The King and Kingdom of 11th-Century England

Britain – Anglo-Saxon England, 410-1066

In this course, Professor Rory Naismith (University of Cambridge) provides a detailed overview of what England was like in late Anglo-Saxon England. In the first module, we look at the king and kingdom of 11th-century England to assess how the kingdom was run. In the second module, we turn to look at how late Anglo-Saxon England actually functioned, before in the third module taking a closer look at its social structure. In the fourth module, we turn to look at the landscape of Anglo-Saxon England and how it was organised on the ground. Then, in the fifth and final module, we shift focus to look at the economy and trade in Anglo-Saxon England.

The King and Kingdom of 11th-Century England

In this lecture, we look at the king and kingdom of 11th-century England, focusing in particular on: (i) the origins of the word ‘England’, including the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms’ identification with the ‘Angles’, Bede’s use of the term ‘Angles’ in his chronicles of England, and Alfred the Great’s labelling of the vernacular language as ‘English’; (ii) the formation of a new ‘Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons’ under Alfred the Great, uniting the previously-distinct regions of Wessex and Mercia; (iii) the significance of the integration of York into the ‘Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons’ under King Æthelstan (c. 894-939); (iv) the changes that occurred in the ‘Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons’ between 924 and 927; (v) the continuation of regional differences and identities after the creation of the ‘Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons’; (vi) the consolidation of the unification of England under King Edgar of England (943-75); (vii) the different levels upon which the king ruled the ‘Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons’; (viii) the king’s councils and their importance for Anglo-Saxon governance and legislation; (ix) the importance of oaths of loyalty and obedience to the king in Anglo-Saxon England; (x) the importance of thanes in governing the ‘Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons’; and (xi) the changes that helped to strengthen England in the 11th century.