This video covers:
A description of a thegn and his position within the Saxon community. He explains how ceorls and slaves help farm his land and talks about the food they grow and animals they keep.
I’m a thegn and own a lot of land. There’s too much of it for me to farm on my own so I allow other low-ranking farmers called ceorls to rent the land from me; they work very hard and pay me in money, crops or sometimes labour by doing other jobs for me. I also own slaves who work for me. Some of these slaves have been captured in battle but some of them are poor people who have sold themselves into slavery. You see as a slave owner it is my duty to feed and look after my slaves, so this way they will never starve. On my land we grow cereal crops such as wheat, barley and oats as well as vegetables like turnips, onions, carrots and peas. We keep animals too. As well as meat from all the animals, sheep give us wool for weaving, goats give us milk and cows give us milk and leather. We also keep chickens, ducks and geese and use their feathers for bedding.
Eras:
Anglo Saxon
Topics:
Slavery
Farming & Food
Character:
Saxon thegn
Key words:
Saxon, anglo saxon, saxons, thegn, farm, farmer, land, ceorls, rent, crops, labour, slaves, cereal, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables, turnips, onion, carrots, peas, animals, meat, sheep, wool, weaving, goats, milk, cows, leather, chickens, ducks, geese, feathers, farm, trade, lifestyle, work, KS2, key stage 2, key stage 2 history, primary, KS2 videos, KS2 clips, KS2 history, KS2 videos, KS2 history film, KS2 history clip, Saxon, Anglo Saxon, Saxons, Anglo Saxons, Anglo saxon history, Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, saxon history,