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Bede's Account of the Coming of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes

in the original 9th century Old English (West Saxon) text

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D`a_ was ymb fe_ower hund wintra and nigon and fe_owertig fram u_res Drihtnes menniscnysse t`aet Martia_nus ca_sere ri_ce onfe_ng and VII ge_ar haefde. Se_ waes syxta e_ac fe_owertigum fram Agusto t`a_m ca_sere. D`a_ Angelt`e_od and Seaxna waes gelad`od fram t`a_m foresprecenan cyninge, and on Breotone co_m on t`rim myclum scipum, and on e_astdae_le t`yses e_alondes eardungsto_we onfe_ng t`urh t`aes ylcan cyninges bebod, t`e hi_ hider gelad`ode, t`aet hi_ sceoldan for heora e_d`le compian and feohtan.

And hi_ so_na compedon wid` heora gewinnan, t`e hi_ oft ae_r nort`an onhergedon; and Seaxan t`a_ sige geslo_gan. T`a_ sendan hi_ ha_m ae_rendracan and he_ton secgan t`ysses landes waestmbae_rnysse and Brytta yrgt`o. And hi_ t`a_ so_na hider sendon ma_ran sciphere strengran wigena; and waes unoferswid`endlic weorud, t`a_ hi_ to_gaedere get`e_odde wae_aron. And him Bryttas sealden and ge_afan eardungsto_we betwih hem, t`aet hi_ for sibbe and for hae_lo heora e_d`les campodon and wunnon wid` heora fe_ondum, and hi_ him andlyfne and a_re forge_afen for heora gewinne.

Co_mon hi_ of t`rim folcum d`a_m strangestan in Germa_nie, t`aet [is] of Seaxum and of Angle and of Ge_atum. Of Ge_ata fruman syndon Cantware and Wihtsae_tan; t`aet is se_o d`e_od t`e Wiht t`aet e_alond oneardad`. Of Seaxum, t`aet is of t`a_m lande t`e mon ha_ted` Ealdseaxan, co_man E_astseaxan and Su_d`seaxan and Westseaxan. Of Engle co_man E_astengle and Middelengle and Myrce and eall Nord`hembra cynn; is t`aet land d`e Angulus is nemned, betwyh Ge_atum and Seaxum; and is sae_d of d`aere ti_de t`e hi_ d`anon gewiton od` to_daege t`aet hit we_ste wunige. Wae_ron ae_rest heora la_tte_owas and heretogan twe_gen gebro_d`ra, Hengest and Horsa. Hi_ wae_ron Wihtgylses suna, hwaes faeder waes Witta ha_ten, t`aes faeder waes Wihta ha_ten, t`aes faeder waes Woden nemned, of d`aes strynde monigra mae_gd`a cyningcynn fruman lae_dde. Ne waes d`a_ ylding to_ t`on t`aet hi_ he_apmae_lum co_man ma_ran weorod of t`a_m t`e_odum t`e wae_ ae_r gemynegodon. And t`aet folc d`e hider co_m ongan weaxan and myclian to_ t`an swi_d`e t`aet hi_ wae_ron on myclum ege t`a_m sylfan landbi_gengan d`e hi_ ae_r hider lad`edon and cýgdon.

After t`issum hi_ d`a_ geweredon to_ sumre ti_de wid` Pehtum, t`a_ hi_ ae_r d`urh gefeoht feor a_drifan. And t`a_ wae_ron Seaxan se_cende intingan and to_wyrde heora geda_les wid` Bryttas. Cýd`don him openli_ce and sae_don, nemne hi_ him ma_ran andlyfne sealdon, t`aet hi_ wo_ldan him sylfe niman and hergian, t`ae_r hi_ hit findan mihton. And so_na d`e be_otunga dae_dum lae_ston; baerndon and hergedon and slo_gan fram e_astsae_ od` westsae_, and him nae_nig wid`sto_d. Ne waes ungeli_c wraecc t`a_m iu_ Chalde_as baerndon Hierusale_me weallas and d`a_ cynelican getimbro mid fýre forna_man for d`aes Godes folces synnum. Swa_ t`onne he_r fram t`ae_re a_rle_asan d`e_ode, hwaed`ere rihte Godes do_me, ne_h ceastra gehwylce and land forheregeode wae_ron. Hruran and fe_ollon cynelico getimbro somod and a_nli_pie, and gehwae_r sa_cerdas and maessepre_ostas betwih wi_bedum wae_ron slaegene and cwylmde; biscopas mid folcum bu_ton ae_nigre a_re sce_awunge aetgaedere mid i_serne and li_ge fornumen wae_ron. And ne waes se_ bebyrignysse sealde t`a_m d`e swa_ hre_owli_ce a_cwealde wae_ron. And monige d`ae_re earman la_fe on we_stenum fanggene wae_ron and he_apmae_lum sticode. Sume for hungre heora fe_ondum on hand e_oden and e_cne t`e_owdo_m gehe_ton wid` d`on t`e him mon andlyfne forge_afe; sume ofer sae_ sorgiende gewiton; sume forhtiende on e_d`le gebidan, and t`earfende li_f in wuda and in we_stenum and on he_an cleofum sorgiende mo_de symle dyden.