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Question: Did the Jutes tribe settle in Kent, England!?
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The first settlers to move into Kent originated from Jutland!. The Jutes settled mainly in East Kent!. West Kent, including the Dartford area, was settled by Saxon tribes and Frankish people from Germany, Northern France and Belgium!. In the early days of migration, the River Medway acted as a dividing line between the Jutish Kingdom of East Kent and the Saxon Kingdom of West Kent!. However, over many decades, with intermarriage and trading, the various groups of Saxons lost their individual ethnic culture and traditions and formed one indistinct grouping generally referred to in the history books as Anglo-Saxons!.
http://www!.dartfordarchive!.org!.uk/early_!.!.!.

The Germanic tribes in England show a characteristic distribution almost from the very beginning!. The Jutes, according to legend led by the brothers Hengest and Horsa (both words mean ‘horse’), settled in Kent (the name is Celtic) probably having made their way via the coast of present-day Belgium!.
http://www!.uni-essen!.de/SHE/HE_GermanicI!.!.!.

There are several theories as to why these Teutonic tribes made Britain their home!. Some legends say they were invited over by a British Chief to help in their fight against Scots and Picts, whereas another theory is that the Angles, Saxons and Jutes may themselves have been forced out of their original homeland by the movements of other tribes!. During the early centuries many tribes left their homelands in Scandinavia and Northern Europe to seek out new lands to call home!. Some made it as far as Northern Italy, or Spain, whereas others reached the shores of North Africa!. But the Angles, Saxons and Jutes chose differently, and instead of travelling by foot, these coastal peoples travelled by boat to the island of Britain!. The Jutes settled in South East England and created the kingdom of Kent, whereas the Saxons settled in a much larger area and created the kingdoms of Essex (East Saxons), Sussex (South Saxons), and Wessex (West Saxons)!. The Angles in their settlement created the ancient kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia, these kingdoms stretched from the very north to the central and eastern coasts of England!.
http://englishheathenism!.homestead!.com/i!.!.!.

The Britons requested help from the Jutes, a Germanic tribe, to push the Picts and the Scots back!. In return for their help, the Jutes were given the Isle of Thanet off the north-east coast of Kent!.
http://web!.udl!.es/usuaris/m0163949/engli!.!.!.

British leader Vortigern invites Saxons (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) into alliance against Picts and Scots; Jute leaders Hengest and Horsa!. Jute settlements in Thanet, Kent, and Isle of Wight!. Aethelbert I of Kent (Jutes), converted to Christianity by Augustine, first Christian king of Anglo-Saxon England (Rex Anglorum), also compiled law code (c!. 600) (definitions and rules of kinship, wergild, slaves and freemen/ceorl, nobles)
http://mockingbird!.creighton!.edu/english!.!.!.

The Kingdom of Kent was a kingdom of Jutes in southeast England and was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon heptarchy!.!.!.!.
The origins of Kent are obscure but the boundaries of the realm are likely to correspond to the ancient tribal lands of the Brythonic Cantiaci tribe or Ceint after which the kingdom is named!. Caesar referred to Cingetorix, Carvilius, Taximagulus and Segovax as kings of the four regions of Cantiacia!. Later kings are known from their coins, including Dubnovellaunus, Vosenos, Eppillus, and Amminus!.

The Kentish coastline was known as the Saxon Shore and was guarded by a series of very effective fortresses!. After the evacuation of the last Roman legions from Britain a number of Jutish ships made landfall on the shores of Britain!. The British ruling council was offering them payment in return for federati service defending the realm in the north from the incursions of Picts and Scots!. According to legend they were promised provisions and offered the island of Ynys Ruym - now known as Thanet - in perpetuity to use as a base for their operations!. It is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles that their leader, Hengist, advised;

"Take my advice and you will never fear conquest from any man or any people, for my people are strong!. I will invite my son and his cousin to fight against the Irish [the Scoti], for they are fine warriors!."

Apparently the Jutes assaulted the enemy and brought much needed relief to the beleaguered Romano-British communities of the north!. It is further said that the British king Vortigern married Rowena, the daughter of Hengist with the Cantiaci civitas (Kent) as the bride-gift!.

Gwrangon was king of Ceint in the time of Vortigern according to Nennius!. The word 'king' may be misleading and it is more likely that the 'province' of the Cantiaci was ruled jointly by a civil governor (Gwrangon!?) and a military governor, according to classic Roman institutions and that Hengest became the new military governor!. The establishment of barbarian bases inland rendered the extensive coastal forts of the Saxon Shore almost useless as the 6th Century British monk Gildas Sapiens laments;
"They sealed its [Britain's] doom by inviting in among them (like wolves in to the sheep fold), the fierce and impious Saxons [sic] a race hurtful both to God and men, to repel the invasions of the northern nations!. Nothing was ever so pernicious to our country, nothing was ever so unlucky!. What palpable darkness must have enveloped their minds-darkened desperate and cruel! Those very people whom, when absent, they dreaded more than death itself, were invited to reside, as one may say, under the selfsame roof!."

The Jutes began making ever increasing demands for provisions from their hosts who became increasingly divided and fractious!. Each time the Britons threatened to withhold the supplies the Jutes threatened to break the alliance and ravage the country!. Vortimer - Vortigern's own son - assembled an army and attacked the Jutes!. Vortimer died at the Battle of Aylesthrep alongside the Jutish co-ruler of Kent - Horsa!. The next year the Jutes were attacked again at the Battle of Creganford!.

Reputedly, a banquet took place ostensibly to seal a peace treaty between the Britons and their Germanic foes which may have involved the cession of modern-day Essex!. As told, the story claims that the "Saxons"—which probably includes Angles and Jutes—arrived at the banquet armed, surprising the British, who were slaughtered!. This event was dubbed the Night of the Long Knives by Geoffrey of Monmouth and is the original event to bear that name!. The only escapees from this slaughter were said to be Vortigern himself, and Saint Abban the Hermit!. The historical existence of this event or persons involved in it is conjectural as textual evidence is weak and begins in the 7th century!.

The British government under Vortigern unravelled and civil war was spreading across the country!. Further actions took place at the Battle of Wippedsfleot but Kent was never recovered!. The pacified territory of Ceint was from now on known as Cantware and its kings traced their lineage from Hengist!.

Jutish Cantware: The first securely datable event in the kingdom is the arrival of Augustine with 40 monks in 597!. Because Kent was the first kingdom in England to be established by the Germanic invaders it was able to become relatively powerful in the early Anglo-Saxon period!.

Kent seems to have had its greatest power under ?thelbert at the beginning of the 7th century: ?thelbert was recognized as Bretwalda until his death in 616, and was the first Anglo-Saxon king to accept Christianity, as well as the first to introduce a written code of laws in 616!. After his reign, however, the power of Kent began to decline: by the middle of the century, it seems to have been dominated by more powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdoms!.
http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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