greater power than the Romans and the Saxons was slowly, inexorably working
its way towards the English shores and people. Christianity would change
the lives of the people for ever. It was not accomplished overnight. Many
people died before unification would be achieved. During the first two
hundred years of Roman subjugation, Christianity like many other cult like
religions had not made much of an impact on the British people. From the
third century onwards, the British Christian church gained a foothold and
bishops were sent out to spread the word. It was a difficult challenge
following the departure of the Romans and the arrival of the Saxons. The
Saxons were Pagan and worshipped gods of war such as Woden and Thor and
were not receptive to Christian conversion. It was a dangerous occupation
and many bishops and monks were slaughtered in the process, with their
churches looted and burned to the ground. After the expansion of the Saxons,
despite the persecution, the British Christian church managed to survive,
mainly in the Celtic areas in west of England, Wales and parts of Scotland.
Compared to later times, very little effort was made to spread Christianity
to the Saxons, possibly because their gods were too strong or they just
feared for their lives. David, better known as St David, patron saint of
the Welsh, worked tirelessly in Wales with the British Celts.
St
Patrick
robably
the most famous of all Christian missionaries was St Patrick, who later
became the patron saint of Ireland. Patrick was the son of a Roman Britain.
His father was also a Christian deacon. They lived in the Severn Valley
area. In about 410, around the time the Romans were recalled, an Irish
raiding party landed near his home. He was kidnapped and taken back to
Ireland where he was put to work tending pigs. After six years of slavery,
he managed to escape and work his way to the Irish coast. Talking his way
on to a boat he escaped. We lose track of him for a short while. He finally
arrives at a small island off Marseilles in the Mediterranean sea. Here
he meets Bishop Germanus of Auxerre and manages to persuade him of his
devout Christian faith. He informs Germanus of his wish to go back to his
enslavers in Ireland to teach them Christianity and to convert them. Germanus
was impressed by Patrick's sincerity and agreed to his proposal. After
fourteen years of training and indoctrination, he was ready to return.
On his arrival he quickly set to work. His task was made slightly easier
by the fact that his faith was beginning to make inroads and was not treated
with the same dis-respect afforded by the Saxons a few years earlier. It
is also a fact that Christianity in The British Isles originated from Ireland.
Across
the sea from Ireland
bout
fifty years later, after the death of St Patrick, An enthusiastic disciple
from the same school crossed the Irish Sea to Scotland. His name was Columba.
He arrived on the Scottish island of Iona where he built a monastery and
set to work spreading the word among the Pict tribes. Columba or St Columba
as he became, was the founder of the Scottish Christian Church. He practised
a totally different form of Christianity to that which was now gaining
support in Europe under the auspices of Rome and the Pope. It was monastic
and operated as a separate entity. St Columba's labours as they were known,
spread down the west coast where the remaining Britons had been pushed
by the Saxons. Eventually, news of Columba's exploits reached the Pope.
He decided to take action. To this end, Pope Gregory or Pope Gregory the
Great as he was known, at the end of the sixth century, dispatched an envoy
to England. After due consideration on his part, a monk by the name of
Augustine was chosen. The only problem was where he should start. It was
known that King Aethelbert of Kent was a pagan and worshipped Woden and
Thor. His wife, Bertha, Was much more enlightened. She was the daughter
of the Frankish king in Paris and had her own Frankish chaplain. Gregory
taking all this into account chose Kent for his destination. In 596 he
arrived. Aethelbert was quickly converted to Christianity. Aethelbert is
attributed as the founder of the seat of the English church at Canterbury,
The home today of the Archbishop of Canterbury or Primate of all England.
The problem still existed of the two forms of the same religion being diametrically
opposite. As far as Rome was concerned there could be only one. The Pope
required all Christians to be under the umbrella of Rome. A meeting was
arranged to try and resolve the differences. The exact location is not
known, but is thought to be in the Severn Valley area where St Patrick
was born. The purpose was to try and persuade the bishops and monks from
the St Columba school to practise a more socially acceptable form of Christianity.
