ANGLO-SAXON WOMENI. INTRODUCTION TO ANGLO-SAXONS IN ENGLANDA. GENERAL REMARKS1. 500-1066 ANGL0-SAXON PERIOD OF ENGLISH HISTORY2. BEGINNINGS ARE OBSCURE3. INVASIONS OF ANGLES, SAXONS, JUTES, ETC. GRADUAL PROCESS4. AFTER INITIAL ROVING ATTACKS5. ONCE ANGLO-SAXONS SETTLE IN6. BRITAIN BECOMES KNOWN AS ANGLE LAND = ENGLAND7. BY 7TH C. VARIOUS KINGDOMS ARISE8. KNOWN AS HEPTARCHY - AS 7 KINGDOMSa. SAXON KINGDOMS OF(1) WESSEX= WEST SAXONS(2) SUSSEX = SOUTH SAXONS(3) ESSEX = EAST SAXONSb. ANGLO KINGDOMS OF(1) EAST ANGLIA = EAST ANGLES(a) NORTH FOLK, SOUTH FOLK, = NORFOLK, SUFFOLKc. MERCIAd. NORTHUMBRIA = NORTH OF HUMBER RIVERe. JUTE KINGDOM OF KENT9. 3 MAJOR KINGDOMS TOOK TURNS BEING SUPREMEa. NORTHUMBRIA 7TH C.b. MERCIA 8TH C.c. WESSEX 9-10TH C.B. MERCIA 1. MOST FAMOUS KING OFFA 757-96a. SUCCESSOR TO KING PENDA - SOURCE OF PENNYb. CAME NEAR TO UNITING ALL ENGLAND UNDER HIS OWN RULEc. CONTEMPORARY OF CHARLEMAGNEd. OFFA'S DIKEe. CYNETHRYTH(1) WIFE OF OFFA(2) STANDS OUT AS INDIVIDUAL IN HER OWN RIGHT(3) BUT ALSO HAS REPUTATION AS BEING TYRANT(4) DETAILS OF HER TYRANNY HAVE VANISHED(a) BUT SHE IS KNOWN TODAY BECAUSE COINS STRUCK IN HER NAME & WITH HER PORTRAIT(b) EARLIEST PORTRAIT OF ENGLISH WOMAN BY MANY CENTURIES(c) NO QUEEN CONSORT IN LATER CENTURIES EVER ALLOWED TO ISSUE COINS IN HER OWN NAME(d) ONLY KING WHO WILL RECOGNIZE HIS CONSORT'S EXISTENCE ON HIS OWN COINS HENRY VIII(e) WITH WIVES KATHERINE OF ARAGON, ANNE BOLEYN & JANE SEYMOURf. REPUTATION FOR TYRANNY FAR WORSE THAN CYNETHRYTH (1) HER DAUGHTER EADBURG(2) WIFE OF BEORHTRIC, KING OF WESSEX(3) ACCORDING TO ASSER, CONTEMPORARY BIOGRAPHER OF KING ALFRED(4) SHE BEHAVED IN ODIOUS MANNER TO GOD & MAN(5) IF SHE COULD NOT REMOVE HER ENEMIES FROM POWER BY ACCUSING THEM TO KING, SHE POISONED THEM(6) IN END POISON SHE PREPARED FOR YOUNG MAN DRUNK IN ERROR BY KING(7) AS SHE COULD NOT REMAIN IN WESSEX AFTER HER HUSBAND'S DEATH SHE WENT OVERSEAS WITH VAST TREASURE TO COURT OF CHARLEMAGNE2. ASSER TELLS THIS STORY IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN WHAT HE CALLS PERVERSE WEST SAXON CUSTOM a. WHICH DENIED TITLE OF QUEEN TO KING'S WIFEb. CUSTOM HE SAYS AROSE BECAUSE OF EADBURG'S EVIL CONDUCTc. STORY OBVIOUSLY COLORED BY WEST SAXON HATRED OF MERCIAN PRINCESSd. BUT NOT ONLY REASON3. NOT UNTIL LATE 10TH C. THAT WIVES OF KINGS OF WESSEXBY THAT TIME KINGS OF ENGLANDa. ONCE MORE RECEIVED QUEEN TITLE4. UNTIL THEN KING'S WIFE KNOW AS LADY5. HIS MOTHER KNOWN AS OLD LADYC. WESSEX1. ALFRED THE GREAT 871-99a. MOST FAMOUS WESSEX KINGSb. SUBDUER OF VIKINGSc. CHURCHILL OF ANGLO-SAXON ENGLANDd. UNIFIED ENGLISH PEOPLESe. BEGAN RECONQUEST OF DANELAW(1) AREA OF VIKING SETTLEMENTf. ALFRED & HIS DESCENDANTS CREATED WITH BEGINNINGS OF ENGLISH MONARCHY(1) THAT CONTINUES TODAYg. ONLY ENGLISH KING TO HAVE TITLE GREAT2. AETHELFLAEDa. AS ELDEST CHILD OF ALFRED THE GREAT2b. MARRIED TO AETHELRED(1) RULER OF MERCIAc. AFTER HER HUSBAND'S DEATH IN 911 d. AETHELFLAED HELD DOMINION WITH LAWFULAUTHORITY FOR 7 YRSe. & THEN KNOWN AS LADY OF THE MERCIANSf. & SHE PROBABLY WAS EFFECTIVE RULER SOME TIME EARLIER g. SINCE HER HUSBAND WAS SICK & INCAPACITATE FOR SOME YEARSh. AETHELFLAED VIGOROUS & EFFICIENT IN RESISTING VIKING AGGRESSIONi. & FOR TIME SEPARATE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE RECORDS EVENTS OF HER DOINGj. COOPERATING WITH HER BROTHER (1) EDWARD THE ELDER, KING