The penultimate set of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms was fivefold. The map annotates the names of the peoples of Essex and Sussex taken into the Kingdom of Wessex, which later took in the Kingdom of Kent and became the senior dynasty, and the outlier kingdoms. From Bartholomew's A literary & historical atlas of Europe (1914)
The term 'Heptarchy' (from the Greekἑπταρχία, 'heptarchia'; from ἑπτά, 'hepta': "seven"; ἀρχή, 'arche': "reign, rule" and the suffix-ία, '-ia') is used because of the traditional belief that there had been seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, usually described as East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Mercia, Northumbria, Sussex, and Wessex.
The first known written reference to the historiographical traditional belief that there were these 'seven kingdoms' was in Henry of Huntingdon's 12th century work, Historia Anglorum;[4] the term Heptarchy is not known to have been used to describe them until the 16th century.[5]
The main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms' names are written in red
By convention, the Heptarchy period lasted from the end of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th century, until most of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms came under the overlordship of Egbert of Wessex in 829. This approximately 400-year period of European history is often referred to as the Early Middle Ages or, more controversially, as the Dark Ages. Although heptarchy suggests the existence of seven kingdoms, the term is just used as a label of convenience and does not imply the existence of a clear-cut or stable group of seven kingdoms. The number of kingdoms and sub-kingdoms fluctuated rapidly during this period as competing kings contended for supremacy.[6]
In the late 6th century, the king of Kent was a prominent lord in the south. In the 7th century, the rulers of Northumbria and Wessex were powerful. In the 8th century, Mercia achieved hegemony over the other surviving kingdoms, particularly during the reign of Offa the Great.
The decline of the Heptarchy and the eventual emergence of the kingdom of England was a drawn-out process, taking place over the course of the 9th to 10th centuries. In the 9th century, the Danish enclave at York expanded into the Danelaw, with about half of England under Danish rule. English unification under Alfred the Great was a reaction to the threat from this common enemy. In 886, Alfred retook London, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that "all of the English people (all Angelcyn) not subject to the Danes submitted themselves to King Alfred."[7]
The unification of the kingdom of England was complete only in the 10th century, following the expulsion of Eric Bloodaxe as king of Northumbria. Æthelstan is credited as the first to be King of all England.[8]
^Pounds, N. J. G.; G, Pounds N. J. (2000). A History of the English Parish: The Culture of Religion from Augustine to Victoria. Cambridge University Press. p. 17. ISBN978-0-521-63351-2. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
^Holladay, Joan A. (17 January 2019). Visualizing Ancestry in the High and Late Middle Ages. Cambridge University Press. p. 121. ISBN978-1-108-47018-6.
^Hopkins, Daniel J.; Staff, Merriam-webster (1997). Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. p. 1223. ISBN978-0-87779-546-9. S Britain (except Wales and Strathclyde) divided into a number of petty kingdoms incl. the so-called Heptarchy
^Henry of Huntingdon (1996). Historia Anglorum (History of the English People). ISBN978-0-19822224-8. Retrieved 9 April 2010 – via Google Books.
^Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages1993:163f.
^The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Freely licensed version at Gutenberg Project. Note: This electronic edition is a collation of material from nine diverse extant versions of the Chronicle. It contains primarily the translation of Rev. James Ingram, as published in the Everyman edition. Asser's Life of King Alfred, ch. 83, trans. Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge, Alfred the Great: Asser's Life of King Alfred & Other Contemporary Sources (Penguin Classics) (1984), pp. 97–8.
^Starkey, David (2004). The Monarchy of England: The beginnings. Chatto and Windus. p. 71. ISBN9780701176785. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
heptarchy, history, anglo, saxon, england, historical, discussion, were, seven, petty, kingdoms, anglo, saxon, england, that, flourished, from, anglo, saxon, settlement, britain, century, until, they, were, consolidated, century, into, four, kingdoms, east, an. See History of Anglo Saxon England for a historical discussion The Heptarchy were the seven petty kingdoms 1 2 3 of Anglo Saxon England that flourished from the Anglo Saxon settlement of Britain in the 5th century until they were consolidated in the 8th century into the four kingdoms of East Anglia Mercia Northumbria and Wessex The penultimate set of Anglo Saxon kingdoms was fivefold The map annotates the names of the peoples of Essex and Sussex taken into the Kingdom of Wessex which later took in the Kingdom of Kent and became the senior dynasty and the outlier kingdoms From Bartholomew s A literary amp historical atlas of Europe 1914 The term Heptarchy from the Greek ἑptarxia heptarchia from ἑpta hepta seven ἀrxh arche reign rule and the suffix ia ia is used because of the traditional belief that there had been seven Anglo Saxon kingdoms usually described as East Anglia Essex Kent Mercia Northumbria Sussex and Wessex The first known written reference to the historiographical