Anglo Saxon Society

Anglo Saxon Society

1. Edward The Confessor - 1003-1066

   • As a religious leader people believed that God was guiding him.
   • He had no children to success him and pass on his wealth and land to.
   • He was married to Edith. She was the wealthy daughter of the rich and powerful Earl Godwinson.
     • Sometimes Edward struggled to keep control of Earl Godwinson.
   • He had been exiled from Normandy for most of his life.
     • This meant that he didn't have many English supporters.
   • He was respected as a law maker.

2. The Witan

   • The Witan was the council that advised the king.
   • The king didn't have to follow the Witan's advice
   • The king decided on what the Witan would advise him on.
   • The king decided who was in the Witan.

3. The Earls

   • The Earls were the most powerful in the country after the king.
   • Large Earldoms meant that earls could become very powerful.
   • Earls governed large areas of England on behalf of the king.
   • Earls were granted some of the kings power.
     • Military power - Earls were the kings "generals", raising the army.
     • They helped with overseeing laws and choosing punishments.
     • Collecting taxes - Earls collected taxes for the Earldoms and kept a third of the tax.

4. The Power of the King

   • Landownership - The King could grant land and take it away.
   • Religion - God chose the king to rule.
   • Money - The King controlled the distribution of coins and the amount of taxes charged.
   • Fyrd - The King could raise the Fyrd army and fleet.
   • Law Making - Only the king could make laws and everyone gad to obey them.
   • Taxation - The King decided when a tax should be paid and how it should be paid.
   • The King was the most powerful person which meant that no one could tell him what the do.

5. The Social System

   • The Anglo Saxon society was a hierarchy as it was arranged in a set order of wealth, staus and rank.
     • Everyone knew their status and what was expected of them.
   • A persons rank could increase if they paid for it.
     • Such as a slave buying their freedom and becoming a peasant.
   • A ceorl could become a thegn if he built a larger estate.
   • However people could also move down status if they committed a crime.
     • Anglo Saxon laws state that some crimes were punishable but being made a slave.