The meeting dissolved into abject failure. The Celtic bishops and monks
totally rejected Augustine's proposals. There argument was that they protected
the faith when deserted by the Romans and why should they trust a newly
converted Saxon king when all Saxons ever wanted to do was destroy them.
As often as they tried, their differences could not be resolved. To many
people Augustine's attempt was a complete failure.
.
Island
of Iona
The
struggle for power
ver
the next twenty five to thirty years, Rome kept watch on developments in
England. The territorial battles continued. Raedwald, King of the Angles
in East Anglia expanded his kingdom by moving north and west. With the
help of Raedwald, Edwin an exiled prince, gained the crown of Northumbria.
Edwin was a dynamic character and slowly became acknowledged as the primary
force in England, except Kent. This is extraordinary considering Raedwald
was still alive. Edwin married a Kentish princess and respected her Christianity.
In 625 A.D on her trek to Edwin's home in York, there followed a Roman
missionary by the name of Paulinus. He had been living in Kent for a quarter
of a century. As Augustine converted Aethelbert, Paulinus converted Edwin
and many of his people in Northumbria. Edwin's power was almost total,
so peace reigned for a number of years. The events that took place in Northumbria
were being observed by Penda, the king of Mercia. He made an alliance with
Cadwallon, king of the area now known as North Wales with the intent of
overthrowing Edwin. It is interesting to note that this was the first and
last time British and English ( Celt and Saxon ) ever fought together.
The purpose was to overthrow the suzerainty of Edwin. In a bloody battle
near Doncaster, Edwin was defeated, decapitated and his head displayed
on the ramparts in York. This defeat spread through the land. This defeat
gave Cadwallon the opportunity to repay the English for their brutality
of his people. The defeat at Doncaster outraged Saxon England. Edwin's
Successor was a man named Oswald. Oswald did battle with Cadwallon and
killed him. Oswald himself was defeated and killed by king Penda of Mercia
seven years later. Oswald's younger brother, Oswy assumed control and settled
the score by killing Penda. Northumbria was again the power base of England.
Rome
tries again
fter
the failure of Augustine and Aethelbert to reunite the religious differences.
Rome turned to York as the centre of enlightenment. The country was split
in two by Celtic and Roman versions of the same faith. Paulinus decided
he could do no more and returned to Canterbury. A further meeting was arranged
in Whitby in 664 A.D. The topic was, should Christianity develop in the
Celtic or Roman way. After much discussion and disagreement, the Roman
way was adopted. The Celtic clergy walked out in disgust and retreated
back to Iona. At last England encompassed the Catholic faith advocated
by the Pope. The missions of Augustine and Paulinus had not been successful
in Rome's eyes. To counteract this, in 668 A.D, two new missionaries were
appointed with good track records. The first was Theodore of Tarsus, and
the second, Hadrian of Carthage. Theodore was not particularly made welcome
on his arrival but when he died in 690 A.D he had managed to increase the
Bishoprics of England from seven to fourteen. Little is known about the
work of Hadrian, one assumes he aided Theodore in the task. England belonged to
Rome.
The
fall of Northumbria
ngland
may have had one common religion but it had many kings all vying for supreme
power. Northumbria was in a vulnerable area. It had the Picts in Scotland,
the British in Strathclyde and the jealous and outraged Mercians in the
Midlands who were still upset about the fate of their leader Penda. In
fact there were seven kingdoms or Heptarchies competing against one another.
Perpetual battles reigned for the next hundred years. In 829 A.D Mercia
emerged the strongest, and for the next eighty years, two kings, Aethelbald
and Offa, ruled unchallenged. Most of the historical facts that are quoted
here are from the writings of one man. A monk who quietly chronicled events.
His name was Bede. He is now famously known as the Venerable Bede. Without
his writings we would know little of the events that took place in that
era. He was also responsible for the way we count years now, i.e. from
the birth of Christ.
The
two kings of Mercia
he
Christian church by 730 A.D had become very powerful. It was not afraid
to comment and lost all fear of retribution from the Heptarchies kings.
