The Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy
In the course of 150 years, the English settled 7 kingdoms in what is today England. For the Celts, all invaders were called Saxons, and the term wealas (welsh)= foreigner remained in the language. After they called Anglii, and after Anglia.
In 601 the king of Kent, Ǽthelbert was named by the Pope, Rex Anglorum. It is important because appears this word in an official event. A century later the people, in the vernacular language the tribes were known as Anglecynn (angle-kin) and their language was called Englisc. In the beginning of the 11th century, that land was called Englaland in the Chronicles.
In some areas, specially where the invaders were few, the inhabitants lived peacefully. Roman towns were destroyed, because town life was not attractive to them, and their occupations were based on agriculture.
The first type of vocabulary reflects the kind of life, their activities. Words such as work, ox, sheep ,shepherd, field, dog plough belong to this field, and other referring to the celebration and parties (merry, laughter), although some of these words have changed their meaning today
The Anglo-Saxon society was organised in clans. There were two levels in society eorls (aristocrats) and ceorls (free men). Different tribes allied between them to obtain more power. Those groups were not stable, but some of them were the most important. There were 7 kingdoms: Northumbria, Eastanglia, Mercia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, Wessex. But there soout out with social and political importance.The kingdom of Northumbria had the supremacy in the 7th c, culturally and politically. This importance passed through kingdoms: Mercia (8thc) and Wessex (9th), under the leadership of Egbert. In 830 he was acknowledged as King for England and Wales. Since Elbert the West Saxon Kings were able to claim the same title. In that century lived one of the most important kings of England, Alfred the Great (871-899). He gave the splendour of culture and his tomb is in Winchester (capital of Wessex).