anglo saxon society

• | hierarchy

  1. king
  2. earls
  3. thegns
  4. ceorls
  5. peasants
  6. slaves (smaller proportion)
• | role of king

  • defend country from attack, pass laws & make sure they were obeyed
  • power of church
• | role of earls

  • most powerful lord
  • owned lots of land
  • had no more than 6
  • king’s advisors on the witan
  • made sure laws were followed in their regions & raised men for king’s army
  • protect the people on their lands
• | role of thegns

  • less than 1% of population
  • noble but less powerful than earls
  • warriors who defended king in return for land
  • carried out duties like guarding tax collectors, organising repair of roads & bridges
• | role of ceorls

  • 10% population
  • freemen
  • did not have to work for their lord unlike peasants & slaves
  • owned small land
  • all male ceorls had to serve in army if needed
• | role of peasants

  • over 70% of population noble
  • had to work on lands of lord
  • farmed their own rented land to grow food to live off & pay rent
  • every male could be asked to fight for lord in wartime
• | role of slaves

  • 10% of population
  • not free & had no land
  • worked on lords land
  • master dictated every aspect of their life
• • king relied on earls to help him rule effectively
  • taxes paid to king & people expected to be loyal to their king & fight for him
• • 1.5 million people in 1066
  • people lived in villages
  • 15 towns
  • earl harold Godwin son controlled the richest part of England- the south
• • england was rich due to good agriculture
  • allowed a good life even for those who were poor due to farming & other trades
  • earls built churches & luxurious homes
• • peasant who had 5+ hides of land, he can be a thegn
  • merchants who owned ships could also become thegns
  • slaves could be set free
• | key roles in saxon society

  • thegns were local lords
  • 5000 thegns
  • lived in a manor & held more land than a peasant
  • warrior class!
• | key roles in saxon society

  • earls were most important aristocrats
  • most important after the king
  • relationship between earl & king based on loyalty
  • earls competed against each other to be king’s favourite for rewards
  • earls could challenge king for the crown
• | key roles of saxon society society

  • 10% slaves
  • sold & bought
  • not punished harshly as it might damage ability to work
  • seen as property
• | key roles of saxon society

  • majority were peasants
  • rented small farmers that they worked on for families
  • did set amount of work for their lord or else they lost right to work on their land
• | final points!!

  • saxon society was in a (lax) hierarchy
  • king was at the top & made laws
  • earls helped king enforce laws, collect taxes & raise armies
  • thegns were local lords & the warrior class
  • ceorls were free peasants
  • peasants worked for land
  • slaves were property
• how much of the population did slaves make up?

  less than 10%