Everything about Heptarchy totally explained
Heptarchy (
Greek: ἑπτά + ἀρχή
seven +
realm) is a collective name applied to the
Anglo-Saxon ancient kingdoms of south, east, and central
Great Britain during
late antiquity and the
early Middle Ages which eventually unified into
Angle-land (England) (at this time the areas now known as
Scotland and
Wales were also divided into several smaller political units). The first recorded use of the term dates from 12th century in the English
historian Henry of Huntingdon, and it has been in common use since the 16th century.
By convention the label is considered to cover the period from AD 500 to AD 850, approximately representing the period following the departure of Roman legions from Britain until the unification of the kingdoms under
Egbert of Wessex.
The word
heptarchy refers to the existence (as was thought) of seven kingdoms, which eventually merged to become the basis for the
Kingdom of England; these were
Northumbria,
Mercia,
East Anglia,
Essex,
Kent,
Sussex and
Wessex. The period supposedly lasted until the seven kingdoms began to consolidate into larger units, but the actual events marking this transition are debatable. At various times within the conventional period, certain rulers of Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex (such as
Penda of Mercia) claimed hegemony over larger areas of England; yet as late as
Edwy and
Edgar, it was still possible to speak of separate kingdoms within the English population.
In reality the end of the Heptarchy was a gradual process. The 9th century
Viking raids that led to the establishment of a Danish-controlled enclave at
York, and ultimately to the
Danelaw, gained considerable advantage from the petty rivalries between the old kingdoms. The need to unite against the common enemy was recognised, so that by the time
Alfred of Wessex resisted the Danes in the late 9th century, he did so essentially as the leader of an Anglo-Saxon nation. Successive kings of Wessex (and especially
Athelstan) progressively reinforced the English unitary state, until the old constituent kingdoms in effect became irrelevant.
Recent research has revealed that some of the Heptarchy kingdoms (notably Essex and Sussex) didn't achieve the same status as the others. Conversely, there also existed alongside the seven kingdoms a number of other political divisions which played a more significant role than previously thought. Such were the kingdoms (or sub-kingdoms) of:
Bernicia and
Deira within Northumbria;
Lindsey in present-day
Lincolnshire; the
Hwicce in the southwest Midlands; the
Magonsæte or Magonset, a sub-kingdom of Mercia in what is now
Herefordshire; the
Wihtwara, a Jutish kingdom on the
Isle of Wight, originally as important as the
Cantwara of
Kent; the
Middle Angles, a group of tribes based around modern
Leicestershire, later conquered by the Mercians; the
Hæstingas (around the town of
Hastings in
Sussex); and the
Gewissæ, a Saxon tribe in what is now southern
Hampshire later developing into the kingdom of
Wessex.
Certainly the term Heptarchy has been considered unsatisfactory since the early 20th century, and many professional historians no longer use it, feeling that it doesn't accurately describe the period to which it refers. However, it's still sometimes used as a label of convenience for a phase in the development of England.
Anglo-Saxon England heptarchy
The supposed separate
kingdoms which made up Anglo-Saxon
England were:
Other minor kingdoms and territories
Kingdom of Cornwall
Isle of Wight, also known as the Wihtwara
the Meonwara
Surrey
Kingdom of the Iclingas, a precursor state to Mercia
Lindsey
the Hwicce
Magonsæte
Pecsæte
Wreocensæte
Tomsæte
Haestingas
Middle AnglesFurther Information
Get more info on 'Heptarchy'.
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