Ælle
Ælle, a prominent figure in early Anglo-Saxon history, is noted for leading an invasion of southern Britain in 477 CE, where he established the kingdom of the South Saxons. Commanding three ships, each led by one of his sons—Cymen, Wlencing, and Cissa—Ælle successfully defeated the Romano-Britons, driving them from the region. His military exploits continued with battles at Mearcredesburna and the capture of Anderidum (modern Pevensey), where he and his son Cissa reportedly massacred the town's inhabitants. Ælle's victories earned him the title of bretwalda, or "ruler of Britain," although scholars suggest that this title may have originally encompassed a blend of military and spiritual authority rather than a straightforward monarchy. The historical authenticity of Ælle remains debated, with some interpretations suggesting he may represent a mythological archetype rather than a verifiable historical leader. Despite these uncertainties, Ælle's legacy influenced the concept of the brytenwealda, which would later shape the ideologies of the kings of Wessex during the ninth and tenth centuries. Understanding Ælle's role in early British history provides insight into the complexities of leadership and mythology in the formation of early Anglo-Saxon identity.
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Ælle
Related civilizations: Saxony, Briton, Imperial Rome
Major role/position: Military leader, founder of South Saxon kingdom
Life
According to entries in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (assembled 871-899 c.e.), Ælle (AL-uh), in 477 c.e., led three shiploads of his folk—each ship commanded by one of his sons (Cymen, Wlencing, and Cissa)—to what is now Sussex, landed, defeated the Romano-Britons, and after driving them out, set up the kingdom of the South Saxons.
The entry for 485 c.e. has Ælle fighting the Romano-Britons again at the Mearcredesburna (unidentified, perhaps the Alun River), and the final entry for 491 c.e. has him, assisted by his son Cissa, capturing the town of Anderidum (modern Pevensey) and massacring its inhabitants. According to the early eighth century c.e. historian Bede, these victories led to his acclamation as bretwalda, or “ruler of Britain.” However, most modern scholars are agreed that the term (originally spelled brytenwealda—literally meaning “wide ruler”) would originally have signified a very different type of lordship, one related to military prowess, yet with a religious connotation—that is, “forest-spirit” ruler. Given the inability of medieval sources to link Ælle with later Sussex kings, the similarities of his tale to other Indo-European founding “histories,” and the anthropomorphizing tendencies of the Indo-Europeans, Ælle and his three sons were undoubtedly the tribal gods of the “South Saxons.” Why Bede would have included Ælle as a bretwalda cannot now be determined but undoubtedly relates to the strength of the invasion legends, the sources from which he gathered his material, the Christianizing tendencies of the age, and the political situation of his own time.
Influence
In the end, whether Ælle was a historical personage or a Saxon deity does not matter, as the true influence lay in the South Saxon concept of the brytenwealda, the military and religious “overlord,” which, in the ninth and tenth centuries c.e., would provide the ideological basis for the kings of Wessex as rulers of all England.
Bibliography
Basset, Steven, ed. The Origins of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms. London: Leicester University, 1989.
John, Eric. Reassessing Anglo-Saxon England. New York: Manchester University Press, 1996.
Kirby, D. P. The Earliest English Kings. London: Routledge, 1992.
Myres, J. N. L. The English Settlements. New York: Clarendon Press, 1986.
Oosten, Jarich G. The War of the Gods: The Social Code in Indo-European Mythology. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1985.
Whittock, Martyn J. The Origins of England, 410-600. Totowa, N.J.: Barnes & Noble, 1986.