The morals laid down by the church concerning sex, behaviour and sin put
the fear of god into people. Which was probably the idea. You are less
likely to commit a sin if there is a divine presence with a long memory
watching your every move. Aethelbald became a victim of the churches moral
crusade when he was unable to restrain himself in nunneries. He used his
position for the wrong reasons. In 733 A.D he raided Wessex and 740 A.D
invaded Northumbria whilst their king was dealing with the Picts. He was
eventually murdered by his guards. Offa became the next king of Mercia.
As Mercia was by far the strongest of the seven regions he was unofficially
the king of the whole of England. His standing can be assessed by the fact
that Charlemagne requested that one of Offa's daughters should marry one
of his sons. As Charlemagne was the most powerful person in Europe at the
time, to refuse would be considered to be the ultimate snub. Offa replied
that he would only allow this if one of Charlemagne's sons would marry
one of his daughters. Charlemagne refused so Offa introduced a trade embargo.
Charlemagne changed his mind and the marriages took place. He was not afraid
to fight and spent considerable time subjugating the under kings of England.
He captured Kent and mint and had coins struck in his name and was on very
good terms with the Pope who addressed him as Rex Anglorum. His most astounding
work, which survives today, is that of Offa's Dyke. A trench and Hill which
stretches from the Severn River almost to Liverpool, built to keep the
British in what is Wales today. This construction must have been a total
labour of love. Offa's links with Europe introduced new ideas and culture
that had been missing since the Romans departed. The trade had returned.
England was a respected country once again with one religion. What could
go wrong ?
© copyright Glen Ray Crack -
Battle - East Sussex - United Kingdom
greater power than the Romans and the Saxons was slowly, inexorably working
its way towards the English shores and people. Christianity would change
the lives of the people for ever. It was not accomplished overnight. Many
people died before unification would be achieved. During the first two
hundred years of Roman subjugation, Christianity like many other cult like
religions had not made much of an impact on the British people. From the
third century onwards, the British Christian church gained a foothold and
bishops were sent out to spread the word. It was a difficult challenge
following the departure of the Romans and the arrival of the Saxons. The
Saxons were Pagan and worshipped gods of war such as Woden and Thor and
were not receptive to Christian conversion. It was a dangerous occupation
and many bishops and monks were slaughtered in the process, with their
churches looted and burned to the ground. After the expansion of the Saxons,
despite the persecution, the British Christian church managed to survive,
mainly in the Celtic areas in west of England, Wales and parts of Scotland.
Compared to later times, very little effort was made to spread Christianity
to the Saxons, possibly because their gods were too strong or they just
feared for their lives. David, better known as St David, patron saint of
the Welsh, worked tirelessly in Wales with the British Celts. 
robably
the most famous of all Christian missionaries was St Patrick, who later
became the patron saint of Ireland. Patrick was the son of a Roman Britain.
His father was also a Christian deacon. They lived in the Severn Valley
area. In about 410, around the time the Romans were recalled, an Irish
raiding party landed near his home. He was kidnapped and taken back to
Ireland where he was put to work tending pigs. After six years of slavery,
he managed to escape and work his way to the Irish coast. Talking his way
on to a boat he escaped. We lose track of him for a short while. He finally
arrives at a small island off Marseilles in the Mediterranean sea. Here
he meets Bishop Germanus of Auxerre and manages to persuade him of his
devout Christian faith. He informs Germanus of his wish to go back to his
enslavers in Ireland to teach them Christianity and to convert them. Germanus
was impressed by Patrick's sincerity and agreed to his proposal. After
fourteen years of training and indoctrination, he was ready to return.
On his arrival he quickly set to work. His task was made slightly easier
by the fact that his faith was beginning to make inroads and was not treated
with the same dis-respect afforded by the Saxons a few years earlier. It
is also a fact that Christianity in The British Isles originated from Ireland.
ver
the next twenty five to thirty years, Rome kept watch on developments in
England. The territorial battles continued. Raedwald, King of the Angles
in East Anglia expanded his kingdom by moving north and west. With the
help of Raedwald, Edwin an exiled prince, gained the crown of Northumbria.
