A (Relatively) Brief History of Angland

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Bolt451

Gone Fishin'
Ardith looked out the window next to her desk. There wasn't much to look at, most people on her street were at work. Those who were lucky enough to have jobs. She followed her line of sight to the road, then up the front of the building opposite, then to Lundenwic city centre looming in the distance as it wrapped itself around the Tames. She watched as a man held his hand out to see if it was still raining and finding it dry, took his hood down. She saw he had the shaved forehead of a monk, his hairline going from ear to ear like the arch of a bridge. For a moment she wondered if he just had a receding hairline as she couldn’t see any other monastic trappings but figured his hairline was too precise to be mere genetics. He was probably from the monastery at Hildegate, what was he doing out in the world, she wondered. Probably just gone to get some milk, or toured round the altars of old peoples homes to give blessings. No! She was procrastinating. She glanced looked to the empty page on her screen, she’d sent as many job applications in a day as her brain could take, surely. If she wasnt going to apply for jobs she could at least carry on with her other project.


She looked around the mess of her bedroom. She saw the picture of Saint Aidan by her bedside that her mother had insisted she put up. Its was now hidden by a bra and various empty mugs but still she mumbled a rather rude worded prayer to any Saints who were listening. On her bed her cat was asleep. “Ashes!” she cooed. “Ashes!” The Tortoiseshell opened one sleepy eye at her. The cat had a face of murderous intent but Ardith figured that was her default expression. The cat closed her eyes, shuffled slightly, and fell asleep. “Okay, Fine!” Ardith sighed and turned to the screen in front of her, “Fine, lets begin,” she sighed again “At the beginning,”




“A (Relatively) Brief History of Angland,”

By Ardith Blaecley


Introduction​

To chart the history of Angland you must first define it. When did Angland first come into being?


410?

Should we start in the early fifth century when the first Angle, Saxon and Jutish tribes came to Britain. With the withdrawal of Roman forces to mainland Europe, peoples from what the Romans called Germania were invited to assist in the defence of the Romano-British people against Picts and Scots. This wasn’t Angland though. There were Angles, who would give their name to and arguably serve as the core of Angland itself but there wasn’t the country itself, there wouldn’t be any Anglo Saxon Kingdoms for some time. These were small groups of soldiers defending the Romano-British settlements. Britain was still mostly British, for the time being.


The Early 6th century?

Okay then. Did Angland begin with the formation of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms? There are competing arguments how these kingdoms formed. The popular image is that of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes conquering the British and setting up as their rulers or driving them West into what we’d commonly call Britain. Indeed early Anglish history is replete with kings carving their kingdoms out of British tribes. Kings like Aethelfrith of Bernicia or Oswiu, second king of Angland


There’s another theory that rather then conquer them the Anglo-Saxon warriors who came to Britain integrated with them and being successful warriors became senior figures, eventually perhaps marrying into power. This is supported by many of the early kingdoms such as Kent or Lindsay (region names still in use by the Anglish government) are derived from Romano-British names.

Most likely it was a mix of the two. Some like Bernicia or Wessex being the former, Kent or Essex being the latter and some by both methods at different times. Going back to our question this gives us Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms but not Angland itself


709?

A good argument can be made for Angland starting in 709. This is, after all when Ecgfrith, heir to the thrones of both Mercia and Northumbria ascended to both thrones and unified them into one Kingdom. The Kingdom of the Angles, or Angland. This name of course coming from the core of Angland being descended from the Angles rather than kingdoms in the south who had already given their name to kingdoms such as Wessex, Essex and Sussex.

However it wasn’t Eanfrith who first claimed both thrones. His father Aethelfrith, King of Northumbria defeated Paedwyn, last king of Mercia and put his wife Cynedryth on the throne in Six Ninety Six. Was this then the creation of Angland in all but name? Do we start from there?


1092?

