How did Anglo-Saxon beliefs change over time?
The Anglo-Saxons were pagan when they first came to Britain.
They believed in different gods and were often buried in graves with their belongings. Over time, the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity. They built monasteries which became great centres of learning and literature.
Important words for the Anglo-Saxons
| Keyword | Definition |
|---|---|
| Pagan | A person who worships many gods. They are often from outside a culture's main, organised religions. |
| Mission | To travel to a different place to share a religion with other people. |
| Abbot/Abbess | A person who is head of a monastery. |
| Synod | A meeting of church members. |
| Monastery | A religious building where monks or nuns live, work and worship. |
Watch: What role did the Church have in Anglo-Saxon England?
Watch as Father Aldred explains the role of the Church in Anglo-Saxon England for the people, the king and the Pope in Rome.
Greetings. I'm Father Aldred, a priest.
It is my duty to lead my church and guide my king.
For it is the role of the Church to advise kings in matters of faith and in the ruling of the kingdom.
See here: our scribes. They send letters to the Pope in Rome - the head of the Church and the most important holy man in all of Europe.
Our influence travels far, giving us power across the seas in Europe. Our kingdom is stronger tied to Rome and to God.
And here are our records and offerings. They help the Church, they help the king, and they help the people too.
We feed the poor, care for the sick, shelter travellers, and teach.
In schools run by the monastery, boys learn to read and write.
Ah, King Offa himself. Made king with the Church’s support. The people don’t just listen to him, they listen to the Church too, to know that his rule is what God wants.
The king cannot rule without the Church.
King Offa wants the kingdom of Mercia to have its own Archbishop.
Until now, the Archbishop at Canterbury has been in charge, and Offa doesn't want to be told what to do by someone outside the kingdom. So he's asking the Pope in Rome for permission. If the Pope agrees, Mercia will have its own Archbishop. And that makes both our king and our Church stronger.
The king and the Church depend on each other. And the Church teaches the people, writes the laws, and says what God wants.
Joined to Rome, we guide kings and kingdoms. And shape the future of this land.
Anglo-Saxon beliefs
In Roman Britain many people had been Christians. But the early Anglo-Saxons were not Christians, they were pagans.
After the Romans left, Christianity continued in places where Anglo-Saxons did not settle, like Wales and the west. The Anglo-Saxons had their own gods, beliefs and superstitions.
Anglo-Saxons believed in lucky charms. They thought that rhymes, potions, stones and jewels would protect them from evil spirits or sickness.
Over time their beliefs changed and many Anglo-Saxons were converted to Christianity.
Which gods were there?
Look at the table below to see some of the most important gods and goddesses. They also gave their names to days of the week.
Woden had two pet wolves and a horse with eight legs. He was a German version of the Scandinavian god Odin.
| Tiw | god of war | Tuesday |
| Woden | king of the gods | Wednesday |
| Thunor | god of thunder | Thursday |
| Frige | goddess of love | Friday |
What do Anglo-Saxon graves tell us?
When Anglo-Saxons died, their bodies were often cremated or buried in a grave along with some belongings.
Men's graves included knives and spears. Women's graves included tools used for sewing and weaving. High status graves had swords and precious objects.
In 1939, an amazing discovery was made at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. Archaeologists found traces of an Anglo-Saxon ship and many precious objects. This was the grave of a king, probably King Raedwald of East Anglia. He died around AD625.
Watch: Sutton Hoo artefacts
Find out what the artefacts found at Sutton Hoo tell us about Anglo-Saxon beliefs
The Sutton Hoo treasure. This is the finest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever dug up in Britain. One of the great treasures of the British Museum. Just look at it! My legs go weak every time I see it because it’s in such excellent condition.
Much of the art that survives from the ‘Dark Ages’ has been battered by time but not the Sutton Hoo treasure. In the finest pieces here there’s hardly a gram of gold bent out of place or a garnet missing.
The Sutton Hoo treasure was dug up out of the ground in East Anglia, just a few weeks before the start of the Second World War in 1939 so it couldn’t be investigated properly until after the war was over and what a torture that must have been for the waiting archaeologists.
The treasure dates from around 620AD and comes from the grave of an important East Anglian king. The king was buried in a ship. His transport to the next world.
And all this was buried with him to serve him in the afterlife. These bits of sword here and helmets mark him out as a mighty warrior. You wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of this man in heaven.
They found a lyre in his grave as well so the king could listen to his favourite music in the afterlife and that’s a recreation of it. He had to eat well so this fabulous cooking cauldron was buried with him. Look at all the intricate, chaotic decoration around it.