Edwin was a dynamic character and slowly became acknowledged as the primary
force in England, except Kent. This is extraordinary considering Raedwald
was still alive. Edwin married a Kentish princess and respected her Christianity.
In 625 A.D on her trek to Edwin's home in York, there followed a Roman
missionary by the name of Paulinus. He had been living in Kent for a quarter
of a century. As Augustine converted Aethelbert, Paulinus converted Edwin
and many of his people in Northumbria. Edwin's power was almost total,
so peace reigned for a number of years. The events that took place in Northumbria
were being observed by Penda, the king of Mercia. He made an alliance with
Cadwallon, king of the area now known as North Wales with the intent of
overthrowing Edwin. It is interesting to note that this was the first and
last time British and English ( Celt and Saxon ) ever fought together.
The purpose was to overthrow the suzerainty of Edwin. In a bloody battle
near Doncaster, Edwin was defeated, decapitated and his head displayed
on the ramparts in York. This defeat spread through the land. This defeat
gave Cadwallon the opportunity to repay the English for their brutality
of his people. The defeat at Doncaster outraged Saxon England. Edwin's
Successor was a man named Oswald. Oswald did battle with Cadwallon and
killed him. Oswald himself was defeated and killed by king Penda of Mercia
seven years later. Oswald's younger brother, Oswy assumed control and settled
the score by killing Penda. Northumbria was again the power base of England.
ngland
may have had one common religion but it had many kings all vying for supreme
power. Northumbria was in a vulnerable area. It had the Picts in Scotland,
the British in Strathclyde and the jealous and outraged Mercians in the
Midlands who were still upset about the fate of their leader Penda. In
fact there were seven kingdoms or Heptarchies competing against one another.
Perpetual battles reigned for the next hundred years. In 829 A.D Mercia
emerged the strongest, and for the next eighty years, two kings, Aethelbald
and Offa, ruled unchallenged. Most of the historical facts that are quoted
here are from the writings of one man. A monk who quietly chronicled events.
His name was Bede. He is now famously known as the Venerable Bede. Without
his writings we would know little of the events that took place in that
era. He was also responsible for the way we count years now, i.e. from
the birth of Christ.
he
Christian church by 730 A.D had become very powerful. It was not afraid
to comment and lost all fear of retribution from the Heptarchies kings.
The morals laid down by the church concerning sex, behaviour and sin put
the fear of god into people. Which was probably the idea. You are less
likely to commit a sin if there is a divine presence with a long memory
watching your every move. Aethelbald became a victim of the churches moral
crusade when he was unable to restrain himself in nunneries. He used his
position for the wrong reasons. In 733 A.D he raided Wessex and 740 A.D
invaded Northumbria whilst their king was dealing with the Picts. He was
eventually murdered by his guards. Offa became the next king of Mercia.
As Mercia was by far the strongest of the seven regions he was unofficially
the king of the whole of England. His standing can be assessed by the fact
that Charlemagne requested that one of Offa's daughters should marry one
of his sons. As Charlemagne was the most powerful person in Europe at the
time, to refuse would be considered to be the ultimate snub. Offa replied
that he would only allow this if one of Charlemagne's sons would marry
one of his daughters. Charlemagne refused so Offa introduced a trade embargo.
Charlemagne changed his mind and the marriages took place. He was not afraid
to fight and spent considerable time subjugating the under kings of England.
He captured Kent and mint and had coins struck in his name and was on very
good terms with the Pope who addressed him as Rex Anglorum. His most astounding
work, which survives today, is that of Offa's Dyke. A trench and Hill which
stretches from the Severn River almost to Liverpool, built to keep the
British in what is Wales today. This construction must have been a total
labour of love. Offa's links with Europe introduced new ideas and culture
that had been missing since the Romans departed. The trade had returned.
England was a respected country once again with one religion. What could
go wrong ?