The Angland of 709 didn’t include any of the kingdoms south of Mercia. It didn’t yet include Lindsay, or the kingdoms of Britain or Strathclota or the other Northern Kingdoms. If we jump forward to the Eleventh century we can see a more familiar picture. The Island of Britain is more or less divided in two by this point. Wessex rules from the southern Tip of West Britain to Kanteborg in the East. Angland rules from Glecaster Northward to the shores of the Orkneys.

In 1087 King Cuthred III of Wessex died suddenly not having named an heir. The kingdom fell into civil war. Queen Aethelflaed II intervened on behalf of Cuthred’s second son Wulfric and by 1092 they had captured Cuthred. She married Wulfric, unifying the thrones of Wessex and Angland. Surely then this new unified Angland is where Angland began!


There are countless other points you could pick when institutions and trappings considered key or iconic to modern Angland came into being. The formalisation of the anglish church by Saint Cuthbert. The reforms of Prince Aedwine. The reforms of the 17th or even the 19th centuries. All made Angland what it is. So not to complicate things but I think the answer is all of them. They are all key points of Angland’s timeline and each lead to the nation I and possibly you live in right now. Of course you could in turn trace the Anglo Saxon settlers back to the Roman Empire all the way back to Claudius landing soldiers in Britain in the 1st century if not even earlier


So what makes Angland, Angland then? Other than our location, what separates us from other nations. We’re a modern, reasonably economically developed nation. So is France, Charlian or many others. We’re an Island and thus seperated but so are Eireland and Iceland. Still, even today, what often separates us from other countries is our our faith. I don't mean being non-catholic. While all the above examples are catholic there are countless Radical, Orthodox or diverse Christian nations. Even if less people are practicing or going to worship less regularly. We are still the home of the Anglish church. We’re still the main country where you’ll see things like monks with the front of their head shaved rather than the crown. We’re the main country where we worship Jesus Christ as the son of god but that the head of the church is the Archbishop of Lindisfarne and not the Pope or the Patriarch. Much of Angland still practices penance through exile and worships at small, open altars rather than large churches and anywhere else that does the same does so because of the colonial or religious (or frequently both) ambitions of Angland . These practices and the influence of the Anglish church has shaped our country. It has set us apart from the Catholic or Radical nations around us. To understand the Anglish Church is to understand Angland.

So where does Anglish Christianity start?
 
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The Professor

The Professor

I like it.
I should point out there are a couple of minor typos such as "have capture" vs "have captured".
But the summary is clean and understandable. It has internal consistency and is externally logical.
I await the updates that help explain a few unusual names to those who haven't read the prior versions.
 

Bolt451

Gone Fishin'
The Professor said:
I like it.
I should point out there are a couple of minor typos such as "have capture" vs "have captured".
But the summary is clean and understandable. It has internal consistency and is externally logical.
I await the updates that help explain a few unusual names to those who haven't read the prior versions.
Click to expand...

There are a few differences, mostly hoping to go into more detail in a consistent style.

Will obviously go further than the original too, until when, I dont know.
 
Chapter 1: Why aren't we all catholic
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    • Bolt451

    Gone Fishin'
    I wanted this to be longer, may go back and add more.


    Chapter 1: Why aren’t we all Catholic?


    Of course simply saying “The formation of Anglish Church” is the start of Angland is far too simplistic (it's almost like history is complex!) Many dates on the formation of the Anglish Church could be suggested. Saint Aidan arriving at Lindisifarne in 651 or the reforms of Saint Cuthbert in 690. Both have arguments behind them. These ignore an important question. Why aren’t we a Catholic nation? Our nearest neighbours France and Flanders both are. In fact prior to the rise of the Radical Christian denominations more or less the entirety of Europe West of the Vistula (and then some) majority Catholic. I of course say majority catholic so as not to discount Catholic communities in Angland which are traditionally but not exclusively British.


