Haestingas

The Haestingas, or alternatatively Heastingas or Hæstingas, were one of the tribes of Anglo-Saxon Britain. The Kingdom of Haestingas was located in modern-day Sussex, [ [http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesBritain/BritishMapAD550.htm#Hæstingas HistoryFiles.co.uk] ] and was one of the minor sub-kingdoms of the Heptarchy.

Early History

When Ælle of Sussex came to Britain in 491, he soon forged the Saxon kingdom of Sussex. Soon after Ælle arrived, a Saxon tribe known as the Haestingas appeared in the southeastern region of Sussex. [ [http://www.bowlsatlindfield.homestead.com/Chronicle.html BowlSatLindfield.homestead.com] ] It is believed that they were named so after a chieftain or ruler called Haesta, as in the Old English language, Haestingas means "Haesta's People". [ [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=family Etymonline.com] ] Haesta by itself, however, means "violent". [ [http://www.zelo.com/firstnames/findresults.asp?name=HAESTINGAS Zelo.com] ] The Kingdom of Haestingas was most likely very small, extending only a few leagues from the centre of their kingdom, which became known as "Haestingas." [ [http://www.zelo.com/firstnames/findresults.asp?name=HAESTINGAS Zelo.com] ] This city is better known under the modern name Hastings. [ [http://www.zsjizni.cz/angl/akce/Anglie99/Hastings/hastings.htm ZSJIZNI.cz] ]

Later History

In 771, Offa of Mercia conquered all of Sussex, effectively ending the reign of the Haestingas. [ [http://www.highstreetbookshop.com/hastings.htm HighStreetBookShop.com] ] [ [http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_25/index.shtml WalkingClub.org] ] [ [http://www.windowonwoking.org.uk/sites/goldsworthparkcommunityassociation/Local_History_Archive/saxons Windowonwoking.org.uk] ] The legacy of the Haestingas, however, lives on in the town named after them. [ [http://www.gwp.enta.net/sussarticle.htm GWP.enta.net] ] [ [http://www.crawford-unlimited.com/Travel/Charles%20Dickens.htm Crawford-Unlimited.com] ] Hastings was the city used to stage the Norman conquest of England which ended Anglo-Saxon rule of the island nation. [ [http://www.zsjizni.cz/angl/akce/Anglie99/Hastings/hastings.htm ZSJIZNI.cz] ] Also, Haestingas is used as a male name in the English language. [ [http://www.weddingvendors.com/baby-names/meaning/haestingas/ WeddingVendors.com] ]

Sources

External links

[http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesBritain/BritishMapAD550.htm#Hæstingas Map of Anglo-Saxon England, showing Haestingas in Suth Seaxe]