traditional belief that there were these seven kingdoms was in Henry of Huntingdon s 12th century work Historia Anglorum 4 the term Heptarchy is not known to have been used to describe them until the 16th century 5 Contents 1 History 2 List of Anglo Saxon kingdoms 3 See also 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 External linksHistory edit nbsp The main Anglo Saxon kingdoms names are written in redBy convention the Heptarchy period lasted from the end of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th century until most of the Anglo Saxon kingdoms came under the overlordship of Egbert of Wessex in 829 This approximately 400 year period of European history is often referred to as the Early Middle Ages or more controversially as the Dark Ages Although heptarchy suggests the existence of seven kingdoms the term is just used as a label of convenience and does not imply the existence of a clear cut or stable group of seven kingdoms The number of kingdoms and sub kingdoms fluctuated rapidly during this period as competing kings contended for supremacy 6 In the late 6th century the king of Kent was a prominent lord in the south In the 7th century the rulers of Northumbria and Wessex were powerful In the 8th century Mercia achieved hegemony over the other surviving kingdoms particularly during the reign of Offa the Great Alongside the seven kingdoms a number of other political divisions also existed such as the kingdoms or sub kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira within Northumbria Lindsey in present day Lincolnshire the Hwicce in the southwest Midlands the Magonsaete or Magonset a sub kingdom of Mercia in what is now Herefordshire the Wihtwara a Jutish kingdom on the Isle of Wight originally as important as the Cantwara of Kent the Middle Angles a group of tribes based around modern Leicestershire later conquered by the Mercians the Haestingas around the town of Hastings in Sussex and the Gewisse The decline of the Heptarchy and the eventual emergence of the kingdom of England was a drawn out process taking place over the course of the 9th to 10th centuries In the 9th century the Danish enclave at York expanded into the Danelaw with about half of England under Danish rule English unification under Alfred the Great was a reaction to the threat from this common enemy In 886 Alfred retook London and the Anglo Saxon Chronicle says that all of the English people all Angelcyn not subject to the Danes submitted themselves to King Alfred 7 The unification of the kingdom of England was complete only in the 10th century following the expulsion of Eric Bloodaxe as king of Northumbria AEthelstan is credited as the first to be King of all England 8 List of Anglo Saxon kingdoms editFurther information Anglo Saxon royal genealogies The four main kingdoms in Anglo Saxon England were East Anglia Mercia Northumbria including sub kingdoms Bernicia and Deira WessexThe other main kingdoms which were conquered and absorbed by others entirely at some point in their history before the unification of England are Essex Kent SussexOther minor kingdoms and territories Bernicia Deira Dumnonia only annexed to Wessex at a later date and a Cornish kingdom Haestingas The Hwicce Kingdom of the Iclingas a precursor state to Mercia Lindsey Magonsaete The Meonwara a Jutish tribe in Hampshire Middle Angles Middle Saxons Middlesex subsequently absorbed by the Kingdom of Essex Pecsaete Surrey Tomsaete Wreocensaete WihtwaraSee also edit nbsp Anglo Saxon England portalHistory of Anglo Saxon England Cornovii Cornish Related terms Bretwalda High King for hegemons among kings Compare Tetrarchy Five BurghsReferences edit Pounds N J G G Pounds N J 2000 A History of the English Parish The Culture of Religion from Augustine to Victoria Cambridge University Press p 17 ISBN 978 0 521 63351 2 Retrieved 21 July 2022 Holladay Joan A 17 January 2019 Visualizing Ancestry in the High and Late Middle Ages Cambridge University Press p 121 ISBN 978 1 108 47018 6 Hopkins Daniel J Staff Merriam webster 1997 Merriam Webster s Geographical Dictionary Merriam Webster p 1223 ISBN 978 0 87779 546 9 S Britain except Wales and Strathclyde divided into a number of petty kingdoms incl the so called Heptarchy Henry of Huntingdon 1996 Historia Anglorum History of the English People ISBN 978 0 19822224 8 Retrieved 9 April 2010 via Google Books heptarchy Oxford English Dictionary Online ed Oxford University Press Subscription or participating institution membership required Norman F Cantor The Civilization of the Middle Ages1993 163f The Anglo Saxon Chronicle Freely licensed version at Gutenberg Project Note This electronic edition is a collation of material from nine diverse extant versions of the Chronicle It contains primarily the translation of Rev James Ingram as published in the Everyman edition Asser s Life of King Alfred ch 83 trans Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge Alfred the Great Asser s Life of King Alfred amp Other Contemporary Sources Penguin Classics 1984 pp 97 8 Starkey David 2004 The Monarchy of England The beginnings Chatto and Windus p 71 ISBN 9780701176785 Retrieved 24 August 2018 Bibliography editWestermann Grosser Atlas zur Weltgeschichte Campbell J et al The Anglo Saxons Penguin 1991 Sawyer Peter Hayes From Roman Britain to Norman England Routledge 2002 Stenton F M Anglo Saxon England 3rd edition Oxford U P 1971 External links editMonarchs of Britain Encyclopaedia Britannica ogdoad force9 co uk The Burghal Hidage Wessex s fortified burhs Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Heptarchy amp oldid 1182592128, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
