The so called British Isles have not always been isles.

It was part of the continent

until late in the civi of prehistoric man. It was easily accessed by foot,
Mesolithic period 10.000 BC to 4000 BC, Britain was cut from what is now the eu
mainland around 5000 BC. This cut made migration in large no impossible and
Britain started to develop insular characteristics. A major change occurred during
the next period, the Neolithic from 4000-2000 BC and that was the introduction of
agriculture. People of Iberian stock settled down and built timber monuments.
The next period is the Bronze Age, w the knowledge of metallurgy by what is known
as the Beaker people who may have introduced an Indo-European language. They
built great stone monuments like the stone circles of Stonehenge, down south in
England or the Callanish Stone Circle situated on the Isle of Louis in the Outer
Hebrides.
Iron Age- 800BC. Some ppl used iron and these were mainly the Celts. 2 periods,
early Celtic period = Hallstatt and the late one is called La Tne. In the 1 st century
BC Belgic gaules massively migrated to Britain and settled there very probably
because of pressures in Gaulle created by Roman expansion. Only local tribes in
Britain at that time. Iceni (?) w sophisticated culture and economy. Britain looked
rich, especially in the eyes of the Roman. Julius Caesar conquered Gaulle between
58-50 BC. Two unsuccessful attempts were made to conquer Brit at 55-54 but he
was repelled by Cassi Vellaunos, head of the gaulles. Nevertheless, he established
client relationships w certain British tribes who saw this as a source of wealth and
supremacy. The Romans began to expand into Britain under Claudius (roman
emperor) who landed at ______ in AD 43.

Germanic invasion. Angels and Saxons progressively settled down in England. They
repelled some Celtic nations further West and some original British Celts migrated
back to what is known as Brittany in France and settled there.

ANGLO SAXON BRITAIN

Christianised in the North by a Celtic Mission mainly due to one important person,
Saint Colomba ? and in the south by a roman mission initiated by Pope Gregory the
1st who had sent a monk (Augustin) in 597 to convert Kent. (the Jutes) the last
outpost of heathenism were Sussex and the Isle of White. These were converted by
Bishop Wilfred and his followers 681-687. Controversy was soon caused between
roman and celtic missions by differences in usage like the calculation of the date of
Easter & other details. These differences were settled in favor of the roman party at
a general assembly of the Church, a Synod that was held at a place in North Ambria
called Whitbey 664.
Bishop W was there, a very influential man and King Oswiu decided in his favor. This
brought the English church in close contact w the continent.

From that time onwards, anglo saxon literature was mainly religious, w poems by
Cadmom around 650, lives of Saints (Cynewulf) and the Venerable Bede, his latin
works from 673.
AS Britain was in the forefront of scholarship w North Umbria as its finest center.
Monasteries like Ripon and whatever. There was some scholarly activity in London,
east Anglia & Canterbury. NU became eminent in scholarship, its political influence
is over, & the King of Mercia took over.
Two major threats to AS England. North (Scotts) and West (Welsh). The scotts had
been defeated by a north Umbrian king, Aethel Frith in 603 and the Welsh were kept
back by a Mercian King, OFFA and he was treated by Charles the Great as if he were
the sole king of England. Offa acquired great riches through cross channel trade and
a clever financial.
Coinage had never been unified so far, every Lord coining his own currency. The
short, Pepin, son of Charles Martell became the 1 st king of the Carolsomething
dynasty. Reformed the coinage among the Franks in
Offa imitated him and took a responsibility for the coinage in all England and his
name appeared in coins of excellent quality. This has a sort of propaganda value,
not only to his own subjects, but also to people on the continent, which enabled him
to draw on immense financial resources to build a Dike, which is still known today as
Offas Dike. To demarquate his frontier from the rest.
Viking raids began in the end of . in the 9 th century, a large scale of plundering
incursions was made into Britain and the Frankish Empire as well. Alfred the Great
871 King of Wessex made peace with the Danes whod come to eng with a large
army. Many battles had been forged in Wessex between the Saxons and the Danes,
with famous Danish defeat at Ashdown in 871. This gave Alfred respite until, when
he could force the Danes out of Wessex. The Danes settles in the N of eng w York as
their main city. This portion of eng under Danish rules is known as the Danelaw.
Their King, Guthrum accepted Christianity.
The Danelaw was to be ultimately conquered back by the Saxons. When Alfred died
in 899, his son Edward succeeded him. When a large scale incussion by the Danes
of N Umbria had ended in their crushing defeat at Tettenhole in 910, another danger
was arising. Norsemen from Ireland who had settled in Dublin. In the ancient world,
had been known as early as 140 BC, GO DUBLIN YAS. (Dublanna) the dev of Dublin
is due to the Vikings in the 10th century. One of the Viking leaders Reagnald (from
Dublin) made himself king @ York in 919. Norse kings reigned as late as 954 in
Yorke although Edward son of Alfred had received Reagnalds submission in 920. Ed
died in 924 and was succeeded by this son Aethelstan who made turns w Reagnalds
successor whose name was Sithric and he gave him his sister in marriage. When
this lad died in 927 Aethelstan took possession of north Umbria. So, he became the
1st king in Viking Times to rule All England. Remembered as a brilliant war chief
thanks to his victory at Bruna burh against the combined forces of Viks from Dublin
and Scotts in (year)

And yet again a new wage of vik raids struck England from 980 onwards which
steadily increased in intensity as the viks were led by formidable leaders. from 991994, Olaf Trygvason and frequently from 994 by the king of Swayne. There was
another famous battle in 1002 when Aethelred massacred the Danes.
1013, the English were worn out by continuous warfare so they finally accepted
Swayne as king and Aethelred, king of the Saxons took refuge w Richard, Duke of
Normandy. One year later Aethelred was recalled to England after swaynes death.
He has a son though, Cnut renewed the invasions and he obtained half of England
after a victory at Ashingdon in October 1016. Cnut rewarded some of his followers w
English lands and he put some of the prominent Englishmen to death. Not
considered tyrannical and his reign is remembered as a time of good order. Married
Emma, Aethelreds widow. Famous archbishop during the reign, saxon Wolfstan.
Under his influence, Cnut became a stout supporter of the Christian Church and
religious as well as political motives led to his pilgrimage 1027 to Rome. 1035 he
died. Hard Cnut was his son who succeeded his father, died without a heir in 1042,
but he was succeeded by the Son of Aethelred, Edward, known as the Confessor
Ed the Saint, reputated for his chastity.
In 1066,