THE EARLY BELIEFS
Early Anglo-Saxons did not have churches. They
also did not keep records or books as we do today.
Therefore, it is difficult to know exactly what they
believed. Most likely they had many gods, not just
one, and worshiped in places such as groves of
trees, mountains, hills, and even swamps and
bogs. Later Christians wrote that their ancestors
worshiped in temples and at altars, praying to
statues of gods. Archaeologists rely on how Anglo-
Saxons named their world to try and find some of
these places. For instance, a place with a name
that included the lettershearg(Old English word
for “sacred hill”) indicates that it was a location
for worship or sacrifices.
Animals and magical creatures were also part
of Anglo-Saxon beliefs. Figures of wolves, dragons,and birds of prey are found on the helmets and
swords of warriors who hoped to take on the
fearsome characteristics of these animals in
battle. Unlike in Christianity, early Anglo-Saxon
religious practice depended on individuals and
family groups. Thus, traditions varied from town
to town and even house to house.THE CONVERSIONS BEGIN
In 597C.E., after seeing English children playing
in the streets of Rome,PopeGregory I sent the
missionary Augustine to England to convert the
Anglo-Saxons. Augustine and his group of monks
arrived at Kent, in the southeast of the island.
There, they met King Ethelbert (see illustration
opposite). Ethelbert was not the only king in
England. Kent was just one of many kingdoms,
including Mercia, Wessex, East Anglia, and
Northumbria. Ethelbert’s wife, Bertha, was a
Christian, but he would not convert.
According to old Anglo-Saxon beliefs, kings
were seen as the intermediaries between the gods
and the people, and Ethelbert did not want to
leave his subjects without guidance. He did,
however, allow Augustine to set up a church and
begin preaching in the city of Canterbury. Today,
Canterbury is still one of the most important
religious sites in England.
Christian missionaries from nearby Ireland
established monasteries in East Anglia and at
Glastonbury in the southwest. A monk named
Columba led these efforts. He and Augustine
would later becomesaintsfor all the work
they did. Because the Irish Christians and the
Roman Christians had different traditions, the
Anglo-Saxons had to decide which version
of Christianity they would follow. Then theyChurches are buildings used for public Christian
worship.
Bishops are clergymen of high rank in Christian
churches.
Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Saints are people who have died and been officially
recognized and honored by the Christian church
because their lives were perfect examples of the
way Christians should live.
29I
f you visit England today, you
will see that it is a country full
of churches. From the soaring
cathedrals in cities to small
village chapels, almost every town, no
matter its size, has a church. But
England has not always been Christian.
The process of becoming Christian is
often called “Christianization” or
“conversion.” Since Britain is far from
the sites considered most important in
Christianity — Rome and Jerusalem, for
example — Christianization there took
time and effort on the part of kings,
bishops, and ordinary people.