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No great changes from last time. The ordinary farmers and peasants would have some land around their homes to grow their food and keep their animals. This land was called a “hide”. A hide was deemed to be sufficient land to be able to support a family with food. If you owned five “hides” and let some servants use some of it, you were called a Thane and it made you second only to a King. In this case your home was almost certain to be a hall rather than a small house. A King would live in the biggest hall of all with his bravest and most loyal warriors. The King would give gifts to these warriors of land and weapons, jewels and rings. This, he hoped, meant they wouldn't go off and join another King. Most homes and halls were built facing south as this allowed the most light in. Nothing to do with everyone looking for the “transfer window” to move to another tribe. Sorry, owl joke. People did have candles but they were made from animal fat and, to be honest, a bit pongy. Later candles were made from beeswax and people tended to stick to this idea. At the start of this period the first Anglo-Saxon towns began to appear and people started to trade again.
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