Creoda of Mercia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Creoda |
|
|---|---|
An imaginary picture of Creoda from John Speed's 1611 book "Saxon Heptarchy".
|
|
| King of Mercia | |
| Reign | c. 585 – 593 AD? |
| Predecessor | Cynewald |
| Successor | Pybba |
| Died | c. 593 AD |
| Issue | Pybba |
| House | Icelingas |
| Father | Cynewald |
Creoda (also known as Cryda or Crida) was a person who lived in the 6th century. He might have been one of the very first kings of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. He is thought to have ruled around the end of the 500s AD.
However, historians are not completely sure if Creoda was a real king. His existence is debated by many experts today.
Who Was Creoda?
Creoda is mentioned in some old family trees, like one found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. But these old writings do not call him a "king." This makes historians wonder if he truly held that title.
Some historians, like Barbara Yorke, believe that the information about Creoda might just be smart guesses. These guesses could be based on names found in other old texts. The dates linked to him might also come from a different person named Creoda from a different kingdom.
Why Historians Are Unsure
Professor Nicholas Brooks, another expert, agrees with this idea. He thinks that the stories about Creoda might just be made up by an English monk. This monk might have lived much later, around the 1100s. The monk could have used names from old records to create a story that seemed to fit.
So, while we have some old mentions of Creoda, it is hard to say for sure if he was a real king of Mercia. What we do know is that the kingdom of Mercia definitely existed by the end of the 500s.
Creoda in Old Writings
The idea that Creoda was a king of Mercia comes from a book called Historia Anglorum. This book was written by Henry of Huntingdon in the early 1100s.
Henry of Huntingdon wrote that Creoda died in the year 593. But this date might be a mistake. It seems he might have confused Creoda of Mercia with another man named Crida. This other Crida was from the West Saxon kingdom, not Mercia.
His Family Line
According to a Mercian family tree in the Anglian collection, Creoda was the son of Cynewald. He was also the great-grandson of Icel. Icel was the ancestor who gave his name to their family, the Icelingas.
See also
- Kings of Mercia family tree
