Concept in Definition ABC

The Anglo-Saxon term can be understood in several senses. Its use refers to the settlers of Germanic origin who settled in Britain and, in parallel, to the language English prior to present-day English and the internationally recognized culture that developed from the expansion of the British Empire.

The historical origin

In the Vl century d. C various peoples of Germanic origin settled in present-day Great Britain. Among them were the Angles, Saxons, Franks or Normans, but in the Vlll century the term Anglo-Saxon began to be used to refer to the population indigenous to Britain as a whole.

Anglo-Saxon culture

Between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries, Britain colonized vast territories throughout the world: a part of the United States and Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, a large part of the continent African, the so-called overseas territories, Malta, Gibraltar, etc. The dominance of the British Empire weakened over time, but despite this the Anglo-Saxon culture has survived to a greater or lesser extent.

In fact, English is the language spoken in many of its former colonies. In this sense, it should be noted that the former British territories are still united in the British Commonwealth of Nations, better known as the Commonwealth.

The Anglo-Saxon legacy presents a series of elements of its own

English as the official language in the former British Empire, the predominance of the Protestant religion and a wide range of cultural, artistic and sporting manifestations.

The identity Anglo-Saxon has established itself at the international level and can be seen in the music Pop, in football and in all kinds of habits and traditions (the consumption of tea, the celebration of Halloween, the Christmas cards, the fondness for sports betting, sales in shopping centers and a myriad of typically Anglo-Saxon demonstrations).

Although its cultural influence is present in all orders, the English language is its most relevant hallmark at the international level.

Anglo-Saxon culture in the United States is related to political and economic power

Among Americans there is a term that represents the hegemony of the Anglo-Saxon, the acronym WASP, which means White, Anglo-Saxon and Protestant (in English, White, Anglo-Saxon and Protestant). This term is used to refer to the social, political and economic predominance of this social class on the rest of ethnic or religious groups in the country.

Photos: Fotolia - Tony Baggett / wickerwood