ABSTRACT
People interested in Britain between 800 and 1066 face several challenges. One involves terminology and categorisation. In general, in modern and popular understanding the words England, Scotland and Wales signify three distinct countries and nations; their historical inhabitants were, respectively, English, Scots and Welsh; their experiences included periodic invasion and immigration by foreigners. Furthermore, ‘England’ and ‘English’ are often used as if interchangeable with ‘Britain’ and ‘British’, despite England’s having land borders with Wales and Scotland, running roughly along lines from Bristol in the south to Chester in the north, and from Carlisle in the west to Berwick-upon-Tweed in the east.
