England - Gleaming In the Distance

across the Doggerland dogged people trudge Neanderthals, Heidelbergers...Sapiens, the last ones standing hairy mammoths, heavy life bearing down the mighty maw of an ice wall crunches, enforcing southward retreat remoulding the land for the next migration steady thawing reveals a white-cliffed island, gleaming in the distance just visible beyond the sea channel flood eyed by shifting continentals, dark haired folk from Iberia warrior tribes, an evolving Celtic realm chieftains exert loyalty, communal living in changing weather mindsets underpinned by natural rhythms seaways and rivers become highways, ships delivering destiny cohorts occupy a Britannia rump civilisation probing northward, agents of a Roman empire military encampment, governance settlements, forts, roads and villas, the written word, trade all ramping up intermingling eastern cults of deity Christian monotheism layered over polytheistic tendencies defensive walls, Scotti raids from Hibernia piercing Picts from Caledonia, continuing mainlander incursion overstretched, imperial crisis impending imperative to save the soon to be vandalised seat of power leaving behind a weakened island flank waves of Germanic tribes, ... Angles, Saxons and Jutes a name takes root, Engla Land a tribal ' aenglisc ' language coalescing short of Cymru and Dumnonia unifying strength in the face of others the usual raiders, now joined by Vikings, yet more continentals Christian footholds confined to the west and north written word disappearing, Anglo-Saxon dominion in Engla Land seven kingdom heptarchy, ... Wessex, Sussex Essex, Cantia, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria heart of Engla Land, this sceptred island core focus for missionary emissaries of Rome spreading influence to the pagan locus or the long way round through Hibernia, Dalriata, Scotti lands down to Lindesfarne a Danish dominated North Sea empire partitioning Engla Land, making war and peace, danegeld everywhere danelagh holding sway east of Wattling Street vassal kingdoms, viking strongholds from Scandinavia to Russia the Irish coast, Isle of Man, Scotland, and Wales inexorable drive of Norsemen through the Low Country to Normandy much machination and devious interplay kings, lords, bishops and monks, armies, coinage and marriage priesthood, sainthood and kingship intertwining eventual end of Danish rule, three main contenders to ascendency an English earl defeats a Norwegian king but a Norman duke wins all, succeeding to the throne of England