Witenagemót

Witenagemót ('the meeting of counsellors,' witena being genitive plu. of the A.S. wita, 'a wise man,' 'a counsellor'), the great national council of England in Anglo-Saxon times, by which the king was supposed to be guided in all his main acts of government. Each kingdom had its own witenagemót before the union of the several kingdoms in 827, after which there was one for the whole country. It was composed of the bishops, the ealdormen of shires, and a number of the king's friends and dependents, the king's thanes (see THANE). It met frequently, if not at regular intervals, and claimed very extensive powers—which, however, varied inversely with the power of the prince. The witan deliberated in all new laws, made treaties, elected the king, and once deposed one (Ethelred II.), appointed bishops, assented to grants of land, with the king levied taxes, and formed a supreme court of justice. But, as it was a council of royal officers and territorial magnates, it is misleading to identify its functions with its successor, the representative House of Commons. See ENGLAND and PARLIAMENT, and works there cited, especially Stubbs and Freeman.