Vortigern was king of Britain after the Romans had left. Beset by invasions by the Scots and Picts of Scotland, Vortigern invited the Saxons of Germany to help defend Britain. Under their leaders, Hengist and Horsa, the Saxons came over in 449 AD and drove the invaders back to their own land.

In gratitude, Vortigern gave Hengist and his men land in the south east of Britain but the Saxons wanted more. They had seen the country and decided that they could rule it. Hengist invited Vortigern to a feast in celebration of their alliance and, during the festivities, Hengist’s beautiful daughter, Rowena, entered carrying a golden chalice.

Rowena went up to Vortigern, and kneeling before him held out the cup, speaking in the Saxon language.

Vortigern did not understand. “What does she say?” he asked Hengist.

“She calls you ‘Lord, King,’ and offers to drink your health. You must say, ‘Drinc heil,’ ” he answered.

Vortigern said “Drinc heil,” although he did not know what it meant.

Rowena then drank some of the wine and handed the cup to Vortigern, who drank the rest.

Then Vortigern made Rowena sit beside him. They could not talk to each other because he could only speak British and she could only speak Saxon. But they looked at each other all the more. Vortigern loved Rowena. He loved her so much that he wanted to marry her.

This was just what Hengist had hoped would happen. He knew he would have a great deal of power in Britain when his daughter was queen. But at first he pretended to object, and only consented at last as if it were a great favour. He made Vortigern give him the whole of Kent, too, in return for allowing him to marry Rowena.

Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall

This is the story of how the Saxons established a foothold in Britain, from where they were to expand, in alliance with their kinsfolk, the Angles and Jutes, to take all of what came to be England (Angle-land). Like many stories of the distant past, it may be much romanticized and hold only a modicum of truth. Yet it would seem that the Anglo Saxon conquest of Britain was achieved not only through battle; there was a love affair that influenced events too.