In our universe
England is named after a Germanic tribe called the Angles.
The language of England is called “English”, and speakers of this language are called “Anglophone”.
And Great Britain is divided into:
- England
- Scotland
- Wales
In another universe
Sexland is named after a Germanic tribe called the Saxons.
The language of Sexland is called “Sexish”, and speakers of this language are called “Saxophone”.
And Great Britain (if it was still called that) is divided into:
- Sexland
- Pictland
- Cumland
What this comic is about
This image is a humorous alternate-history comic.
It explains that:
- The real word England comes from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that settled Britain.
- Therefore, the language became English, and its speakers are called Anglophones.
The joke imagines a parallel universe where:
- The country was named after the Saxons instead.
- That would make the country “Sexland”, the language “Sexish”, and its speakers “Saxophones”.
The humor comes from:
- Wordplay and linguistic logic applied too literally.
- The absurd and slightly suggestive nature of the word “Sexland” and “Sexish”.
- The pun that turns Saxon → Saxophone, which is actually the name of a musical instrument, not a person.
You can read more about on Ryan Starkey’s excellent website here.
Who were the Anglo-Saxons?
The Anglo-Saxons were a collection of Germanic peoples who settled in Britain after the Roman Empire withdrew in the early 5th century AD. They played a major role in shaping what would eventually become England and the English language.
Origins
They came mainly from areas that are now:
- Northern Germany
- Denmark
- The Netherlands
The three main groups were:
- Angles – from Angeln (modern Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)
- Saxons – from what is now Lower Saxony
- Jutes – likely from Jutland (Denmark)
The name England comes from Engla land — “land of the Angles.”
Timeline
Roman Britain (before 410 AD)
Britain was part of the Roman Empire for around 400 years.
Anglo-Saxon Migration (c. 400–600 AD)
After Rome withdrew, Germanic tribes migrated and settled, gradually displacing or absorbing the native Romano-British and Celtic populations.
The Heptarchy (c. 500–850 AD)
Anglo-Saxon England was divided into several kingdoms, traditionally seven major ones:
- Northumbria
- Mercia
- East Anglia
- Wessex
- Essex
- Sussex
- Kent
These kingdoms often competed for power.
Unification
By the 9th and 10th centuries, kings of Wessex, especially Alfred the Great and his descendants, unified much of England.
Culture and society
Language
They spoke Old English, a Germanic language quite different from modern English but its direct ancestor.
Religion
- Originally pagan, worshipping gods like:
- Woden (Odin)
- Thunor (Thor)
- Tiw
- Later converted to Christianity starting in 597 AD with the mission of St Augustine.
Social structure
Society was hierarchical:
- King
- Nobles (ealdormen / thegns)
- Freemen (ceorls)
- Slaves
Loyalty and warrior culture were central.
Warfare and daily life
- They lived in small farming communities.
- Warriors used shields, spears, and swords.
- Fortified towns (burhs) were developed, especially under Alfred the Great to resist Viking raids.
- Law codes and local assemblies (moots) governed communities.
Legacy
The Anglo-Saxons shaped:
- The core of the English language
- Early English law and governance
- Many English place names (ending in -ham, -ton, -bury)
- Early English identity and culture
Their era effectively ended with the Norman Conquest of 1066, which brought significant French influence into English culture and language.
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