Most important of all, the people who buried the king made sure that he’d look good in the next world by burying him with his best Anglo-Saxon ruler bling which is where this gold comes in and those magnificent garnets.
If you’ve ever seen finer jewellery than this, let me know where because I want to go there. How did they do it? These Anglo-Saxon wizards.
Why did the Anglo-Saxons convert to Christianity?
In AD595, Pope Gregory sent a mission to Britain led by a monk called Augustine. The purpose of the mission was to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.
Augustine arrived in Kent and firstly converted the king there called Ethelbert. Augustine later became a Christian saint because of his holy life.
More and more Anglo-Saxon kings and their people became Christians too. This is because they realised that by converting to one God, they could unite their people.
Watch: Pagan to Christian Anglo-Saxons
Find out how three important monks brought Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons living in Britain
Here are three super saints, Augustine, Columba and Aiden, who have more than just their itchy outfits in common.
These lads turned the pagans in Britain, who believed in many gods, into Christians who believed in just one.
Let’s start with Columba, a fearless saint. In 563, he sailed to Iona, and set up a monastery, and from here many people in Scotland converted to Christianity.
But if we look at the rest of Britain, things aren’t looking too great for the Christians: this lot are STILL pagan!
Next up was Augustine in 597. He was sent to England by the Pope. He converted a King, built Canterbury cathedral, and was very pleased with himself.
Unfortunately, he mainly just converted the King’s best mates to Christianity.
Most ordinary Anglo-Saxons thought he was a bit weird with his haircut and his itchy dress and they carried on believing in their old gods.
So much for Augustine.
Aidan to the rescue! He was determined to go out and convert the Anglo-Saxons.
He set up a monastery on Lindisfarne in 634 and from there did something amazing, something unheard of, something brilliant: he spoke to ordinary people.
This is what actually convinced the Anglo-Saxons to stop being pagan and give Christianity a try.
And there you have it, how these three saints and these three places helped Britain make the shift from many gods, to just one.
You can keep your rubbish robes to yourselves though lads!
What changed when the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity?
Pagan shrines were turned into churches, magic water became holy water, and various pagan gods were gradually turned in Christian saints.
Kings went into battle with priests, their armour and weaponry were carved with texts from the Bible which we know from the Staffordshire Hoard. With God on their side, they could not lose.
Why were monasteries important?
Monasteries were centres of learning. Monks and nuns spent their time there in prayer and study. They also copied out books by hand and decorated the pages in beautiful colours.
Monasteries were the only schools in Anglo-Saxon England. Boys lived there to train as monks and some girls became nuns.
Roman Christianity was strong in Europe, North Africa and Middle Eastern regions.
St Adrian was a famous abbot (head of a monastery) from North Africa, and was in charge of monasteries in Naples, Italy and the important St Augustine’s, Canterbury.
Who was Bede?
An English monk called Bede lived in the monastery at Jarrow in Northumbria. He went to live with monks in AD680, when he was just seven years old.
Bede wrote a book called 'A History of the English Church and People' in AD730. This was the story of the creation of a unified English peoples under one Church.
It was made into a book in the 9th century and starts with a decorated letter B (from 'Britain').
Who was St Cuthbert?
There was a famous monastery at Lindisfarne in Northumbria. One of the monks, St Cuthbert, left the monastery to seek a life of solitude on the tiny Farne Islands out to sea.
St Cuthbert performed miracles. When he died, he was buried in Durham Cathedral. Kings visited him there because they believed he was a source of power and faith.
Who was St Hilda?
Hilda was a Northumbrian nun who was born around AD614. She became abbess of a monastery in Whitby.
In AD664 there was a meeting at the monastery called the Synod of Whitby. The meeting was important because it brought the different members of the Anglo-Saxon church together.
Think like a historian
Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.
Look carefully at the picture of the Gosforth Cross. What different images can you see?
Why do you think the Gosforth Cross shows some Anglo-Saxon pagan images?
Did you see some of these images: a figure on a horse or a serpent or dragon? Archaeologists think these images tell a story from pagan mythology.
Did you think about change and continuity over time? Anglo-Saxon beliefs did not change all of a sudden. Some of their pagan mythology continued and became mixed with their Christian beliefs.
Activity: Quiz – Anglo-Saxon beliefs
Grown-ups corner
Are you a parent, carer or teacher?
Take a look at some of the links below on KS2 History which are packed full of knowledge, videos, quizzes and activities.
Anglo-Saxon Britain (animation)
Bitesize for Teachers
Anglo-Saxons travel around Britain
Bitesize for Teachers
Anglo-Saxon village life and work
Bitesize for Teachers
Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade game! game
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