OF WESSEXk. IT WAS USE WHICH SHE MADE OF MILITARY FORCES OF WESTERN MIDLANDS l. WHICH ENABLED HER BROTHER TO ENFORCE HIS AUTHORITY UPON ALL VIKING ARMIES IN ENGLAND SOUTH OF HUMBERm. AMONG FEW ENGLISH WOMEN WHO IN ANY PERIOD HAVE PERMANENTLY INFLUENCED COURSE OF HISTORYn. HER METHOD WAS TO PROTECT HER OWN COUNTRY BY FORTIFYING STRATEGIC POINTSo. & THEN TO ASSAULT NEAREST FORTRESSES IN ENEMY HANDSp. FOR TIME EVEN PEOPLE OF YORK RECOGNIZED HER AUTHORITYq. SHE CONCLUDED ANTI-NORWEGIAN ALLIANCES WITH(1) BRITONS, PICTS & SCOTSr. LATER SOURCES DESCRIBE HER AS DIRECTINGBATTLE AGAINST SCANDINAVIAN RAGNALDs. SHE SENT PUNITIVE ARMY INTO WALES TO AVENGE KILLING OF ABBOT ECGBERT & HIS COMRADESt. SHE RENOWNED BEYOND ENGLAND FOR ULSTER ANNALS CALLED HER(1) VERY FAMOUS QUEEN OF SAXONSD. ENGLISH DANELAW1. CENTURY LATER CONQUEST OF ENGLAND & NORWAY BY CNUT OF DENMARK2. CNUT'S IRREGULAR WIFE ANOTHER REMARKABLE WOMANa. AELFGIFUb. DAUGHTER OF NOBLEMAN FROM NORTHAMPTONSHIREc. EVEN THOUGH CNUT MARRIED TO DUKE OF NORMANDY'S SISTERd. AELFGIFU BORE CNUT TWO SONS(1) ELDER CNUT MADE KING OF NORWAY3(2) UNDER AELFGIFU (3) SHE GOVERNED NORWAY WITH SUCH SEVERITY THAT YEARS OF HER RULE ENDED BY REVOLTe. AFTER DEATH OF CNUT AELFGIFU RETURNED TO ENGLANDf. PREVAILED UPON LEADING NOBLEMEN OF COUNTRY TO RECOGNIZE HER 2ND SON, HAROLD AS KINGE. CONCLUDING REMARKS ON POWER OF ARISTOCRATIC & ROYAL WOMEN1. ONE OF PERIPHRASES FOR "WOMAN" IN OLD ENGLISH IS FREOTHUWEBBE = WEAVER OF PEACE2. DAUGHTERS OF ROYAL HOUSE USED TO HEAL ENMITY BETWEEN PEOPLES a. OR TO CEMENT FRIENDSHIP3. BEDE SHOWS US ONE SUCH WOMAN IN ACTION4. AETHELBURH, a. DAUGHTER OF CHRISTIAN KING AETHELBERHT OF KENTb. MARRIED TO PAGAN EDWIN OF NORTHUMBRIAc. POPE WROTE TO HER ENCLOSING SILVER MIRROR & IVORY & GOLD COMB ASKING HER TO USE HER INFLUENCE TO BRING HER HUSBAND INTO CHURCHd. HE WAS CONVERTED BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF SHE DID SO OR NOTe. BUT FACT THAT POPE SENT HER GIFTS INDICATES POWER WIVES WERE THOUGHT TO HAVE WITH THEIR HUSBANDSF. ANGLO-SAXON WOMEN AS LAND OWNERS1. ANGLO-SAXON WOMEN SOMETIMES CONSIDERABLE LANDOWNERS 2. SOME SUGGESTION PLACE-NAMES TAKEN FROM WOMEN AS OWNERS OF LANDa. ADDERBURY, OXFORDSHIRE(1) EADBURG'S MANORb. WOLVERHAMPTON(1) WULFRUN'S CHIEF ESTATE(a) WEALTHY STAFFORDSHIRE LADYc. WISSINGTON, SUFFOLK(1) WIGSWITH'S FARMSTEADd. ABRAM, LANCASTERSHIRE(1) EADBURG'S FARM3. OR INFAMOUS LADY GODIVAa. EARLY OF MERCIA, LEOFRIC(1) HIS WIFE GODGIFU(2) HER NAME IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GROTESQUE INVENTION OF LADY GODIVA'S RIDE THROUGH COVENTRY4. WOMEN COULD WILL THEIR LAND TO WHOMEVER5. & OMIT THEIR SON AS HEIRG. RUNNING HOUSEHOLD1. MANY WOMEN RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING LARGE 4ESTATES2. THIS WOULD INVOLVE DIRECTING SERVANTS 3. PREPARING STOCKS OF FOOD4. SUPERVISING WORK OF HOMEa. BAKINGb. BREWINGc. PRESERVINGd. SPINNINGe. WEAVING5. OF WORK DONE BY ANGLO-SAXON WOMEN LITTLE OF ARTISTIC NB SURVIVES6. CLEARLY ANGLO-SAXON WOMEN OFTEN TOOK TO HEART PROVERBa. WOMAN'S PLACE IS AT HER EMBROIDERYH. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION ON ANGLO-SAXON WOMEN1. HYGEBURGa. ENGLISH NUN FROM HEIDENHEIM NUNNERYb. HER WORK HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS EARLIEST EXTANT BOOK OF TRAVEL WRITTEN BY ENGLISH PERSONc. ALSO FIRST BOOK WRITTEN BY ENGLISH WOMAN2. DESPITE