Penda

Background

Born around 605

Died November 15 655

King of Mercia

Defeated Edwin King of Northumbria at Battle of Hatfield Chase 633

Defeated and slew his successor Oswald at Battle of Maserfield 642

Defeated East Angles

Drove Cenwealh King of Wessex into exile

Waged war against the Bernicians of Northumbria

Was defeated & slain at the Battle of the Winwæd November 15 655 against the Bernicians

The Anglo Saxon Chronicle states he is descended from the following

• Pybba
• Cryda
• Cynwald
• Cnebba
• Icel
• Eomer
• Angelðeow
• Offa
• Wermund
• Wihtlæg
• Woden

Said to of had twelve brothers, two of which were Eowa & Cœnwalh

Biography

It is uncertain exactly when Penda became King of Mercia, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle states 626 & that he was 50 (it is unlikely they are correct about his age, it is more probable he was 50 when he died).

He is said to of succeeded Cearl as King, who may of been a kin of his, Bede in 'Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum' says that Penda was 'a most warlike man of the royal race of the Mercians'. Some sources claim he only became King of Mercia after the defeat of Edwin, the 'Historia Brittonum' states Penda only ruled Mercia for 10 years, therefore only became King of Mercia from the time of the Battle of Maserfield, but it is generally thought Bede's version of the length of his reign is more accurate. We have to remember that as the three differing versions of the length of his reign are from three different sources (Wessex, Northumbrian & Welsc), that this probably reflects their first military encounters with the fierce King, rather than knowledge of his coronation.

The Anglo Saxon Chronicle records a battle between Penda & the West Saxons under their joint Kings Cynegils & Cwichelm taking place at Cirencester in 628, so he was either King of Mercia, or at least a powerful War Lord at the time. It records after the battle, Penda & the West Saxons 'came to an agreement', possibly marking a victory for Penda, & ceding Cirencester & it's areas around the River Severn to him. These lands had been conquered by the West Saxons from the Welsc around 577, the territory becoming the subkingdom of Hwicce, (perhaps this subkingdom was established by Penda himself?).

Around the late 620's or early 630's, Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Welsc King of Gwynedd, waged war against King Edwin of Northumbria, the most powerful Kingdom in Britain at the time, but he was continually defeated by Edwin and the Northumbrians. He then persuaded Penda (as the Mercians were also under the shadow of Northumbria)to join him at the Battle of Hatfield Chase. Penda was probably not King of Mercia yet, but their joint forces defeated Edwin, who was killed in the battle. According to the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, Cadwallon & Penda went on to ravage 'the whole land' of the Northumbrians, and whilst Cadwallon continued the war, Penda's envolvement is uncertain. Bede states the pagans who slew Edwin (Penda & his Mercians), burned a church & town at Campodonum, but Penda may have withdrawn from the war before the defeat of the Welsc, & death of Cadwallon, at the Battle of Heavenfield around 634.

Penda's success at the Battle of Hatfield Chase may have raised his standing among the Mercians, enabling him to become King, his successes against Wessex and Northumbria made his reputation as a great war leader eclipse his predecessors. When Oswald became King of Northumbria, he alied himself with Wessex in an attempt to curtail Penda's challenge. During Oswald's reign Penda had Edwin's son Eadfrið killed, possibly at the instigation of Oswald, as Eadfrið was a dynastic rival, or perhaps because he posed a threat to Penda's rule in Mercia, as both were descended from Penda's predecessor Cearl.

It was during this time that Penda fought & defeated the East Angles around 635, slaying their King Egric, & the former King Sicgeberht (he had been brought out of retirement from a monastary in the belief his presence would motivate the East Angle troops, & give the christian god's blessing against the pagans). This battle may of been at the instigation of Oswald, who wanted to weaken Penda and the pagan Mercians in order to maintain dominance over the other kingdoms.

Penda's brother Eowa was, according to the 'Historia Brittonum' and the 'Annales Cambriae' joint King of Mercia at the time of the Battle of Maserfield, with Eowa's domain being North Mercia, and Penda's South Mercia (Hwicce etc.), as Penda's son Peada was allowed to rule southern Mercia while the northern areas came under Northumbrian rule after Penda's death, this seems probable.

