"8th century Anglo-Saxons" Topic

A mounted Anglo-Saxon warrior on the Repton Stone, 8th century, perhaps Æthelbald of Mercia, Derby Museum and Art Gallery

A battle on the Pictish 'Aberlemno 2 Stone'. The riders in helmets are now thought to be Northumbrian Anglo-Saxons in Coppergate style helmets., Angus, Scotland, 8th-9th centuries

Druzhina
8th Century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

"The riders in helmets are now thought to be Northumbrian Anglo-Saxons in Coppergate style helmets."

Thought by some. Angus Konstam in the Osprey "Pictich Warrior" reckoned the stone does not commemorate the battle of Nechtansmere against the Northumbrians, but an earlier fight against the Strathclyde British – who would be the helmeted riders.

What are Konstam's sources for this "earlier fight against Strathclyde British"?

The helmeted riders could well be Northumbrian Anglo-Saxons if we remember that the northern part of Northumbria was originally Saxon Bernicia. In that region a Saxon elite seems to have taken over from the earlier British elite in the British tribal area known as Gododdin.

And we know from the eponymous poem that the Gododdin were great horsemen; and that Nechtansmere was only a generation or so from roughly the time of the takeover (c.600). The Northumbrians could have well inherited this tradition of mounted combat, if not actually having Gododdin in their army.

Of course, the Strathclyde British could also have fought mounted, in helmets, at this and other times.

I don't recall offhand what detailed arguments he gives: probably those summarised at link

Though I was mistaken – it's a _later_ battle, in 744, not an earlier one.

Simple. Konstam states that the Saxons did not fight mounted, so the mounted figures can't be Saxons. There is also an argument that the aesthetics of the carving indicate a later period than Nechtnasmere.

Is Konstam an expert in this period? I'd never thought of him as one. Not that I know anything!

The Picts frequently fought with the North British and both of them had a long established cavalry tradition. They were also looking at each other over a deep political divide.

Bernicia in its earliest days could well have had access to British cavalry. As time went on and the Angles became more consolidated as the dominant class I'd say that changed.

Despite some heroic efforts in recent times there is no evidence for a cavalry tradition among the peoples who became the English.