The Influential Jutes

The British Isles have always been considered an exceptionally diverse land due to the range of civilisations that strived to make it their homeland.

Although, despite the number of populations that settled there, it is perhaps the Germanic tribes that had the most cultural influence on the country. 

Whilst most people would initially consider the Anglo-Saxons as the primarily influential Germanic tribe, the Jutes undoubtedly had one of the greatest significant impacts on the British culture. Notwithstanding the varying difficulties that the Jutes encountered before their settlement in Britain, they were nevertheless welcomed into their new home due to their expertise in warfare, seafaring, and trading. Due to this valuable skill set, the Jutes quickly made themselves an inextricable element of the British fabric. You can upload your raw DNA data to find out for free whether you could be a descendent of this prestigious tribe.

Who were the Jutes? 

The Germanic tribes were a varied group of ancient peoples who shared a similar language and culture. Perhaps the most well known of these tribes would be the Franks, Angles, Saxons, Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Visigoths.

Shortly after the Roman Empire lost some of its dominance over Europe during the Iron Age, these Germanic tribes began to spread out across Europe to settle. It was, in actuality, the Roman historian Tacitus, who first mentioned the Jutes as “Eudoses” in 98 AD. They were also referred to as Lutae, Eote, Yte, and Ytene over various historical writings. It is likely that “Jutes” is an English mutation of one of the original forms of their names. 

It is believed that the Jutes’ original name forms were derived from interpretations of the word “giants”. Although this was probably a reference to their notable height, it was also likely to do with their great influence over many different cultures at that time.

The tribe’s dominance likely stemmed from their collective skills at warfare and sailing - as eventually, their mastery led to other tribes and leaders requesting their support in battle in exchange for land. 

Where did the Jutes come from?

Although there is little recorded evidence of the Jutes’ existence on the European continent, it is believed that they originally settled in Denmark, while the other notable Germanic tribes made their territories in Sweden, England, Italy, Gaul, North Africa, and Spain. In fact, it is widely thought that the Jutes gave their name to the biggest continental section of Denmark - the Jutland Peninsula. The Jutes that chose not to migrate to England from Denmark were likely assimilated into the Danes. 

Despite this strong belief that the Jutes originated in Denmark, there is still a widespread disagreement on where they came from. In fact, the analysis of goods found in their graves provided little evidence of a connection between the Jutes of Kent, Isle of Wight, and Hampshire and those believed to have settled in Denmark/Jutland. However, this could possibly be due to the remaining Jutes’ assimilation into the Danish culture after the majority migrated to distant lands. 

One of the other theories around the Jutes’ origins centres around the premise that they were a mountain tribe from Scandinavia. There was a group of peoples from the Alfheim region who evolved to become tall and sturdy due to the demands of the landscape in which they lived - which earned them the nickname “the giants.” This theory has some credibility; if it were true, then it would mark the homeplace of the Jutes as the straight between Norway and Sweden - thus providing relatively easy access to Denmark. 

Historical accounts of the Jutes

The reason why we know as much as we do about such an ancient civilisation is likely mostly due to the works of one historical figure: The Venerable Bede.

Considered one of England’s original historians, the Benedictine monk wrote a comprehensive account of the Anglo-Saxon migration to the British Isles in his significant document: The Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

Through this piece of work, Venerable Bede created a thorough and largely valid idea of who the Jutes were as a tribe. Along with other significant authors of this time, Bede stated that: “Those who came over were of the three most powerful nations of Germany—Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. From the Jutes are descended the people of Kent, and of the Isle of Wight, and those also in the province of the West Saxons who are to this day called Jutes, seated opposite to the Isle of Wight.” Thus, Bede was in agreement that the Jutes were one of the most influential Germanic tribes. 

In another of The Venerable Bede’s works, he speaks of both the Anglo-Saxons’ and the Jutes’ settlements in Britain and how tumultuous the period was due to Vortigern - the king of the Britons at that time and the person who invited both the Anglo-Saxons and the Jutes over to England. Vortigern apparently extended this invitation in the hopes of protecting his land against the Picts (a Scottish tribe). Thus, he contacted two warrior brothers from the Angles and the Jutes - Hengist and Horsa - and promised them land in reward for their services. The warrior brothers were triumphant in leading their armies against the Picts and defeated them due to their renowned military prowess. 

Potential reasons for the Jutes’ migration

Aside from aiding Vortigern in battle, there are a number of other possible reasons for the Jutes’ eagerness to migrate to England. Archaeological evidence has found signs of mass flooding on some of the possible Jute homelands, which potentially forced them to make use of their sea skills and voyage in search of safer lands.

Furthermore, Jutland was likely experiencing a period of political precariousness, as new dynasties were fighting amongst each other for power and land. For these reasons, Britain probably became a greener pasture for many Jutes in their search for stability. 

In comparison to the lands they left, the Jutes also likely felt welcome upon their arrival in Britain. Thanks to their military abilities, they were given land on which to settle in coastal Britain, particularly in Kent, the Isle of Wight, and Hampshire. However, due to a particularly persistent Roman influence over Kent - which was evidenced by the jewellery and other artefacts unearthed there - the Jutes’ power faded quite quickly over this area in particular. Yet, their reputation persevered in the regions of their other settlements, and they ultimately changed the trajectory of the area’s politics forever. Similarly, the Angles and the Saxons also continued to exert influence over their settlement areas, cementing the Germanic tribes’ impact on Britain. 

Conclusion

The Jutes quickly became an inextricable part of British DNA shortly after their arrival on the country’s soil; despite the debates concerning their origins, there can be no doubt regarding the Jutes’ influence on the future of England, as they cemented themselves into the political and cultural fabric of the land.

If you would like to know whether you could be a descendent of the prestigious Germanic tribe - the Jutes - then you can upload your raw DNA data to find out with My True Ancestry.