On August 5, 642, Penda defeats the Northumbrians at the Battle of Maserfield, slaying Oswald. Surviving Welsh poetry suggests Penda fought this battle allied with the men of Powys, possibly under Cynddylan ap Cyndrwyn of whom it was said 'when the son of Pyb desired, how ready he was', Penda being the son of Pybba. The location of the battle was possibly Oswestry, indicating Oswald was defending his domain against Penda, Bede states that Penda had Oswald's body dismembered, his head and hands being placed onto stakes, a pagan ritual, the christians therefore made him a saint, he was after all a Christian King slain by the Pagans, and therefore a martyr. Eowa was also slain at Maserfield, possibly fighting as Oswald's ally, as he was probably attempting to dominate the Mercian Kingdom prior to the battle. Penda therefore not only defeated the Northumbrians, but secured his Kingship of the Mercians, perhaps why the 'Historia Brittonum' states this as the begining of Penda's 10 year reign, it also states that this battle freed the Mercians from the Northumbrians. This battle left Penda as the most formidable king in England, Northumbria fractured into the kingdoms of Deira in the south and Bernicia in the north, Oswine ruling Deira and Oswald's brother, Oswiu, ruling Bernicia.

Around 645 Penda's sister was married to the Wessex King Cenwealh (who was still pagan at this time), when Cenwealh, as Bede puts it 'repudiated' Penda's sister in favour of another wife, Penda in his fury drove Cenwealh into exile in East Anglia, he was not able to return until Penda's death, and Wessex became a vassal kingdom of Mercia. Penda also slew the East Angle King Anna (who harboured the exiled Cenwealh) at the Battle of Bulcamp near Blythburgh in Suffolk, he then places his brother Æðelhere on his throne, thereby making East Anglia a client kingdom, whilst his son Peada ruled over Middle Anglia.

After Maserfield Penda led a destructive war against Oswiu and the christian Bernicia, Bede states that Penda 'cruelly ravaged the country of the Northumbrians far and near', besieging the royal Bernician stronghold of Bamburgh, and raveging the land where the Northumbrian saint Aidan died, again, according to Bede, he 'destroyed all he could with fire and sword'. Penda was said to of been protected by the Gods, a warrior-king, fighting for Woden against the weak Christian God. However it should be pointed out that Penda did not wage a religious war, in fact he tolerated christianity in the lands he ruled, at some point there must of been peace between Penda and Oswiu, as Penda's daughter Cyneburh married Oswiu's son Alhfrið, and Penda's son Peada married Oswiu's daughter Alhflæd, Peada then converts to christianity, possibly at Oswiu's urging, thereby turning Peada against his father, Peada is ironically himself eventually murdered, by his 'Christian' wife.

In 655 Penda invades Bernicia, supported by Cadafael ap Cynfeddw of Gwynedd, Æðelhere of East Anglia and Æðelwald of Deira (succussor of Oswine who had been murdered on Oswiu's orders in 651). It is thought that Bernician sponsorship of christianity in Mercia and Middle Anglia provoked Penda to war against this 'religious colonialism', others state that he wanted to prevent Oswiu from conquering Northumbria and threaten Mercian dominance. The 'Historia Brittonum' says Penda besieged Oswiu at Iudeu (Stirling?), Oswiu then tries to buy peace with treasure, which Penda distributes among his allies. Oswiu's son Ecgfrið was given as hostage and taken to the court of Queen Cynwise in Mercia. Penda then marches his army south to return home but is ambushed near the River Winwæd (River Went?), on, according to Bede, November 15, 655. The 'Historia Brittonum' tells us that Cadafael of Gwynedd and his men deserted in the night, earning him the name Cadomedd 'Battle-shirker', as well as this Æðelwald of Deira, unhappy about the quantity of the Iudeu treasure he receives, according to Bede, withdrew his forces and 'awaited the outcome from a place of safety'. With the river's waters swollen, cutting off any retreat, & Penda's men strung out in marching order, Oswiu's troops fell upon and defeated the Mercians and East Anglians, Penda is slain along with Æðelhere. With their Great King gone, Mercia soon falls to the Northumbrians, the last vestiges of Heathen Anglo-Saxon culture are dealt a fatal blow, so called christian 'missionaries' ravage the ancient sacred sites and force it's population to convert.