The Jutes: The History of the Nordic Tribe that Settled in England during the Early Middle Ages

Naturally, when the history of medieval England is discussed, the Angles and Saxons are usually mentioned first. After all, the name “England” does mean “land of the Angles” and the English language is derived from the ancient Germanic language the Angles spoke. The Saxons are also usually mentioned since they became the dominant tribe in England by the 9th century, incorporating the Angles into their new version of Britain. The ancient Britons, who were a Celtic people, are often mentioned, as are the Scots-Irish and the Picts who lived in what is today Scotland. Thus, the Jutes are overlooked among the early inhabitants of Britain, though not for any lack of accomplishments or influence on their part. The Jutes first came to England in a wave of migration with the Angles and Saxons in the 5th century and established one of the earliest Germanic kingdoms on the island. The Jutes also played a major role in Britain’s adoption of Christianity and the island’s evolution from one of many warring tribes and kingdoms to being a unified kingdom that provided the foundation for the medieval and modern British nation-state. 

Either way, once the Jutes landed in England, they immediately distinguished themselves from the Angles and Saxons by carving out kingdoms in the regions of Kent and the Isle of Wight. From these two locations, the Jutes not only carried on many of their pre-migration cultural traditions but also adopted some of the new, unifying European traditions, particularly Christianity. The Jutes did not accept Christianity overnight, and even after accepting the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, they continued to lead warrior lifestyles, but they nonetheless became major defenders of the Catholic faith and the most holy site in Christian England, Canterbury, was located in the Kingdom of Kent.