3.1-3.3 Anglo Saxon Society in 1065

• How was England divided in 1065?

  into shires (counties) which had burhs (fortified town)
• What were burhs used for?


  • local people could go to for safety

  • markets

  • used to trade

  • government used them
• How was society divided into heirarchy?

  • king

  • earls

  • thegns

  • ceorls

  • thralls
• What was the role of the King?

  • had to be strong leaders as well as warriors to protect kingdom

  • owned more land and had to raise taxes to play for defence, roads, bridges and burhs

  • responsibile for law courts, making new laws and work of the Church
• How was Edward the Confessor different to other kings?

  he left most matters to his advisers and focused on Church affairs
• What was the role of the Earls?

  • if part of Witan (powerful lords and bishops) they advised King, very influential and could decide King

  • didn't have their own army but led fyrd (army of ceorls/thralls)

  • held shire courts twice a year

  • they were extremely rich and powerful but had intense rivalries as they struggled for power
• What was the role of the Thegns?

  • around 5000 thegns

  • to be a thegn you had to own at least 250 hectares of land

  • ran local courts

  • collected taxes

  • helped King manage realm (land)
• What was the role of the Ceorls?

  • made up majority of Englands population

  • Ceorls mean free Saxons who work on the land

  • most grew crops and raised animals

  • some skilled tradesman

  • some owned own horses and land but many paid rent to thegn and worked on his land

  • had to serve in fyrd army in times of war

  • took part in trials in local courts
• What were thralls?

  • 10% of population

  • they were enslaved and property of master

  • could not leave to find work elsewhere
• What happens if someone is killed in 1065?

  person responsible has to pay wergild, if they could not pay they were executed
• What was a cow worth?

  1 shilling
• What are the following peoples wergild?

  • King - 18000

  • Prince - 9000

  • Earl - 4800

  • Thegn - 1200

  • Ceorl - 160

  • Trall - 0
• What was a womans wergild?


  • same as a man of the same rank

  • double if she was pregnant
• What religion was pre-christian?


  pagan: worship of the natural universe
• How did Anglo-Saxons not follow Pope rules?

  • some villages do not have churches, worship round stone cross

  • eat and drink to much - gluttony

  • sexual immoral - lust

  • people can not read so Bibles are only for priests

  • make lots of saints

  • still have pagan beliefs such as elves, goblins and use of charms
• Who was Dunstan?


  a monk who became Archbishop of Canterbury
• What did Dunstan do to improve Church standards?

  • ended corruption amoung Church leaders

  • improved education for monks, nuns and priests

  • forbid preists to marry

  • rebuild churches, abbeys and monasteries
• How did Stigand turn the church backwards?

  • pluralism: he had two Church positions at once

  • simony: sold off Church post for money
• How do we know that Anglo-Saxons produced high-quality art?

  Alfred Jewel was made with gold and high-quality enamel with fine sculpting
• How do we know that Anglo-Saxons had literature?

  Beowulf is still around today
• What were Anglo-Saxon buildings like?

  • most build from wood, clay and straw meaning they were a fire risk

  • rectangular, one-storey with thatched roofs

  • had carved woodwork, fine platerwork and painted walls

  • burhs for safety

  • churches were much less common and usually wooden

  • Westminster Abbey - built in stone and wich larger than any other Anglo-Saxon churches