Eadwald of East Anglia facts for kids
Eadwald of East Anglia was a king of the small Anglo-Saxon kingdom called East Anglia. He ruled for a short time, from about 796 to 798 AD. During his rule, East Anglia was not as powerful as its neighbor, Mercia. After Eadwald's time as king, Mercia took control again under Coenwulf, and East Anglia lost its independence for about 25 years.
Most of what we know about Eadwald comes from the few coins that were made during his rule. We don't have many details about his life or what he did as king.
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What was the Kingdom of East Anglia?
The Kingdom of East Anglia was a small, independent Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It covered the areas that are now Norfolk and Suffolk in England. It might have also included parts of the Fens in Cambridgeshire. This area was often fought over by the East Angles and their neighbors, the Mercians.
The kingdom started after the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain. From the 6th century, it was ruled by a family called the Wuffingas. The most famous king from this family was Rædwald. The Wuffingas family ruled until about 749 AD. After that, kings from other families ruled East Anglia independently.
In 794 AD, Æthelberht, another king of East Anglia, was killed by Offa of Mercia. Offa then took control of East Anglia.
East Anglia's Fight for Independence
East Anglia tried to become independent again after 796 AD. This was the year Offa died, and his son Ecgfrith became king of Mercia. But Ecgfrith only ruled for five months before he died. Then, a distant relative named Coenwulf became the new king of Mercia.
The East Angles were later conquered by the Danes in 869 AD. This area became part of the Danelaw, which was ruled by the Danes. In 918 AD, Edward the Elder conquered the region, and it became part of the Kingdom of England.
Eadwald's Coins
Almost everything we know about Eadwald comes from the coins that have his name on them. These coins are very rare today, with only about 12 known to exist.
When Offa ruled East Anglia, his Mercian coins were made there. The people who made coins for Offa later worked for Eadwald. They used a special style that included runic letters, which were similar to the letters on Offa's coins.
Eadwald's Time as King
We know very little about Eadwald's life or his time as king. He is not mentioned in any old writings, like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which usually listed kings. We don't know exactly how long he was king.
The coins from this period suggest that East Anglia became independent for a short time after Ecgfrith's death, with Eadwald as their king. However, the East Angles were conquered again after Coenwulf became king of Mercia in 798 AD. Coenwulf also brought the kingdom of Kent back under Mercian control around the same time.
Although the exact dates for Eadwald's rule are not known, Coenwulf was already making his own coins in East Anglia by about 805 AD. This shows that Mercia had regained control by then.