    There have been many attempts to convert the peoples of Great Britain to Roman Catholicism whether they be Anglish, their precursor components of Angles Jutes and Saxons or British. The most notable of these is arguably the mission of Augustine in 597. Augustine was a Prior of a Roman monastery who was chosen by Pope Gregory the First to lead a mission to the Kingdom of Kent which unsurprisingly now makes up more or less the modern Province of Kent. As well as being the part of Great Britain closest to the continent the King of Kent was seen as potentially pro Christian despite being pagan. He was previously betrothed to a Frankish Christian woman, Bertha the daughter of the Frankish king Charibert. It's believed Bertha was killed crossing the Anglish Channel. Despite then marrying a pagan Saxon Princess its believed that this willingness to accept a Christian bridge was a potentially positive trait for the Gregorian mission, as it became known.


    There was a small surviving Christian Church in Britain dating from Roman times and influenced by missionaries sent from Irish Monasteries which differed from the Catholic church on several matters such as the tonsure or way of cutting monks hair and the date of Easter (It’s worth noting the Irish Monastaries would in time convert to Catholicism). This former matter is why Anglish monks have the front half of their heads shaved whereas Catholic (and some Radical) monks have the caps of their skulls shaved. Following the arrival of Anglo-Saxons in Britain however the number of Christians in Britain had decreased and Pope Gregory hoped to not only increase the Christian community but bring the church on the Island of Great Britain and its surrounding lands into the Catholic fold.


    Augustine left Rome in 595 at the head of a mission of monks and servants and arrived at the then Isle of Thanet (name? ) in the Kingdom of Kent in 597. At that time Augustine wasn’t permitted to enter the Kingdom of Kent, instead waiting on Thanet for several weeks. In fact there is a church on Thanet claiming to be on the site that Augustine preached on while waiting for the King to grant him passage into Kent. However there is no evidence confirming this an the building itself dates from the 12th Century. Nonetheless the Church, while Anglish is dedicated to Saint Augustine who is more generally revered by Catholics and particularly British Catholics than by Anglish Christians. After waiting what the historian and monk Bede of Jarway said was several weeks (2) King Ethelbert met with the Monks and via Frankish translators listened to their preaching and seeing the iconography brought from Rome including a “bearing a silver cross for their banner, and the image of our Lord and Saviour painted on a board;” the kings words in reply are recorded by Bede


    "Your words and promises are very fair, but as they are new to us, and of uncertain import, I cannot approve of them so far as to forsake that which I have so long followed with the whole Anglish nation. You are come from far into my kingdom, and, as I conceive, are desirous to impart to us those things which you believe to be true, and most beneficial, we will not molest your preaching, but nor can give you favourable support for fear you might destroy our Anglish way of living."


    Although how Bede knew this, being born over fifty years after these events, is unknown. Despite the King’s ambivalence the mission began preaching in what we now call Kanteborg. There was, again according to Bede, a small church dating from Roman times dedicated to Saint Martin which the mission took as their own. Other sources claim that Augustine found the church still in use by a surviving group of British Christians (3) although they fail to clarify what this claim is based on. What is known is there is a more modern monastery dedicated to Saint Martin in Kanteborg and the Monastary’s records make note of an earlier church on the same site and evidence of the earlier church has since been found as part of the Optical presentation “The History Boys,” (4).


