Primary History

Story-telling

Anglo-Saxons liked to gather in the lord's great hall, to eat and drink, and to listen to songs and stories. They loved tales about brave warriors and their adventures. A favourite story told how Beowulf, a heroic prince, kills the fierce man-eating monster Grendel, and Grendel's equally horrid mother. The story of Beowulf was first written down in the 8th-9th centuries, but long before that the story was told around the fire. The storyteller played music to accompany the songs and poems, on a small harp or on another stringed instrument called a lyre.

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Riddles and runes

The Anglo-Saxons liked to play with words. They amused themselves by telling riddles, some of which were written down. Here's one riddle.

I appear on the ground like a blanket,
and melt in the midday sun.

Can you guess the answer?

Early Anglo-Saxons wrote using letters called runes. They believed runes had magical powers. You can see some runes in the Images section.

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Anglo-Saxon feasts

Anglo-Saxon leaders or lords were expected to entertain their followers with feasts. A lord gave his men gifts in return for their loyalty - treasure after a victory in battle, perhaps, or a roasted boar after a successful hunt. The feast was held in the lord's great hall.

On dark winter days, people gathered in the hall around a log fire. They listened to stories and poems, and sang. They ate roast meats, bread and fruit. They drank ale or mead, a strong drink made from honey. People often drank too much, so feasts were often noisy and sometimes ended in fights!

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Games and sports

Men enjoyed rough and boisterous pastimes, such as wrestling, weight-lifting (using heavy rocks) and horse-racing. These sports kept them fit, for work and war. They also played ball games. One game seems to have been a bit like hockey, and another like baseball or cricket. In swimming races, it was apparently fair to push other swimmers under water!

Gambling was very popular. The grave of a prince or king found in Essex in 2003 contained more than 50 bone gaming pieces and two large dice, made from deer antler.

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