Anglo-Saxon life Life and Religion It is difficult to generalize about an era as lengthy as the Dark Ages, but we'll do it anyway. The Anglo-Saxons were pagans when they came to Britain. They worshipped gods of nature and held springs, wells, rocks, and trees in reverence. Religious observance consisted of invocations and charms to ensure the gods' help in securing a desired outcome in the material world, though the presence of grave goods indicates a belief in an afterlife. Saxons dining A Lord's LifeWe know little about how most people lived, for so little remains. Society was divided into several social classes, which might vary from place to place. Below the king there were two levels of freemen, the upper class thanes and the lower class ceorls (churls). Below the thanes and ceorls were the slaves. Slavery - the way in... ...and the way outSlavery was not necessarily a lifetime sentence, however. WeaponsIn war the common weapon was the spear made with a seven foot long ash shaft and an iron head.
Anglo Saxons Houses and Saxon villages We know what Saxons houses may have looked like from excavations of Anglo Saxon villages, such as the one at West Stow in the east of England. Here, an early Anglo-Saxon village (c.420-650AD) has been carefully reconstructed where it was excavated. Using clues from the what was discovered, archeologists have reconstructed the houses as they may have looked about 1,500 years ago. We know that the Saxons built mainly in wood, although some of their stone churches remain. Anglo-Saxons houses were huts made of wood with roofs thatched with straw. Much of Britain was covered with forests. There was only one room where everybody ate, cooked, slept and entertained their friends. The houses were built facing the sun to get as much heat and light as possible. The Hall The biggest house in an Anglo Saxon village was the Hall, the Chief's house. The Hall was long, wide and smoky, with the fire on a stone in the middle. The windows were slits called eye-holes. On the walls were shields and antlers.
Anglo Saxon life - Food and Drink The Anglo-Saxons loved eating and drinking and would often have feasts in the Hall. The food was cooked over the fire in the middle of the house; meat was roasted and eaten with bread. They drank ale and mead - a kind of beer made sweet with honey - from great goblets and drinking horns. After the feast a minstrel would play a harp and sing songs of battles and heroes. Anglo-Saxons ate what they grew. They grew cereals - Wheat and rye for bread, barley for brewing and oats for animal food and porridge. Exotic foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, pineapples - fruits and vegetables of the New World, were unknown to the Anglo-Saxons. Drink Barley was used to make weak beer, which was drunk instead of water. Most Anglo-Saxons were vegetarians because they could not get meat very often. Animals Pigs were important for food because they produce large litters, which would quickly mature and be ready for slaughter. Fish The Anglo-Saxons ate fish which they caught in the rivers and the seas.
What Did The Anglo-Saxons Eat? | Picture BritainPicture Britain I find that one of the most fascinating aspects of history is the food that was prepared and enjoyed in the old days. Crumbling stones and bits of metalwork only tell part of the story—flavors and feasts go much deeper into the heart and soul of a culture. The Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain in the 4th century marked a turning point in English history, finally breaking the hold of the Romans over their province of Britannia, and this is also when the early English men and women began to discover their own unique cuisine. Rome Disappears As we saw when looking at Romano-British food, the Romans were nothing if not gourmets. However, when the declining Roman Empire was forced to abandon England, it left a vacuum that would soon be filled with a new set of invaders: the Germanic tribes. Anglo-Saxon Culture Though the post-Roman period in Britain is referred to as the “Dark Ages,” you’d be wrong if you thought that these people were a bunch of uncivilized cave-dwellers. Popular Foods Sources: