Kingdom of Wessex
Sign in to saveThe Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886.
AI overview
The Kingdom of Wessex was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom located in southern Great Britain that lasted from around 519 until 886, when its ruler Alfred the Great expanded his title to King of the Anglo-Saxons. It matters historically because it represents a crucial period in early English history when regional Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were consolidating into a unified English nation under Alfred's leadership.
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Key facts
- Country.leader3
- Ecgberht
- Country.status
- Independent kingdom (; 648–886)Client state of Mercia (645–648)
- Country.conventional_long_name
- Kingdom of the West Saxons
- Country.common_name
- Wessex
- Country.image_map
- Southern British Isles 9th century.svg
- Country.map_caption
- Southern Britain in the ninth century
- Country.event_end
- Alfred the Great declares himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons
- Country.year_end
- 886
- Country.border_s2
- no
- Country.religion
- Paganism Christianity
- Country.leader1
- Cerdic (first)
- Country.leader2
- Ine
Article
19 sectionsContents
- History
- Prehistoric Britain
- Roman Britain
- Anglo-Saxon settlement
- The Welsh tradition
- The English tradition
- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
- Christianisation of Wessex
- Hegemony of Wessex and the Viking raids
- Last English kingdom
- Unification of England; Earldom of Wessex
- Symbols
- Wyvern or dragon
- Cross of Saint Aldhelm
- Attributed coat of arms
- Cultural and political identity in modern times
- See also
- Footnotes
- Bibliography
The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886.
The Anglo-Saxons believed that Wessex was founded by Cerdic and Cynric of the Gewisse, though this is considered by some to be a legend. The two main sources for the history of Wessex are the West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (the latter of which drew on and adapted an early version of the List), which sometimes conflict. Wessex became a Christian kingdom after Cenwalh () was baptised and was expanded under his rule. Cædwalla later conquered Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight. His successor, Ine (), issued one of the oldest surviving English law codes and established a second West Saxon bishopric. The throne subsequently passed to a series of kings with unknown genealogies.