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===Foundation story=== The account of Ælle and his three sons landing at {{lang|ang|[[Cymenshore]]}} appears in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'', a collection of seven vernacular manuscripts, commissioned in the 9th century, some 400 years or more after the events at {{lang|ang|Cymenshore}}. The account describes how on landing Ælle slew the local defenders and drove the remainder into the Forest of Andred. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle goes on to describe Ælle's battle with the British in 485 near the bank of ''[[Battle of Mercredesburne|Mercredesburne]]'', and his siege of the [[Saxon Shore]] fort at ''[[Anderitum|Andredadsceaster]]'' (modern day [[Pevensey]]) in 491 after which the inhabitants were massacred.{{sfn|Bately|1986| pp= vii-ix}}{{sfn|Jones|1998|p=71}}{{efn|ASC Parker MS. AD 485 and 491.}} The legendary foundation of Saxon Sussex, by Ælle, is likely to have originated in an oral tradition before being recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.{{efn|[[Anglo Saxon Chronicle|ASC 477]] - ''Her cuom Ęlle on Bretenlond 7 his .iii. suna, Cymen 7 Wlencing 7 Cissa, mid .iii. scipum on þa stowe þe is nemned Cymenesora, 7 þær ofslogon monige Wealas 7 sume on fleame bedrifon on þone wudu þe is genemned Andredesleage.}}{{efn|The account marks the beginning of Saxon Sussex.{{sfn| Bell|1978|pp=64-69}}}}{{sfn|Bately|1986| pp= vii-ix}}{{sfn|Jones|1998|p=71}} According to legend, various places took their names from Ælle's sons. Cissa is supposed to have given his name to [[Chichester]], Cymen to ''Cymenshore'' and Wlencing to [[Lancing, West Sussex|Lancing]].{{sfn|Gelling|2000|p=275}}{{sfn|Welch|1992|p=9}} {{lang|ang|Cymenshore}} is traditionally thought to have been located at what is now known as the Owers Rocks, south of [[Selsey]], however there is no archaeological evidence to support the existence of Ælle and his three sons in the Selsey area.{{sfn|Welch|1978|pp=13-35}}{{efn|S. E. Kelly believes that ''The Owers'' is where ''Cymenshore'' is, she gives the alternate spellings as ''Cumeneshore, Cumenshore, Cimeneres horan, Cymeneres horan''{{sfn|Kelly|1998|p=118}}}} From 491 until the arrival of Christianity in the 7th century, there was a dearth of contemporary written material.{{sfn| Bell|1978|pp=64-69}}Because of the lack of written history before the 7th century it has made it difficult for historians to produce a definitive story.{{sfn|Hawkes|1982|p=65}} The preservation of Ælle's sons in Old English place names is unusual. The names of the founders, in other origin legends, seem to have British and/ or Latin roots not Old English. It is likely that the foundation stories were known before the 9th century, but the annalists manipulated them to provide a common origin for the new regime. These myths proport that the British were defeated and replaced by invading Anglo-Saxons arriving in small ships. These origin stories were largely believed right up to the 19th century.{{sfn|Yorke|2008|pp=15-30}}
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