels on the coasts of continental Germania or by the movements of other tribes and thus escaped to Britain. 10) What is Heathenism? Christians called the people who had not yet turned to the new Christian religion Heathens, which basically means 'those of the heath'. This is because the common folk who lived on the heath in the remote countryside away from the towns and well populated villages, where Christianity was strongest, remained followers of their native beliefs for far longer. 11) Is this an Asatru site? No I wouldn't describe this site as Asatru. Today many who practise the pre-Christian religion of the Germanic peoples choose to call their faith Asatru. But as there is no surviving evidence that the Anglo-Saxons ever called their native beliefs Asatru, then neither do I. 12) Is this website in anyway anti-Christian? No, not at all. This website is all about the pre-Christian Heathen religion and culture of the Anglo-Saxon people of England. The Heathen religion slowly ceased to be with the gradual introduction of Christianity throughout the land. So it's very difficult to talk about such a subject without explaining how Christianity brought about it's demise. And all that is written and talked about on this website concerning the erosion of the Heathen religion is written from an historical point of view, and not from an anti-Christian one.