The Anglo-Saxon Awakening

This episode explores the dramatic transformation of post-Roman Britain as waves of Germanic tribes—the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—settled across the island. Through conquest, migration, and cultural shifts, they replaced Roman institutions with their own languages, beliefs, and governance. The fractured land gave rise to powerful early kingdoms like Kent, Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex, each with its own identity and ambitions. We meet legendary figures such as King Æthelbert and Raedwald, and visit cultural centers like Lindisfarne and Sutton Hoo. Amid war, faith, and poetry, the foundations of a unified English identity began to take root—setting the stage for the challenges ahead.