Ethelfrith (or, better Æthelfrith , Anglo-Saxon ÆÞELFRIÞ), died in 617 is the first Anglo-Saxon war leader to have unified the kingdoms of Bernicie and Deira, thus constituting the outline of future the Northumbrie. It is as for the historian the first of these kings of North to being a little more as one shade. The sources which relate to it are very lacunar and very problems, but they make it possible all the same to foresee some stakes of its ceaseless combat.
Bède Worthy the, in its patriotism northumbrien, is very lenient for this pagan bloodthirsty man, on the occasion massacror of monks, because he recognizes in him the true founder of the kingdom. He sees in him a large king, the known as avid one of glory and compares it with biblical Saül for the number of Breton which he overcame, subjected to the tribute or drove out their grounds.
In fact, with its continuation, traditional historiography associated successes of Anglo-Saxon Æthelfrith with the strength of the expansionism to the detriment of the Celtic kingdoms. The current historians, more sensitive to the contacts and fusions that with the myths of an atavistic and irreducible antagonism, more readily insist on the complex plays of competitions and alliances, by which these warlike clans of the paddle of the 6th century, Anglo-Saxons like Celtic, maintained their capacity in their clean “kingdom” all while endeavouring to make it recognize beyond.
Dates
The Historia Brittonum (CH. 63) ensures that Æthelfrith reigned on Bernicie during twelve years, then during twelve other years on Northumbrie unified. The division of a life or a reign in two equal parts has other examples and appears to be privileged in the Anglo-Saxon Historiographie for reasons symbolic systems. In this case however, the Moore Memoranda (a short appendix placed at the end of the oldest manuscript of the Chronicle of Bède gone back to 737) confirms reign a 24 years and the date of the conquest of Deira is about sure (C. 604). That makes it possible to fix the dates of Æthelfrith between C. 592 and C. 616.Æthelfrith thus succeeds towards 592/93 obscure king de Bernicie named Hussa which it had to kill or at least drive out of the capacity, because one will find a little later a son of Hussa combined with his Breton enemies of the Dalriada. Hussa does not appear in the genealogy of Ida the founder of Bernicie and thus appears to have belonged to a rival clan. Æthelfrith, is to him one of the grandsons of Ida. Its accession with the capacity can thus be regarded as a restoration of the family of the founder.
King de Bernicie and Celts
Alliances
First years, nothing is known. Nennius reports that Æthelfrith “gave DIN Guaire to his wife whose name was Bebba” and which the place took the name of Bamburgh according to the name of his wife”. Bède, on its side, confirms that Bamburgh owes its name with a former Bebba queen, but does not say to us who was her husband.However, Bamburgh was nothing less than the capital the dynasty bernician, founded and strengthened according to the tradition by Ida himself. Such “a gift of marriage” is not banal in the Anglo-Saxon unions, even when the bride is girl of a prestigious king. If Bebba is well - as one can admit it - the first woman of Æthelfrith, it should be believed that king de Bernicie had contracted an alliance out of the commun run.
It was suggested that Bebba could be a transcription of the Celtic name Bibba and that Æthelfrith would have thus married a Breton princess. Michelle Ziegler sees there a sister of the king of the Pictes Nechtan.
This character in the mysterious beginnings (one believes it related in the dynasty of the Strathclyde) appears in the history like the successor of Gartnait wire of Domnech and soon like the rival of Áedán mac Gabráin, king de Dalriada, for supremacy on the kingdoms of North. Aedan is a prestigious warrior whom we know a little by the Vie of saint Columba where Saint Adomnan shows it to us combatant at the same time Pictes in north and the Angles in the south. It is in its entourage that one finds the men of the clan of Hussa, exiled of Bernicie. It is trying, under these conditions, to think that Æthelfrith gave an active support for its Nechtan adversary.
Battles
But one can rebuild these alliances only by plausible assumptions. It is by its warlike activity that Æthelfrith left its most visible trace in the history.It would fit thus in a movement engaged quite front him. Nennius summarizes all the history of Bernicie to these confrontations between Angles and Bretons. It shows us Theodoric, uncle d' Æthelfrith, supporting battles dubious - and undoubtedly mainly legendary - against a Breton coalition carried out by the famous Urien of Rheged, before being demolishes and killed in a combat with Lindisfarne.
And especially, whatever the exact date that one assigns to him, it is under the reign of Æthelfrith which must be located celebrates it Bataille of Catraeth of which there remain to us Y Goddodin , the series of elegies composed by the bard Aneirin in the honor of the warriors fallen to the combat. Certain commentators are besides inclined to identify this semi-legendary battle with the battle of Daegsastan, historically more some, where Áedán mac Gabráin was overcome.
