Witenagemot

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Depiction of a biblical pharaoh as an Anglo-Saxon king in a Witan . English Hexateuch , 11th century

The term Witenagemot or Witan describes council assemblies of clerical and secular dignitaries that existed from about the 7th to the 11th century in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and after the unification of England also at the imperial level.

The old English word Witenagemot is made up of wita (sage) and gemot ( meeting ), meaning meeting of the wise . Witan is the original, Old English plural of wita , which has become a secondary singular again and thus not only designates the wise , but also the meeting of them. This meeting had developed from the Germanic people and court assembly Thing and united the most powerful spiritual and secular dignitaries. Before the unification of England in the 9th century , there were individual Witans in the minor kingdoms of Essex , Kent , Mercia , Northumbria , Sussex and Wessex . Even when Wessex became the dominant kingdom, these lasted until 1065 at the latest.

The Witans were convened by the kings (and later by the local earls ). Their task was to give advice on the administration and organization of the empire (in particular on taxes, jurisdiction or defense). The Witans also confirmed the succession of a king. The new regent did not have to be a descendant of the old one, but rather the man who seemed to the council most suitable to run the country. Kings and earls could even be removed by means of a council resolution, such as Sigeberht of Wessex in 757 or Æthelwald Moll of Northumbria in 765. The Witan was in some respects a predecessor of the English parliament , but differed from it in important points such as the lack of one a defined process, daily schedule or a permanent place of negotiation. The institution formed a counterbalance to the king and his development of power and carried on the business of government during an interregnum .

Witans were held at least once a year, but usually more often. In general, they took place where the regent, who also had no permanent seat, was currently staying ( travel royalty ). In addition to the royal possessions , hills or meadows served as meeting places, sometimes with prominent trees. There are at least 116 different known locations where Witans took place, including Amesbury , Cheddar , Gloucester , London and Winchester (Old English: Wintanceastre). The most famous meeting was that of January 5, 1066, which Harold Godwinsons confirmed as King of England after the death of Edward the Confessor . The history of the Anglo-Saxon Witan ended with the invasion of the Normans in 1066, who replaced it with a Curia Regis (court of the king); however, it was still known under the traditional names Witan or Witenagemot until the 12th century .

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