593AD. Æthelfrith Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria

The Anglo-Saxons came to the Northeast of England 100 years after Hengest landed in the south and by force of arms forged one of the most powerful kingdoms in the land. The name of that kingdom was Northumbria and one of its kings was Æthelfrith.

593AD. Æthelfrith became King of Bernica and it didn’t take him long to prove he was a true grandson of Ida the flame bearer.

598AD. Æthelfrith gathered his army and marched down to Catraeth (Catterick). There he was met by a huge coalition army of Britons that had been gathered together in Edinburgh with the sole purpose of marching down to meet the Saxons in battle. After feasting and drinking the night before the lords of the Britons came to the battle in a drunken state. The Britons were heavily defeated and over three hundred of those lords were killed in battle. The kingdom of Catraeth was taken and added to Northumbria.

603AD. Æthelfrith was on the march again. This time heading north to do battle with Aidan MacGabrain, King of The Dalriada Scots. During the battle at Degastan (?Liddersdale?) Aidan was assisted by a large contingent of Ulstermen. Despite their assistance Aidan’s forces were defeated by the army of Æthelfrith. (according to Bede, Hering the son of Hussa led Aiden’s men against his uncle Æthelfrith). With the defeat of Aiden, the River Forth became the northern boundary of Æthelfrith’s kingdom.

After his success in the north Æthelfrith returned south, usurped the Deirian crown and formed the kingdom of Northumbria. Edwin, Aelle’s son fled to Mercia and Æthelfrith married Edwin’s sister Acha.

615AD. Æthelfrith took a new wife, Bebba and Din Guyardi was renamed in her honour as Bebbanburgh (Fort of Bebba). Later that year he ousted king Cearl from Mercia, placed a Mercian of his choice on the throne and took overall control. Edwin was forced to flee again this time to East Anglia.

In the same year Æthelfrith came into battle with the Britons at Chester. As well as warriors, there was a large contingent of monks with the Britons, sent there to pray for the outcome of the battle. Æthelfrith decided to attack the monks first and his men slaughtered 200 of them before turning on the army of the Britons and defeating them. Cumbria was now added it to his kingdom.

616AD. Three times Æthelfrith offered Raedwald the king of East Anglia bribes to hand over or kill Edwin the son of Aelle, threatening war if he did not. Raedwald was tempted but in the end preferred to have a friend on the throne of Northumbria and rapidly prepared for war. Raising a large army he marched to confront Æthelfrith before he had time to gather all his forces.

The two sides met at Bawtry on the River Idle. Æthelfrith’s men with the more experienced warriors, in loose order and Raedwalds army in three formations, one led by Raewald himself, another by Rægenhere, Raedwald’s son and the third by Edwin. Possibly mistaking him for Edwin, Æthelfrith’s men forced their way into the centre of Rægenhere’s formation and kill the East Anglian prince. In a mindless rage at the death of his son Raewald stormed the Northumbrian centre and amid great slaughter killed Æthelfrith. Edwin the son of Aelle, then seized the kingdom of Northumbria.