When was England called Wessex?

The kingdom of Wessex was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons in South West England, from the 6th century until the emergence of a united English state under the Wessex dynasty in the 10th century. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great’s conquest of 1016, from 1020 to 1066.

Did Wessex turn into England?

In 927 Edward’s successor Athelstan conquered Northumbria, bringing the whole of England under one ruler for the first time. The Kingdom of Wessex had thus been transformed into the Kingdom of England.

What is meant by Wessex ‘?

Noun. 1. Wessex – a Saxon kingdom in southwestern England that became the most powerful English kingdom by the 10th century. England – a division of the United Kingdom.

Did Danes take Winchester?

Aftermath. The Danes withdrew from Winchester without the need for a final assault, settling in their new lands in Northumbria, where Sihtric became King of Jorvik. Uhtred’s daughter Stiorra was taken by Sihtric as part of the peace terms, but the two fell in love and eventually married.

What language did they speak in Wessex?

English
Alfred the Great/Languages
West Saxon was the language of the kingdom of Wessex, and was the basis for successive widely used literary forms of Old English: the Early West Saxon of Alfred the Great’s time, and the Late West Saxon of the late 10th and 11th centuries.

What does Wessex mean in English?

Wessex. Wessex ( /ˈwɛsɪks/; Old English: Westseaxna rīce [westsæɑksnɑ riːt͡ʃe], the “kingdom of the West Saxons”) was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from 519 until England was unified by Æthelstan in the early 10th century.

How did Wessex come under West Saxon rule?

Mercian dominance over Wessex, which included direct control of parts of Berkshire and Wiltshire, ended with the accession of Egbert (reigned 802–839). He gained all of Devon and Cornwall, and in 825 he defeated Beornwulf of Mercia and brought Surrey, Sussex, and Kent permanently under West Saxon rule.

Where is the Kingdom of Wessex located today?

Wessex, one of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England, whose ruling dynasty eventually became kings of the whole country. In its permanent nucleus, its land approximated that of the modern counties of Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Somerset.

What are the main sources for the history of Wessex?

The two main sources for the history of Wessex are the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List, which sometimes conflict. Wessex became a Christian kingdom after Cenwalh was baptised and was expanded under his rule.