Professor Peter Heather

They are a confederative group who will tend to throw up a recognized overking. Whether that's true of Saxons, I'm sure the multiplicity of kings is true, but whether they had a confederative tendency that made them politically recognizable and distinct, like the Alemanni did, there's no way of knowing that, actually.

They are a confederative group who will tend to throw up a recognized overking. Whether that's true of Saxons, I'm sure the multiplicity of kings is true, but whether they had a confederative tendency that made them politically recognizable and distinct, like the Alemanni did, there's no way of knowing that, actually.

And in regards to religion, is their religion what we would call Germanic paganism? Certainly. But the crucial point about that is that that is on the move. And that's become very clear. So, for instance, these different Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies, most of them trace their descent from Woden, not from Saxony. And it's clear that Woden was not a dominant figure in the early Roman period.

And in regards to religion, is their religion what we would call Germanic paganism? Certainly. But the crucial point about that is that that is on the move. And that's become very clear. So, for instance, these different Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies, most of them trace their descent from Woden, not from Saxony. And it's clear that Woden was not a dominant figure in the early Roman period.

And in regards to religion, is their religion what we would call Germanic paganism? Certainly. But the crucial point about that is that that is on the move. And that's become very clear. So, for instance, these different Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies, most of them trace their descent from Woden, not from Saxony. And it's clear that Woden was not a dominant figure in the early Roman period.

But what has just been found is a beautiful 5th century gold bracteate where a king in Jutland describes himself as Woden's man. Yeah. So I think Woden is genuinely one of these war gods. In other words, we've got competing warrior cults. Saxnet, possibly. Woden, certainly. But they're all new. And the nature of leadership in the Germanic world has changed since the time of Testus.

But what has just been found is a beautiful 5th century gold bracteate where a king in Jutland describes himself as Woden's man. Yeah. So I think Woden is genuinely one of these war gods. In other words, we've got competing warrior cults. Saxnet, possibly. Woden, certainly. But they're all new. And the nature of leadership in the Germanic world has changed since the time of Testus.

But what has just been found is a beautiful 5th century gold bracteate where a king in Jutland describes himself as Woden's man. Yeah. So I think Woden is genuinely one of these war gods. In other words, we've got competing warrior cults. Saxnet, possibly. Woden, certainly. But they're all new. And the nature of leadership in the Germanic world has changed since the time of Testus.

Wonderful work by an old friend of mine, sadly passed away, called Dennis Green, showed that the words for leadership in the Germanic world... change over the Roman period. They change from meaning things like leader of the people, that kind of stuff, to different words for military leadership.

Wonderful work by an old friend of mine, sadly passed away, called Dennis Green, showed that the words for leadership in the Germanic world... change over the Roman period. They change from meaning things like leader of the people, that kind of stuff, to different words for military leadership.

Wonderful work by an old friend of mine, sadly passed away, called Dennis Green, showed that the words for leadership in the Germanic world... change over the Roman period. They change from meaning things like leader of the people, that kind of stuff, to different words for military leadership.

So there's a series of them in different Germanic languages by the later period, but they all mean war leader, every single one. So leadership has become much more militarized. I think this is why war god cults are so important. This is a brutal and competitive world, and getting the right war god on your side is really important.

So there's a series of them in different Germanic languages by the later period, but they all mean war leader, every single one. So leadership has become much more militarized. I think this is why war god cults are so important. This is a brutal and competitive world, and getting the right war god on your side is really important.

So there's a series of them in different Germanic languages by the later period, but they all mean war leader, every single one. So leadership has become much more militarized. I think this is why war god cults are so important. This is a brutal and competitive world, and getting the right war god on your side is really important.

Certainly so. In those fourth century sources, we meet Saxons in two guises, either raiding along the Channel region or as destabilizing and disturbing Rome's immediate Frankish neighbors. So in both contexts, it's very much one of hostility.

Certainly so. In those fourth century sources, we meet Saxons in two guises, either raiding along the Channel region or as destabilizing and disturbing Rome's immediate Frankish neighbors. So in both contexts, it's very much one of hostility.

Certainly so. In those fourth century sources, we meet Saxons in two guises, either raiding along the Channel region or as destabilizing and disturbing Rome's immediate Frankish neighbors. So in both contexts, it's very much one of hostility.

Yes, that's exactly the pattern that's suggested. If you look at what the North Sea coast was like and the channel coast fringes in the late Roman period, you can basically work your way down it, hidden or safe from the open sea. Sacks and boats don't have sails. They are rowing. They are rowing from Jutland to the Channel. This is what we're talking about.

Yes, that's exactly the pattern that's suggested. If you look at what the North Sea coast was like and the channel coast fringes in the late Roman period, you can basically work your way down it, hidden or safe from the open sea. Sacks and boats don't have sails. They are rowing. They are rowing from Jutland to the Channel. This is what we're talking about.

Yes, that's exactly the pattern that's suggested. If you look at what the North Sea coast was like and the channel coast fringes in the late Roman period, you can basically work your way down it, hidden or safe from the open sea. Sacks and boats don't have sails. They are rowing. They are rowing from Jutland to the Channel. This is what we're talking about.