Professor Peter Heather

Yes, and that's an important point, which we probably should have mentioned earlier. One thing that really confirms that we're dealing with a flow of increasing momentum rather than big moves is the political structure that we see in the pages of Bede when it emerges, because actually it's very fluid. And it continues to be fluid.

You know, Victorians talked about the seven kingdoms, the heptarchy. Well, no, because the political process keeps on going. So Kent, which is the dominant area in 597, that's why the mission goes to Kent. The king of Kent has a Frankish wife. I'm sure that's part of the diplomatic negotiation, the backstory to why Augustine and his band of brothers turn up in Kent.

You know, Victorians talked about the seven kingdoms, the heptarchy. Well, no, because the political process keeps on going. So Kent, which is the dominant area in 597, that's why the mission goes to Kent. The king of Kent has a Frankish wife. I'm sure that's part of the diplomatic negotiation, the backstory to why Augustine and his band of brothers turn up in Kent.

You know, Victorians talked about the seven kingdoms, the heptarchy. Well, no, because the political process keeps on going. So Kent, which is the dominant area in 597, that's why the mission goes to Kent. The king of Kent has a Frankish wife. I'm sure that's part of the diplomatic negotiation, the backstory to why Augustine and his band of brothers turn up in Kent.

But Kent gets swallowed up by Mercia and becomes dominated by Mercia. And in fact, in the early 8th century, the Kentish royal line is actually extinguished. We're actually seeing a process, a sort of Darwinian process of competition. We know of other kingdoms that are disappeared. So the huiche around Worcester. We have got a lot of early charters from them.

But Kent gets swallowed up by Mercia and becomes dominated by Mercia. And in fact, in the early 8th century, the Kentish royal line is actually extinguished. We're actually seeing a process, a sort of Darwinian process of competition. We know of other kingdoms that are disappeared. So the huiche around Worcester. We have got a lot of early charters from them.

But Kent gets swallowed up by Mercia and becomes dominated by Mercia. And in fact, in the early 8th century, the Kentish royal line is actually extinguished. We're actually seeing a process, a sort of Darwinian process of competition. We know of other kingdoms that are disappeared. So the huiche around Worcester. We have got a lot of early charters from them.

They run their own territory, and then the Mercians take them over, and the Hwichi royal dynasty is demoted to being kind of aristocrats within the Mercian, broader Mercian hegemony. Quite how many originally independent kingdoms, princedoms, I mean, there were, that's very contested. There's an interesting document called the Tribal Hydage.

They run their own territory, and then the Mercians take them over, and the Hwichi royal dynasty is demoted to being kind of aristocrats within the Mercian, broader Mercian hegemony. Quite how many originally independent kingdoms, princedoms, I mean, there were, that's very contested. There's an interesting document called the Tribal Hydage.

They run their own territory, and then the Mercians take them over, and the Hwichi royal dynasty is demoted to being kind of aristocrats within the Mercian, broader Mercian hegemony. Quite how many originally independent kingdoms, princedoms, I mean, there were, that's very contested. There's an interesting document called the Tribal Hydage.

Only dates from post-conquest manuscripts, so there's nothing early. But on the other hand, it preserves a lot of history. strange political-looking names, like Kwiche and whatever, and it gives them all a kind of value allocation. Hydage is a unit of value, not a unit of size. So a hide of good land is smaller than a hide of bad land. But within this, there are about 40 different names.

Only dates from post-conquest manuscripts, so there's nothing early. But on the other hand, it preserves a lot of history. strange political-looking names, like Kwiche and whatever, and it gives them all a kind of value allocation. Hydage is a unit of value, not a unit of size. So a hide of good land is smaller than a hide of bad land. But within this, there are about 40 different names.

Only dates from post-conquest manuscripts, so there's nothing early. But on the other hand, it preserves a lot of history. strange political-looking names, like Kwiche and whatever, and it gives them all a kind of value allocation. Hydage is a unit of value, not a unit of size. So a hide of good land is smaller than a hide of bad land. But within this, there are about 40 different names.

Were these all originally independent princedoms? Not impossible. It's much contested in the literature.

Were these all originally independent princedoms? Not impossible. It's much contested in the literature.

Were these all originally independent princedoms? Not impossible. It's much contested in the literature.

That's got to be broadly it. It's got to be something like that, but it's just how many and how small. I mean, I think you probably could turn up with three boatloads. I mean, the fourth century Needham ship or the Sutton Hoo ship, that'd be about 30 men a boat. You could turn up with a warband of 30, well, three lots of 30, so 100 men, and carve out a little Princeton.

That's got to be broadly it. It's got to be something like that, but it's just how many and how small. I mean, I think you probably could turn up with three boatloads. I mean, the fourth century Needham ship or the Sutton Hoo ship, that'd be about 30 men a boat. You could turn up with a warband of 30, well, three lots of 30, so 100 men, and carve out a little Princeton.

That's got to be broadly it. It's got to be something like that, but it's just how many and how small. I mean, I think you probably could turn up with three boatloads. I mean, the fourth century Needham ship or the Sutton Hoo ship, that'd be about 30 men a boat. You could turn up with a warband of 30, well, three lots of 30, so 100 men, and carve out a little Princeton.

I mean, you know far more about the conversion of the Saxon thing than most other conversions because Bede provides such a narrative of it. It's a partial view. I mean, what Bede tells us is a story of conversion of kings and elites, a top-down process. But that is, of course, fascinating because these are warrior aristocrats. And you've got to ask, you know, how does Christianity work for them?