Appearence and tactics of early 5th century Saxons.

[ambrosius]

Hello Robert,

Back to farmer forced to farm –

Well, I'm relly not quite sure why you keep mentioning
this, as I've never suggested anyone was forced to farm for anyone
else. That's your way of trying to explain how the two groups
might have co-existed without anyone getting killed, I think.

...if their farms were taken over by Saxons who set up their households there, took their women and raised their children, you still expect nothing to happen?

No. I don't expect the Anglo-Saxons to enslave anyone.
That's you idea, not mine. After all, Another reason why the Cumbrians
start moving East might be because the Angles in the East have killed
all the native Britons there, mightn't it? 8) And these Cumbrians are
just filling the vacuum... :wink:

The enslaved farmer is forced to tell his captors all about his farm while his offspring is – what? If they are also slaves, then I still see no reason for all of them to continue to live in the house, build new ones (NOT Saxon types, mind you) and change not a thing?

Well we're not talking about keeping any of the native
farmers alive (at least I'm not). But if you've come here to steal
farmland (after killing or driving the natives West as refugees) then
why would you burn-down the farmhouse that goes with it. Surely,
you'd need somewhere to sleep as well as something to eat...? :lol:
But seriously, is Powlesland actually claiming that there are no examples
of Anglo-Saxon architecture at West Heslerton?

As if the newcomers would sign a document – “I enslave you but in return I promise to keep your farm as it is, unchanged, over three generations”. Nonsense. Saxons farmed on the other end of the sea, why would they suddenly use British farming techniques when they entered Britain? And yet that is what we see – continuity on the ground.

But precisely what is it that you're claiming was different
about Anglian farming techniques in their homeland, versus Yorkshire?
This seems to be the basis of your (and Powlesland's) assumption that
Britons must still be farming this land.

Either the newcomers were chameleons or they were few and far between and left the natives in peace.

Now you're saying they were reptiles? hock: My God! It's
no wonder the didn't interbreed with the natives. They couldn't! :wink:


Cheers,
Ambrosius/Mike[/color][/quote]