<P> The earliest historical references using this term are from outside Britain, referring to piratical Germanic raiders,' Saxones' who attacked the shores of Britain and Gaul in the 3rd century AD . Procopius states that Britain was settled by three races: the Angiloi, Frisones, and Britons . The term Angli Saxones seems to have first been used in continental writing of the 8th century; Paul the Deacon uses it to distinguish the English Saxons from the continental Saxons (Ealdseaxe, literally,' old Saxons'). The name therefore seemed to mean "English" Saxons . </P> <P> The Christian church seems to have used the word Angli; for example in the story of Pope Gregory I and his remark, "Non Angli sed angeli" (not English but angels). the terms ænglisc (' the language') and Angelcynn (' the people') were also used by West Saxon King Alfred to refer to the people; in doing so he was following established practice . The first use of the term Anglo - Saxon amongst the insular sources is in the titles for Athelstan: Angelsaxonum Denorumque gloriosissimus rex (most glorious king of the Anglo - Saxons and of the Danes) and rex Angulsexna and Norþhymbra imperator paganorum gubernator Brittanorumque propugnator (king of the Anglo - Saxons and emperor of the Northumbrians, governor of the pagans, and defender of the Britons). At other times he uses the term rex Anglorum (king of the English), which presumably meant both Anglo - Saxons and Danes . Alfred the Great used Anglosaxonum Rex . The term Engla cyningc (King of the English) is used by Æthelred . King Cnut in 1021 was the first to refer to the land and not the people with this term: ealles Englalandes cyningc (King of all England). These titles express the sense that the Anglo - Saxons were a Christian people with a king anointed by God . </P> <P> The indigenous Common Brittonic speakers referred to Anglo - Saxons as Saxones or possibly Saeson (the word Saeson is the modern Welsh word for' English people'); the equivalent word in Scottish Gaelic is Sasannach and in the Irish language, Sasanach . Catherine Hills suggests that it is no accident, "that the English call themselves by the name sanctified by the Church, as that of a people chosen by God, whereas their enemies use the name originally applied to piratical raiders". </P> <P> The early Anglo - Saxon period covers the history of medieval Britain that starts from the end of Roman rule . It is a period widely known in European history as the Migration Period, also the Völkerwanderung ("migration of peoples" in German). This was a period of intensified human migration in Europe from about 400 to 800 . The migrants were Germanic tribes such as the Goths, Vandals, Angles, Saxons, Lombards, Suebi, Frisii and Franks; they were later pushed westwards by the Huns, Avars, Slavs, Bulgars and Alans . </P>

Important of sailors in the anglo saxon society