Scandinavians often have high cheek bones than others, right? Also, any info on specifically Anglo culture and specifically Saxon culture? It seems we always hear about them as already being Anglo-Saxon but what were the defining characteristics of them before they became one group essentially? Thanks in advance.
Identity in Early "Anglo-Saxon" England is always a complex affair. The clearly delineated Angles, Saxons and Jutes posited by Bede don't seem to have necessarily played out in reality, or at least those ethno-nationalist identities don't really coalesce until around the 7th Century. Kent claims no Germanic ethnic identity, and indeed derives its name from the British; Mercia espouses only a 'Mercian' identity despite being identified as "Anglian" in other sources, likely due to its 'federated' political structure encompassing an array of subkingdoms and member states. It's only really later, then, that you coul try and posit the nature of a specific 'Saxon' cultural identity, albeit one shaped by a milieu of pan-English and British influences. One distinctive English feature was their hair: According to Guy of Amiens, English fashion was for long hair and long beards, which they spent much time looking after. Some elements of English fashion may also have been striking: The English typically wore ostentatious jewellery, even among the peasantry who could afford it, or gaudy substitutes. Inlaid metalwork and engraved geometric patterns and stylised animal motifs were popular fashions, and some will evidence suggests that wealthy individuals may have literally worn at least part of their wealth in gold torcs worn around the arm or neck.
The English were big fans of wordplay and verse. We all know about Beowulf, and contemporary sources suggest that it was a 'best seller' of its time. It was likely sung in public with musical accompaniment. Public singing with musical accompaniment was a popular hobby across all levels of society, at least according to Bede. English music was likely as diverse as English poetry: the Exeter Book, a 9th Century repository of verse and riddles contains romantic poetry, philosophical musings on the passing of time and life, songs of epic deeds, laments for the dead, bawdy jokes and tricky riddles. Sources such as Ælfric's Colloquy suggest that communal gatherings in individual households were common, with potentially communal eating, definitely communal drinking, and the singing of songs and the playing of games such as tafl.