The battle of Daegsastan
In 603, Áedán lance its army against Bernicie and runs up against Æthelfrith with Daegsastan, a badly identified place which one often locates in the Liddeldale (Roxburghshire).That it is necessary or not to identify this battle with the legendary Breton defeat of Catraeth, it is sure that it was fatal and decisive. Æthelfrith lost there at least one of his/her brothers, Theodbald and all its men. But Aedan was demolishes and its army, though higher of number, was destroyed. It is at least what Bède teaches us, but reality is perhaps more difficult to encircle.
Aedan survives the battle (one still speaks about him five years later), but, already old, it seems to be withdrawn shortly after in favor of his son Eochaid. This succession, even if it could be precipitated by the defeat, shows all the same that the warlike aristocracy of Dalriada continued to make confidence with the clan of Aedan. But the time of the wars is well finished. Never more - it is still Bède which speaks - no king of Scots ventured to come to fight the Anglo-Saxons on their premises. It is probable that Æthelfrith establishes with Scots of Dalriada an alliance of winner with overcome who forced them to accept a form of honourable dependence; probable also that Nechtan then gained definitively its situation of “large king” among the Celts of north. One will see later wire of Æthelfrith, overcome in their turn, to as well find refuge in the kingdom of Nechtan as among successors of Aedan.
It is as in Daegsastan as we see appearing and disappearing Hering, the son of Hussa. Æthelfrith - whose continuation of the history shows that they feared the exiled adversaries - got rid there of a competitor undoubtedly frightening whose fate was perhaps, as much as that of Aedan, the stake of the battle.
At all events, the victory of Daegsastan released the northern face of Bernicie. Æthelfrith can from now on turn to the south of its territories and undertake the conquest of Deira.
The annexation of Deira
The situation of Deira, at the beginning of VIIe century is very obscure. In spite of the difficulties of the chronology, one in general admits that it is always a son of EFTA, Æthelric, which reigns there. Bonds exist as well with the Mercie in the south as with the small Celtic kingdom of Elmet in the west.We do not have details on the conquest.
The king - whatever it is - disappears without leaving traces, undoubtedly killed. The local Aethelings take the way of the exile. Edwin takes refuge in Mercie near the king Pybba, which (probably into 606) Ceorl succeeds soon whose Edwin marries a girl, Cwenburh, of which it will have two wire. Mercie appears on this date, following the example Northumbrie, like a state in formation and king Pybba seems to have established alliances with the Celts of the West, in particular the kingdom of Gwynned which is then with its apogee, perhaps also with that of Powys. In any case, its power is sufficient so that, during the years which follow and although it obviously fears the aethelings deiriens in exile, Æthelfrith does not appear anything to try against its neighbor of the south.
Hereric which is perhaps a nephew of Edwin is taken refuge as for him near the king Cereric of Elmet; it is at least there that he is assassinated (poisoned, specifies Bède) on a date difficult to determine, surely at the instigation of Æthelfrith. It leaves with its death a widow, Breguswith, enclosure of a girl who will be holy Hilda, abbess of Whitby.
Under obscure conditions, Æthelfrith took for wife (undoubtedly forced) Acha, girl of Aella and sister of Edwin. Is it necessary to see in this union the will to narrowly link Bernicie and Deira? If, as much of historians are tempted to do it, one lends to Æthelfrith a “political vision” beyond its desire of conquests, it is not excluded. And if such were the goal of the union, it ensured the posthumous victory of Æthelfrith: Acha will be the mother of holy Oswald.
During nearly one decade, we miss information. Does Æthelfrith firstly get busy to organize its state and to reconstitute its military forces? It is possible.
The countryside against Gwynned
Its most famous countryside is placed about year 616 against the Celtic kingdom of Gwynned. He then faces with Caer-Legion (Chester) a Breton coalition. The battle is famous for the massacre of the monks of Bangor.The historians discussed the reasons of this countryside much. The traditional explanation which saw there the accompaniment (or the prolog) of an expansion angle beyond Pennines has of less less defenders, because the verdict of archeology appears from now on clear: one does not find trace of it before second half of the century. Would Æthelfrith have had the great strategic intention to push its domination to the Irish Sea in order to definitively separate the Celts from the North of the Celts of the West?
Died of Æthelfrith
After the Celtic defeat of Chester, Edwin finds refuge at Raedwal, king d' East-Anglie. This last gives him its support and Æthelfrith is killed with the battle of the Idle river in 617.
Posterity of Æthelfrith
Æthelfrith had his first Bebba wife probably of brittonic origin:
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Eanfrith king of Bernicie.
of her union with Acha the sister of Edwin it had then:
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holy Oswald
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Oswiu
Notes and bibliography
- Ann Williams, Alfred P. Smyth, D.P Kirby
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