    If Bede is to believed (And very few other sources exist) they preached successfully for a few years building up a small congregation in the city until being driven out. Around the time of the Catholic Easter. People of the town, who were predominantly Jutish, came to Augustine and Bede claims they were afraid of what Augustine’s church had been preaching and in his own words “Not seeing the wisdom of the Lord,”. What is known is there’s no evidence of there being a church on the site of St Martin’s from the early 7th century until the late 9th. Around the same period a church was set up in what is now called Glecaster (then Glowaester) on what would later become the site of the Monastery at Glecaster. Bede records this as being set up by Augustine and other sources record a “Roman Church” existing for some time at Glecaster from the sixth century onward(5). From this and the correspondence between Augustine and Pope Gregory we can assume Augustine left Kanteborg and set a church up in Glecaster, where he would remain for the remainder of his life where he preached to the Gewisse, the Anglo-Saxon. As time went onAugustine’s health grew worse but his heart never ceased the work of the Lord. He wrote of his condition to Pope Gregory and fearing that Augustine was short for this world sent a letter in return praising Augustine’s never ending devotion to his mission in the face of opposition from the Saxons and Jutes. Shortly before passing Augustine was declared “Archbishop of Glecaster” though this title fell on unreceptive ears from local bishops, who followed the native Christianity (what would develop into the Anglish denomination). For reasons we will come to the church in Glecaster would serve as the beginnings of the conversion of Britons to Catholicism. Today Augustine of Glecaster, as he is known is one of the most revered figures amongst British Catholics and his Saint Day, the 2nd of February, is celebrated across Britain.

    Having established the church in Glecaster, Augustine continued his work with some of his mission


    There have been other missions to convert the Anglish peoples to Roman Catholicism but it can be argued once the Anglish church was formalised and spread throughout the Anglo Saxon Kingdoms, that their conversion was highly unlikely. Meanwhile the conversion of the Scottish, British and Anglo Saxon Kingdoms would slowly continue but this would be carried out by native priests, not Catholics. One such kingdom was that of Dal Riata in the Western Isles. Here an exiled member of the Northumbrian royal family would be converted to Christianity. His name was Oswald and upon his return to Northumbria he would sow the seeds of a nation



    (1) Angland, Half Anglish: Pre Unification Great Britain, W.T.Baeker, Isca Press, 2001


    (2) A History of the Anglish peoples, Bede of Jarway, as printed by Sainted Isle Books, 2002 from a translation by Aeldred Cooper


    (3) A History of Angland before Aidan. Eadric Leocastra, United Press, 1933


    (4) Series 12, Presentation 5, Anglish Optical Broadcast Organisation


    (5) Eadric Leocastra, as (3), here quoting the traditional records of Glecaster Monastery.
     
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  • Index
    • Chapter 2: The Two Fathers of the Nation
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    • Bolt451

    Gone Fishin'
    Chapter 2: The Two Fathers of the Nation


    It can be argued that in all reason readers of this book from Angland can skip this chapter, such as it is drilled into the collective memory of the nation for these past thirteen hundred years through countless church sermons and school lessons. It can be argued that Angland began, at least in part as the Kingdom of Northumbria. Northumbria was formed of two separate countries, the Kingdoms of Deira and Kingdoms of Bernicia, divided by the River Tees. In 593 these two Kingdoms were united when Aethelfrith, king of Bernicia conquered the Kingdom of Deira although the circumstances of this conquest are unknown. It has been suggested he defeated the king of Deira, Edwin and Edwin died while in exile in East Anglia under unknown circumstances. Aethelfrith ruled until from 593 as king of Deira and 604 as King of Bernicia but never took the title “King of Northumbria”.


    Aethelfrith expanded the borders of his two kingdoms into the north and west across the Central Mountains. His apparent agression northwards brought the attention of various minor kingdoms in the North of Great Britain and in 603 a “Vast Army” (as Bede put it) lead by the king of Dalriata, which roughly took up the same space as the modern Anglish Province of the same name in Western Scotland. marched south to defeat Aethelfrith and put Henrig, son of Aethelfrith’s predecessor Hussa on the throne. Aethelfrith was victorious but given he didn’t expand further north its possible he came to some agreement with the Kingdoms to the north. In 613 he defeated the Kingdom of Powys near Deacastra and in claiming an area of the West Coast, just north of the border with Britain. This divided the British community between those we’d call British, occupying modern Britain (Cymru in the British language) and the areas known in modern time as Scotland, speeding up the divergence of the peoples of these groups.


