The coming of the english

St. Bede describes the coming of the English to Britain in his Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (A.D.731). Although it was written in Latin, the History was translated into Old English during the reign of King Alfred. The passage below is taken from that Old English version.

Đa gesomnedon hi gemot and þeahtedon and ræddon,

Then gathered they an assembly and deliberated and counseled,

hwæt him to donne wære, hwær him wære fultum

what for them to do might be, where for them might be help

to secanne to gewearnienne and to wiðscufanne swa reðre hergunge

to be sought to avoid and to shove back such fiercer raids

and swa gelomlicre þara norðþeoda. And þa gelicode

and such more frequent ones of the north people. And then it pleased

him eallum mid heora cyninge, Wyrtgeorn wæs haten,

them all together with their king ( Vortigern he was called)

þæt hi Seaxna þeode ofer þam sælicum dælum him on fultum

that they Saxons’ people beyond the sea parts to them in aid

gecygdon and gelaðedon. Đæt cuð is þæt þæt mid Drithtnes mihte

should call and invite. It known is that that by God’s might

gestihtad wæs, þæt yfell wræc come ofer ða wiþcorenan,

arranged was, that evil punishment should come upon the rejected ones,

swa on þam ende þara wisena sweotolice ætywed is.

as in the end of the events clearly shown is.

Đa wæs ymb feower hund wintra and nigon and feowertig

Then it was about four hundred years and nine and forty

fram ures Drihtnes menniscnysse, þæt Martianus casere rice

after our Lord’s incarnation, that Marcian Caesar the kingdom

onfeng and VII gear hæfde. Se wæs syxta eac feowertigum fram

received and seven years held. He was the sixth and forty from

Agusto þam casere. Đa Angel þeod and Seaxna wæs gelaðod

Augustus the Caesar. The Angle people and the Saxons’ was invited

fram þam foresprecenan cyninge, and on Breotone com on þrim

by the foresaid king, and into Britain came in three

myclum scypum; and on eastdæle þyses ealondes eardungstowe

great ships; and in the east part of this island a dwelling place

ofeng þurh ðæs ylcan cyninges bebod, þe hi hider gelaðode,

received through the same king’s decree, who them hither invited,

þæt hi sceoldan for heora eðle compian and feohtan. And hi

that they should for their native land strive and fight. And they

sona compedon wið heora gewinnan, þe hi oft ær

immediately fought with their enemies, who them often before

norðan onhergedon; and Seaxan þa sige geslogan. Đa

from the north had harassed; and the Saxons the victory won. Then

sendan hi ham ærendracan and heton

sent they home a messenger and commanded [him]

secgan þysses landes wæstmbærnysse, and Brytta yrgþo. And

to report this land’s fruitfulness, and the Britons’ cowardice. And

hi þa sona hider sendon maran sciphere strengran wighena;

they then immediatly hither sent a larger fleet of stronger warriors;

and wæs unoferswiðendlic weorud, þa hi togædere geþeodde

and it was an invincible host, when they together joined

wæron. And him Bryttas sealdan and geafan eardungstowe betwih

were. And them the Brittons granted and gave a dwelling place among

him þæt hi for sibbe and hælo heora eðles campodon

them that they for the peace and safety of their native land might fight

and wunnon wið heora feondum, and hi him andlyfne and are

and struggle with their enemies, and they them sustenance and revenue

forgeafen for heora gewinne. Comon hi of þrim folcum, ðam

allowed for their labour. Came they of three peoples, the

strangestan Germanie, þæt of Seaxum and of Angle and of Geatum.

strongest of Germanie, that of Saxons and of Angles and of Jutes.

Of Geata fruman syndon Cantware, and Wihtsætan; þæt is seo ðeod

Of Jutish origin are Kent-men, and Wight-settlers; that is the people

þe Wiht þæt ealond oneardað. Of Seaxum, þæt is of ðam lande þe

that Wight the island inhabit. Of Saxons, that is from the land that

mon hateð Ealdseaxan, coman Eastseaxan and Suðseaxan and

one calls Old Saxons, came East Saxons and South Saxons and

Westseaxan. And of Engle coman Eastengle and Middelengle and

West Saxons. And of Angles came East Angles and Middle Angles and

Myrce and eall Norðhembra cynn; is þæt land ðe Angulus

Mercians and all the Northumbrians’race; [it] is the land that Angeln

is nemned, betwyh Geatum and Seaxum; is sæd of þære tide þe

is named, between Jutes and Saxons; [it] is said from the time that

hi ðanon gewiton oð to dæge, þæt hit weste wunige. Wæron ða

they thence departed until today, that it deserted remains. Were the

ærest heora latteowas and heretogan twegen gebroðra Hengest and

first of their leaders and war-chiefs two brothers Hengest and

Horsa. Hi wæron Wihtgylses suna, þæs fæder wæs Witta haten,

Horsa. They were Wihtgils’ sons, whose father was Witta called,

and þæs Wihta fæder wæs Woden nemned; of ðæs strynde

and of that Wihta the father was Woden named; of that stock

monigra mægða cyningcynn fruman lædde. Ne wæs ða ylding

many tribes’ royal family [its] origin takes. Nor was then delay

to þon þæt hi heapmælum coman maran weorod of þam ðeodum, þe

before they in droves came, more bands of those peoples that

we ær gemynegodon. And þæt folc, ðe hider com, ongan weaxan

we before mentioned. And that people that hither came, began to wax

and myclian to þan swiðe, þæt hi wæron on myclum ege þam

and multiply so much that they were a great terror to the

sylfan landbigengan ðe hi ær hider laðedon and cygdon.

very natives that them before hither had invited and called.

Æfter þissum hi þa geweredon to sumre tide wið Pehtum,

After this they then were allied for a certain time with the Picts,

þa hi ær þurh gefeoht feor adrifan. And þa wæron

whom they before through battle far away had driven. And then were

Seaxan secende intingan and towyrde heora gedales wið

the Saxons seeking cause and opportunity for their breaking with

Bryttas. Cyðdon him openlice and sædon, butan hi him

the Britons. They informed them openly and said unless they them

maran andlyfne sealdon, þæt hi woldan him sylfe niman and

more sustenance gave, that they would for themselves take and

hergian, þær hi hit findan mihton. And sona ða beotunge

plunder where they it find might. And immediately the threat

dædum gefyldon: bærndon and hergedon and slogan fram

with deeds fulfilled: they burned and harried and slew from

eastsæ oð westsæ; and him nænig wiðstod. Ne wæs ungelic

the east sea to the west sea; and them none withstood. Nor was unlike

wræcc þam ðe iu Chaldeas bærndon Hierusaleme

the vengeance to that when formerly the Chaldees burned Jerusalem’s

weallas and ða cynelican getimbro mid fyre fornaman for ðæs Godes

walls and the royal building with fire destroyed for God’s

folces synnum.

people’s sins.