Anglo-Saxon invasion: Wipe-out or assimilation?

[GeistFaust]

I've always wondered if all the Anglo-Saxons left for Britain and if so, why?

Probably a combination of multiple factors that were both internal and external. I think there was a connection between the Celto-Roman culture of the Isles and Germanic cultures through trade. As the Celto-Roman culture started to dwindle the rate at which Germanic peoples migrated to the lands of England picked up rapidly.

I think it is possible that the Anglo-Saxon invasions were a reaction to Roman pressures from the South and West. When these pressures were relieved it caused the Germanic peoples to react by migrating to England.

This aggressive mentality was probably imbued as a defensive reaction to previous threats, namely the expansion of Romans relatively close to the Germanic areas of Northern Europe. In a sense it could be said that the Romans provoked the wave of Germanic invasions to some extent or another throughout Europe, though unconsciously so.

[Pallantides]

Fortunately, we have video evidence to answer this question:

[YOUTUBE]LJZIBx1fpUU[/YOUTUBE]

Lol such a bullshit movie, Stellan Skarsgård is cool though.

[Logan]

I've always wondered if all the Anglo-Saxons left for Britain and if so, why?

There is evidence of continuity between the Saxon in England and the Saxon on the Continent. A rise in Sea levels, and opportunity in Britain. I believe less of the other tribes stayed.

Might find a few in Wales as well.

[YOUTUBE]swbnK5k0uPM[/YOUTUBE]

[Albion]

I've always wondered if all the Anglo-Saxons left for Britain and if so, why?

Well the Germanics were under threat from the steppe peoples on their eastern frontiers and the Germanic lands were becoming over-populated and so new opportunities were sought elsewhere.

Lol such a bullshit movie, Stellan Skarsgård is cool though.

Yeah, I agree. The irony is that all the Celts and many of the Sarmatians were played by English actors whilst the Saxons were played by Germans and Swedes.
It was pretty rubbish to be honest.

[Wulfhere]

Bede tells us that all the Angles migrated to Britain, and that even in his day (730s) Angeln in Schleswig-Holstein was denuded of people.

Not all the Saxons did, of course, and many if not most remained on the Continent. They were finally conquered by Charlemagne in a very bloody war.

We don't know much about the Jutes. It is likely that most were absorbed by the Danes when the latter invaded Jutland from southern Sweden.

[Argyll]

Bede tells us that all the Angles migrated to Britain, and that even in his day (730s) Angeln in Schleswig-Holstein was denuded of people.

Not all the Saxons did, of course, and many if not most remained on the Continent. They were finally conquered by Charlemagne in a very bloody war.

We don't know much about the Jutes. It is likely that most were absorbed by the Danes when the latter invaded Jutland from southern Sweden.

Do not quote Bede, please. He was well known for being very anti-Celtic. I'm not saying this for myself, but because it is true.

Anyway, I wished I had ticked the last box and the one that said that the Angles only settled in the East.

[Osweo]

Do not quote Bede, please. He was well known for being very anti-Celtic. I'm not saying this for myself, but because it is true.

Absolute nonsense.

Were the Irish Saints Columba and Aidan Celtic? Did Bede write of them with great praise? Yes and yes.

You're thinking of his treatment of the Welsh, but this was based on doctrinal disputes, and the refusal of the Britons to evangelise the Angles, not on any daft notions of 'Celticness' or not.

And Wulfhere wasn't even discussing Welsh-English relations in the post where he quoted Bede!

Anyway, I wished I had ticked the last box and the one that said that the Angles only settled in the East.

Drivel.
How was English speech brought to the west without some colonisation effort? Are you aware that 'Mercia' means 'the frontier folk', i.e. Angles who were pushing westwards and breathing right down the necks of the independent Welsh in the west?

[heathen_son]

I'm with Argyll. No mentioning of Bede please. I suggest that eveything Bede wrote be stricken from the record. Our understanding of English history is better off without him.

While we are at it, Julius Caesar didn't like the Druids, so we'll ignore him too

Seriously though, in what way was he "anti-celtic"?

[Óttar]

I chose the second option, because I believe that's what happened as a general trend, I am not knowledgeable about every local incident.

It's almost like the situation with the Turkic invaders and native Anatolians.

[Jake Featherston]

None of the above. Outisde of Essex, Anglo-Saxon genes do not predominate anywhere in Britain. The people of the Britsh Isles remain predominatly Celtic (outside of Orkney, where people are more Norse), irrespective of what they've been taught.