Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England

The Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England was the process starting in the late 6th century by which population of England formerly adhering to the Anglo-Saxon, and later Nordic, forms of Germanic paganism converted to Christianity and adopted Christian worldviews.

The process of Christianisation and timing of the adoption of Christianity varied by region and was not necessarily a one-way process, with the traditional religion regaining dominance in most kingdoms at least once after their first Christian king. Kings likely often converted for political reasons such as the imposition by a more powerful king, to gain legitimacy, and to access book-writing traditions; however, there were also significant drawbacks to the conversion that may explain the reluctance of many kings to be baptised.

The first major step was the Gregorian mission that landed in the Kingdom of Kent in 597, and within the Heptarchy, Æthelberht of Kent became the first Anglo-Saxon king to be baptised, around 600. He in turn imposed Christianity on Saebert of Essex and Rædwald of East Anglia. Around 628, Eadwine of Deira was baptised and promoted the new religion in Northumbria, being the kingdom north of the Humber. The expansion of Christianity in Northern England was later aided by the Hiberno-Scottish mission, arriving from the Scottish island of Iona around 634. Mercia adopted Christianity after the death of heathen king Penda in 655. The last Anglo-Saxon king to adhere to the traditional religion was Arwald of Wihtwara, who was killed in battle in 686, at which point Sussex and Wessex had already adopted Christianity.

During the Viking Age, circa 800–1050, settlers from Scandinavia reintroduced paganism to eastern and northern England. Though evidence is limited, it seems that they broadly converted to Christianity within generations, with the last potentially heathen king being Eric Haraldsson Bloodaxe, who ruled in York until 954, when he was driven out by king Eadred of the English.

Practices perceived as heathen continued in England after the conversion of kings, with the first record of them being made illegal taking place under the rule of Eorcenberht of Kent around 640. Laws forbidding these practices continued into the 11th century, with punishments ranging from fines to fasting and execution.

Other practices and ideas blended with the incoming Christian culture to create mixed practices, for example the use of Christian saints to combat harmful beings such as dwarfs or elves, and the use of Germanic words to refer to Christian concepts such as "God", "Heaven" and "Hell". Beyond word usage, other Germanic elements also continued to be used and developed into the modern period in folklore, such as in British ballad traditions. Despite this continuity with the pre-Christian culture, Christianity was nonetheless adopted and many prominent missionaries involved in the conversion of Scandinavia and the Frankish Kingdom were English.