Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms

The Pre-Migration Saxons & Angles

From semi-legendary beginnings in Northern Germany to the descendants who founded kingdoms in Britain. The Angles and Saxons gradually migrated west from what is now Poland in around the first century AD until, in the fourth century, they had reached the western coasts of modern Denmark, Germany and the Frisian coast of the Netherlands, Old Saxony. From there, population movements caused mainly by the Huns in the south and Scandinavian expansion to the north forced them to migrate overseas... to Britain.

Some of the names were added in the seventh to ninth centuries by chroniclers try to make sense of the oral traditions they were writing down. They seem to have been famous figures in their own right, existing in pre-migration Frisia and what is now Denmark (the homeland of Angeln).

The East Seaxe are not mentioned here because their royal genealogy is unique of all Anglo-Saxon royal pedigrees in that the kings of Essex claimed descent from Seaxnet and not Woden.

Sceaf

Founder of the line. Ruled large area in North Germanic lands.

Bedwig

Son.

Hwala

Son.

Hrothra

Son.

Itermon

Son.

Heremod

Son.

Sceldwea

Son.

Beaw

Son.

Taetwa

Son.

Geat

Son.

Godwulf

Son.

Fin

Actually Finn, king of Frisia.

Frithwulf

Son.

Freawine

Son. Mentioned in the list of kings of Old Saxony.

Frithuwald (Freotholaf)

Son.

Woden

Son. A semi-legendary figure.

fourth century?

Röricus

An Anglian king and overlord of the Jutes in Denmark.

Wihtlaeg

Son of Woden. Anglian king. Originator of the Mercian Branch.

Waermund

Son.

Offa

Son.

Angeltheow

Son.

Eomaer

Son. Led his people into Central Britain.

Icel

Son. Founder of the Iclingas and later Mercians.

Witta

Son of Woden (or Wihtlaeg). Originator of the Kentish Branch.

Wihtgils

Son.

Hengist

Son. Landed in Kent as a mercenary leader. Kingdom founder.

Baeldaeg

Son. of Woden. Originator of the Gewissae and West Saxons.

Brand

Son.

Freothogar

Son.

Freawine

Son.

Wieg

Son.

Gewis

Son. Founder of the Gewissae who invaded southern Britain.

Esla

Son.

Elesa

Son.

Cerdic

Son of Elesa and Celtic woman. Founded West Saxon kingdom.

Benoc

Son of Brand. Originator of the Bernician Angles.

Aloc

Son.

Angenwit

Son.

Ingui

Son.

Esa

Son.

Eoppa

Son.

Ida

Son. Took over the Celtic Bernaccian kingdom.

Waegdaeg

Son of Woden. Originator of the Deiran Angles.

Sigegar

Son.

Swebdaeg

Son.

Sigegeat

Son.

Saebald

Son. Led the Angles as laeti into Deywr?

Saefugel

Son.

Saefugel (II)

Son. Attained some level of independence in Deywr.

Westerfalea

Son.

Wilgils

Son.

Uxfrea

Son.

Yffe

Son.

Aelle

Son. Attained full independence within Deywr.

Caser

Son of Woden. Originator of the East Angles.

Tyttman

Son.

Trygil

Son.

c.490s

Wealhtheow is the queen of the Danes, wife of Hrothgar. He appears in Norse Sagas and two Old English epic poems, Beowulf and Widsith, while she is a Wulfing, ancestor (or mother) of the Wuffingas who, within twenty years, are to be found creating their own kingdom of the East Angles in Britain.

Hrothmund

Son.

c.510s

Hrype

Son. Probably in Britain.

c.530s

Wilhelm

Son. Probably in Britain.

c.560s

Wehha

Son. Possibly sowed the seeds of Anglian consolidation.

571 - 578

Wuffa

Son. United North and South Folk to form the East Angles.