Anglo-Saxon England

After the Roman army left Britain in AD 410, the Jutes, the Angles, and the Saxons – collectively known as the Anglo-Saxons – settled here. These were tribes from northern Europe, and their languages became the basis of modern-day English. By around AD 600, the Anglo-Saxons had established their kingdoms. The Anglo-Saxons were not Christians when they arrived in Britain, but missionaries came to introduce Christianity, and the country gradually converted. One of the most prominent missions was led by St Augustine, sent from Rome, who later became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Vikings

The Vikings, who came from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, began raiding the coastal towns of Britain in AD 789. They set out to seize goods and to take people as slaves. In time, some of them chose to settle in eastern England and Scotland, forming their own communities. The Anglo-Saxon King, Alfred the Great, pushed back the Vikings successfully and brought the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England together. The Vikings who remained in Britain mixed with the local population, and some converted to Christianity.