    Upon his death in 621 the throne passed to his son Eanfrith, known to history as the first official king of Northumbria. Its at this point we have another mystery of Anglish history which has allowed for hudnreds of fictional accounts. The facts are that Eanfrith reigned from 621 to 636 after which the throne passed to his brother, Oswald and that by the time he became King, Oswald had converted to Christianity. Bede of Jarway records that upon the death of his father, Oswald eschewed his place in the royal family and “saught the Christian Faith in the kingdoms of the north,”. It is believe this referred to Kingdom of Dalriata.. Dalriata had many independent monastaries of the Irish or Celtic tradition which at this point of history was loosely formed denomination of Christianity, not yet formalised through its success amongst the Anglo-Saxon peoples and independent from the Roman Catholic Church.


    If Bede and many subsequent accounts both within and without the Church are to be believed Oswald had a sort of Damascene conversion and left Northumbria and travelled north to study with the monks of Dalriata (some even say he travelled to Ireland to study). Some accounts even say he had a vision of Christ setting off into the Desert and new he had to travel for himself. It is worth noting that a lot of these accounts, Bede included, were ones patronised by the Anglish Royal family. Other accounts have portrayed these events as Oswald going into exile during the reign of Eanfrith and only returning when his older Brother had died either to claim his throne or only when the nobles of Northumrbia travelled to him and begged him. Reasons for this possible exile are unknown but highly speculated upon. Some, such as the 18th century playright Aldred Litchfield said Oswald desired Eanfrith’s throne for himself and was exiled for making an attempt on the throne. Litchfield’s Play “the Cain and Abel of Dunholm,” (Published 1745 was and remains controversial and has been seen as a commentary on the apparent familial tension between the Osdred of Eorforwic and Eadbert of Laudenwic the two sons of King Aethelred the Seventh. This play has inspired various other portrayals with other twists and new takes, all conjecture and fiction


    Eanfrith Reigned for a relatively peaceful twelve years, strengthening the royal authority in Northumbria and formally unifying the two kingdoms. The reign of Eanfrith, being a pagan like his father, isn’t covered much by Bede. He does mention in his description of Oswald’s reign how Eanfrith died. In 634 Osric, cousin of Edwin, the last king of Deira, allied with the King of East Anglia and set off with an East Anglian army to reclaim his families throne, if not the entirity of Northrumbria in exchange for swearing fealty to East Anglia. Some historical portrayals such as the 1984 Mopic “The Last Pagan,” show this attempted coup by Osric being orchestrated by Oswald himself, this is however without any evidence. Eanfrith met Osric in battle at Hatfrield, near Donacastra and while he was victorious he lost his life to wounds sustained in battle. Some portrayals of these events have him surviving long enough to receive communion with his younger brother but there’s no actual evidence of this.


    Whether summoned or marching south to claim his throne Oswald returned to Bamburgh, seat of the Kings of Bernicia and now the Kings of Northumbria and was crowned King.. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the Anglish People (Book III Chapter III) stated that the Royal family converted to the same Celtic Christianity that Oswald had long since converted to, this included Oswiu, his younger brother and at the time, immediate heir. If Bede is to believed the rest of the kingdom swiftly followed although finds relating to the pagan faith have been found in Northumbria that can be dated as late as the 670s. The formal conversion of the Kingdom is backed up by coins minted during Oswald’s reign.


    The Conversion of the Kingdom would be headed up by a man who’d become etched in the collective minds of the Anglish people, Aidan of Lindisfarne. Bede states that in 636 Oswald sent a delegation to the “Elders of the Scots” (presumably the same Monastaries he’d studied at) to request a Bishop be sent to them “, by whose instruction and ministry the Anglish nation, which he governed, might be taught the advantages, and receive the sacraments of the Christian faith” as Bede put it. They returned with a small delegation of Monks lead by Aidan who was, to quote Bede again “a man of singular meekness, piety, and moderation; zealous in the cause of God.”


    Aidan was given the Isle of Lindisfarne as his Episcopal See to serve as the centre of his conversion efforts. In time Lindisfarne would become the first Anglish Monastary with Aidan as its bishop. Lindisfarne quickly gained the name “Holy Isle” although it was accessable by land at low tide twice a day. Aidan and Oswald quickly set about converting first the Royal family, then nobles then other ministers and finally the wider people of Northumbria. In many cases Oswald served as Aidan’s translator as Aidan didn’t yet know the Anglish language and Oswald had learned Scots in during his exile.


    Aidan famously travelled the country on fort, refusing a horse unless he had an urgent matter to attend to. He famously travelled the country, converting pagans and reinforcing the few Christians who could already be found in Northumbria. Many of his efforts were taken up by other monks and soon, eith royal blessing and a cente of operations many other Scots travelled south into Northumbria to spread Christianity and churches sprang up across the Kingdom including the first wave of Monastaries at sights such as Eorforwic, Jarway and Bamburgh. It was in these early times the image of the Anglish Monk travelling from village to village and preaching wherever they could became a familiar sight.


    Despite his Royal patronage Aidan was famously meek (ironically these meekness has since become the subject of many lavish paintings and sculptures). Many religious men and women, stirred up by his example, adopted the custom of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, until the evening, except during the weeks after Easter. This is something that many monks do to this day. Aidan never gave money to the powerful men of the world if they were his guest but would simply cook them a meal (this being the origin of the traditional Saint Aidan’s day meal between the monarch and the Archbishop of Lindisfarne). He also set the trend for spending any gifts received from the wealthy on the poor (something that subsequent members of the Anglish monastic orders have stuck to to varying degrees) and in many cases to liberate slaves who often then became members of the clergy


    Within a few years of Aidan’s arrival Scots and Northumbrian monks began travelling further afield to other kingdoms with varying success. One of Aidan’s original disciples, Finian, travelled south, first to Essex where he was welcomed by Anna, King of the East Saxons where he converted Anna to the Celtic Christianity. Finian and Anna built a church (later a monastary) at Tilburg and another at Ithancester and while both were destroyed by Norse occupation churches were rebuilt on those sites and survive to this day. Finian later crossed the Thames into Kent where he was received by Earconbert, King of Kent. Perhaps following the example of the East Saxons and the Northumbrians Earconbert converted to Christianity and tasked Finian to build a “Lindisfarne of the South” (as Earconbert is quoted by Bede). So Finian set about building what would become the Monastary at Kanteborg on the exact site of Augustines failed mission from Rome.


    This flourishing of the nascent Anglish church wasn’t all a success. The efforts to convert other kingdoms were met with opposition and it was here that Oswald would face his first great challenge in the form of the Kingdom of Mercia and its pagan king, Penda.


    ---


    Ardith paused and shook the cramp out of her hands. That was a terribe cliffhanger but she wasn’t sure quite how else to end the chapter. She checked the word count. One thousand six hundred and sixty six. Well that wasn’t ominous! She smirked and then sighed at her own joke. She stretched and felt her muscle creak including a rather disconcerting one right over her heart. She saved her work so far and sighed again. It was so dry! It read like a textbook, what happened to the jovial popular-history tone she’d hoped for. She stood and wondered over to her bed where her Ashes, her cat was still asleep. The creature made an annoyed noise as Ardith swung her legs over her and lay back on the bed. She checked her communicator and saw she had two messages. She opened the first, it was from Rhi, she instinctively sighed.

    “Have boxed your stuff up when you want to pick it up”

    She quickly closed it and moved on. It was from her mother

    “Aunty Osbur’s Going away party tonight at 6 pls attend love mum,” she checked the clock, Half five, “Oh Saints help me!” she cursed as Ashes wandered up the bed and began poking her face. “Alright I’ll go,” she sat up, the cat was looking up at her “and I’ll feed you!”
     
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