<P> In the last half of the 6th century, four structures contributed to the development of society; they were the position and freedoms of the ceorl, the smaller tribal areas coalescing into larger kingdoms, the elite developing from warriors to kings, and Irish monasticism developing under Finnian (who had consulted Gildas) and his pupil Columba . </P> <P> The Anglo - Saxon farms of this period are often falsely supposed to be "peasant farms". However, a ceorl, who was the lowest ranking freeman in early Anglo - Saxon society, was not a peasant but an arms - owning male with the support of a kindred, access to law and the wergild; situated at the apex of an extended household working at least one hide of land . The farmer had freedom and rights over lands, with provision of a rent or duty to an overlord who provided only slight lordly input . Most of this land was common outfield arable land (of an outfield - infield system) that provided individuals with the means to build a basis of kinship and group cultural ties . </P> <P> The Tribal Hidage lists thirty - five peoples, or tribes, with assessments in hides, which may have originally been defined as the area of land sufficient to maintain one family . The assessments in the Hidage reflect the relative size of the provinces . Although varying in size, all thirty - five peoples of the Tribal Hidage were of the same status, in that they were areas which were ruled by their own elite family (or royal houses), and so were assessed independently for payment of tribute . By the end of the sixth century, larger kingdoms had become established on the south or east coasts . They include the provinces of the Jutes of Hampshire and Wight, the South Saxons, Kent, the East Saxons, East Angles, Lindsey and (north of the Humber) Deira and Bernicia . Several of these kingdoms may have had as their initial focus a territory based on a former Roman civitas . </P> <P> By the end of the sixth century, the leaders of these communities were styling themselves kings, though it should not be assumed that all of them were Germanic in origin . The Bretwalda concept is taken as evidence of a number of early Anglo - Saxon elite families . What Bede seems to imply in his Bretwalda is the ability of leaders to extract tribute, overawe and / or protect the small regions, which may well have been relatively short - lived in any one instance . Ostensibly "Anglo - Saxon" dynasties variously replaced one another in this role in a discontinuous but influential and potent roll call of warrior elites . Importantly, whatever their origin or whenever they flourished, these dynasties established their claim to lordship through their links to extended kin ties . As Helen Peake jokingly points out, "they all just happened to be related back to Woden". </P>

Where did the anglo saxons come from map