The Origin of the English Nation (Cambridge Library Collection - Medieval History)

In this 1907 work, H. Munro Chadwick (1870-1947) re-examines the early history of the English nation from a new perspective. By training a philologist, he uses the tools of ethnology, history, tradition, language, customs, religion and archaeology, to understand how the various Germanic tribes established themselves in Britain, founding new kingdoms. Despite an almost total lack of English historical documents from the period, Chadwick uses a range of historical and literary sources, from both sides of the English Channel, which relied on oral traditions. By close linguistic analysis he shows how the Saxon and other invaders retained close cultural ties with their continental kinsmen. He shows that although the Dark Ages may be obscure due to lack of contemporary sources, careful scholarly analysis of later texts can reveal a great deal about the history, culture and society of the earlier period. Cover......Page 1 Frontmatter......Page 6 PREFACE......Page 10 Contents......Page 12 CHAPTER I - ENGLAND IN THE SIXTH CENTURY......Page 14 CHAPTER II - THE WEST SAXON INVASION......Page 32 CHAPTER III - THE INVASION OF KENT......Page 46 CHAPTER IV - THE SAXONS, ANGLES AND JUTES IN BRITAIN......Page 64 CHAPTER V - THE SAXONS, ANGLES AND JUTES ON THE CONTINENT......Page 98 CHAPTER VI - THE KINGS OF ANGEL......Page 124 NOTE. THE EARLY KINGS OF THE DANES......Page 150 CHAPTER VII - THE AGE OF NATIONAL MIGRATIONS......Page 157 CHAPTER VIII - THE SAXONS AND ANGLES IN ROMAN TIMES......Page 194 CHAPTER IX - THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE ANCIENT GERMANI......Page 208 CHAPTER X - THE CULT OF NERTHUS......Page 233 CHAPTER XI - KING AETHELWULF'S MYTHICAL ANCESTORS......Page 265 CHAPTER XII - SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE ROMAN PERIOD......Page 297 ADDENDA......Page 338 INDEX......Page 340 A great nation is built by diversity, and in this compelling history, H. Munro Chadwick explains the rich cultures that laid England’s foundation. In the sixth century the closely-related but intriguingly individualistic Anglo-Saxons, Celts, Dutch Normans, and Vikings, among others, united to build one of the most powerful empires to ever exist.