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. Following the withdrawal of the Roman legions to Gaul (modern France)
around 400, the British Isles fell into a very dark period of several
centuries from which almost no written records survive. The Roman-
British culture that had existed under 400 years of Roman rule
disappeared under relentless invasion and migration by barbarians. Celts
came over from Ireland (a tribe called the Scotti gave their name to the
northern part of the main island, Scotland). Saxons and Angles came from
Germany, Frisians from modern Holland, and Jutes from modern Denmark. By
600, the Angles and Saxons controlled most of modern England. By 800,
only modern Wales, Scotland, and West Cornwall remained in largely
Celtic hands.
. The new inhabitants were called Anglo-Saxons (from the Angles and
Saxons). The Angles gave their name to the new culture (England from
Angle-land), and the Germanic language they brought with them, English,
replaced the native Celtic and previously imported Latin. Despite further
invasions and even a complete military conquest at a later date, the
southern and eastern parts of the largest British Isle have been called
England (and its people and language English) ever since.
. In 865 the relative peace of England was shattered by a new invasion.
Danish Vikings who had been raiding France and Germany formed a great
army and turned their attention on the English. Within 10 years, most of
the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms had fallen or surrendered. Only the West Saxons
(modern Wessex) held out under Alfred, the only English ruler to be
called "the Great."
. England was divided among the Vikings, the West Saxons, and a few other
English kingdoms for nearly 200 years. The Viking half was called the
Danelaw ("under Danish law"). The Vikings collected a large payment,
called the Danegeld ("the Dane's gold"), to be peaceful. The Danes became
Christians and gradually became more settled. In time the English turned
on the Danes, and in 954 the last Viking king of York was killed. England
was united for the first time under an English king from Wessex.
. In 1066 the Witan ("king's council") offered the crown to Harold, son of
the Earl of Wessex. Two others claimed the throne: Harald Hardrada
(meaning "the hard ruler"), King of Norway, and Duke William of Normandy.
The Norwegian landed first, near York, but was defeated by Harold at the
battle of Stamford Bridge. Immediately after the victory, Harold force-
marched his army south to meet William at Hastings. The battle seesawed
back and forth all day, but near dusk Harold was mortally wounded by an
arrow in the eye. Over the next two years, William, now "the Conqueror,"
solidified his conquest of England.
. During the remainder of the Middle Ages, the successors of William
largely exhausted themselves and their country in a series of
confrontations and wars attempting to expand or defend l |