The beginning of the Anglo-Saxon invasion was in the 5th century when the Teutonic tribes started enslaving England. Their names were the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. At that time Celtic countries were a centre of light, especially Ireland where its monks and saints, when not fighting, were involved in treasuring the knowledge of Latin literature and lovingly illuminating the manuscripts of the Gospel. The Angles and the Saxons advanced from east to west along the Roman roads, slaughtering and enslaving the Britons, sacking and burning Roman towns and villas. They destroyed almost every trace of the civilization of the Romans and established their kingdoms.

By the middle of the 7th century all England was converted to Christianity and it was Arthur, the half legendary King who was the British champion of Christianity against the heathen barbaric English.

One of the most powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdoms was Northumbria, when king Edwin advanced the frontier to the north and built his stronghold of Edinburgh. It was in this kingdom that English art and letters flowered for the first time: sculptured crosses were created and the Latin History of Bede was written in English.