Œthelwald of Deira facts for kids

Œthelwald was a king who ruled a part of ancient England called Deira from 651 to around 655 AD. He was the son of a famous king named King Oswald of Northumbria, who was killed in a big battle in 642.

Becoming King

Œthelwald became king after another ruler, Oswine of Deira, was killed in 651. Oswine was killed by Oswiu of Bernicia, who was Œthelwald's uncle. It's not completely clear if Oswiu helped Œthelwald become king, or if Œthelwald took the throne on his own, perhaps even against Oswiu's wishes.

A Tricky Alliance

Œthelwald later made an alliance with Penda of Mercia, who was a powerful enemy of Oswiu. Penda was a pagan, meaning he did not follow Christianity. In 655, Penda invaded Northumbria, and Œthelwald joined him with his own army.

The Battle of the Winwaed

The armies of Oswiu and Penda met on November 15, 655, at a place called the Battle of the Winwaed. This was a very important battle. However, during the fight, Œthelwald decided to pull his soldiers out of the battle. This might have been a big reason why Penda's army was defeated. Penda himself was killed in the battle.

What Happened Next?

After Penda's defeat, Œthelwald seems to have lost his kingdom of Deira. Oswiu, who won the battle, put his own son, Alchfrith, in charge of Deira instead. We don't know for sure what happened to Œthelwald after this battle. There are no official records about him. However, some local stories say that he became a hermit, which is someone who lives alone and dedicates their life to religious practices, in a place called Kirkdale.

A Christian King

Even though Œthelwald allied himself with Penda, who was not a Christian, Œthelwald himself was a very religious Christian. He was remembered for being very generous. He gave land to Saint Cedd so that a monastery could be built there. A monastery is a place where monks or nuns live and worship.