Anglo Saxon Society

• Hierarchy of Anglo-Saxon society

  • King
  • Earls
  • Thanes
  • Ceorls
  • Peasants
  • Slaves
• Slaves represented a smaller proportion of society than peasants
• Peasants were the largest section of society followed by Charles, Thanes, and so forth
• King's main job in Anglo-Saxon England was to defend the country, pass good laws, ensure laws were obeyed, and have power over the church
• Earls were the most powerful lords, advised the king in the witan council, ensured the king's laws were followed, raised men for the king's army, and protected the people in their lands
• Thanes represented less than one percent of the population, were noble warriors who defended the king in return for land, and carried out local duties like guarding tax collectors and organizing fortification repairs
• Ceorls represented about 10% of the population, owned their own small area of land, farmed, and served in the army if needed
• Peasants made up over 70% of the population, worked on their lord's land, farmed their own rented land, and could be asked to fight for their lord in wartime
• Slaves made up around 10% of the population, worked on their lord's land or in his house as servants, and had every aspect of their life dictated by their master
• Country was ruled by a king

  The king was dependent on help from the lords and earls to rule effectively
• Slaves did not have to serve in the army typically
• Taxes were paid to the crown and people were expected to be loyal to their monarch and to fight for him if he needed them
• There were about 1.5 million people who lived in England in 1066
• There were only about 15 towns in England
• Earl Harold Godwinson controlled the richest parts of England which were in the south
• England was a very rich country for the time especially because of its good agricultural and pastoral farming lands
• The nobles built elaborate churches and had luxurious homes
• There were a lot of poor people, but they still had a good life from farming and other trades compared to many other European countries
• Slaves could be set free by their masters
• Thanes could become earls and earls could become thanes
• Thanes were local lords, there were between four thousand and five thousand thanes by 1060
• A "thane" was an important man in the community, holding more land than the peasants and living in a manor house with a tower and a separate church
• Thanes were an important part of the aristocracy, its warrior class
• Earls were the most important aristocrats, the most important men after the king
• The earls competed against one another to be the king's favorite and the one that the king relied on the most so that the king would give them the most rewards and honor
• Sometimes the earls challenged the king to increase their own power
• Ten percent of the Anglo-Saxon population were slaves
• If slaves committed crimes, they were not often punished as harshly as other people because they already had a pretty poor life
• The Normans thought that owning slaves was barbaric, but it was a normal part of Anglo-Saxon society
• The majority of Anglo-Saxons were peasant farmers who rented small farms that they worked on with their families
• Peasants did a set amount of work for their local lord as well as working the land to support themselves and their families
• If peasants did not carry out the work for the lord, they could lose their right to work on that land
• Saxon society was organized into a hierarchy
• The king was at the top, he made the laws
• Earls helped to enforce those laws, collect taxes, and raise armies
• Thanes were the local lords and the warrior class
• Peasants worked the land and slaves were considered property