The Heptarchy: Seven Kingdoms of Early Medieval Britain

From the 5th to the 9th centuries, Anglo-Saxon England was divided into seven major kingdoms—the Heptarchy:

1. Northumbria (north of Humber)
2. Mercia (Midlands)
3. East Anglia (Norfolk/Suffolk)
4. Essex (East Saxons)
5. Sussex (South Saxons)
6. Wessex (West Saxons)
7. Kent (Jutish origins)

Nuances

• Number fluctuated; smaller kingdoms (Hwicce, Lindsey, Kent at times) were absorbed.
• Power shifted: Northumbria (7th c.), Mercia (8th c.), Wessex (9th c.).
• Viking invasions (9th c.) redrew the map; Wessex survived to unify England under Æthelstan (927).

Why "Heptarchy"?

12th-century historian Henry of Huntingdon coined the term (Greek hepta = seven, archē = rule). It’s a convenient label, not a formal institution.