Witenagemot

see also: Etymology of Witenagemot

The Witenagemot (also called Witan ) was an political institution in the England of the Saxons between roughly VII^ème and XI^ème century. The name witenagemot drift of old English " meet sages" ( witan : wise or adviser; gemot : assembly). It was an assembly of the most important personalities and most powerful of the kingdom, and included the members of the high clergy, the counts ( earls ) and the barons ( thegns ).

The witan finds its origins in the Gothic assemblies organized to attend the royal gifts of ground. Before the unification of England, in IX^ème century, witans existed individually for the kingdoms of Essex, of Kent, Northumbrie, Sussex and Wessex. Even after Wessex became the capacity dominating in England by supplanting the other kingdoms, of the local witans continued to organize until in 1065.

Convened by the king (then by the regional counts), the witans discussed Administration and organization of the kingdom, or of the taxes, jurisprudence and internal security and external. The witan was also used to legitimate the successions of the new monarchs: he elected which would be the applicant ready to direct the kingdom, and thus not inevitably one of the children of the preceding king. The kings and counts could also be relieved by the witan: Sigeberht of Wessex in 757 and Æthelwald Moll of Northumbrie in 765 knew this fate.

The witan was thus a kind of ancestor of the Parlement, but had of capacities different and limitations from size: the procedures, calendars or meeting places were not established. The king played a part which approaches much that of President. The witan was thus a kind of control of the royal capacity and made it possible to avoid the autocracy and to ensure the good walk of the interregnums.

The witans were organized at least once per annum. There was no fixed site: it took place in at least 116 known hirings, including/understanding Amesbury, Cheddar, Gloucester, London and Winchester. They were often royal fields, but some were organized in the open air on rocks headlands, hills, meadows and even of the famous trees.

The most known witan was that of the January 5th 1066 to approve the succession of Harold Godwinson after the death of Edouard the Confessor. The decision was effective only a few months until the invasion of Norman of 1066, which replaced the witan by the curia governed (court of the king). The curia governed nevertheless was called " witan" by the chroniclers until XII^ème century.

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