Freawine facts for kids
Freawine, also known as Frowin or Frowinus, was a figure from ancient stories. He appears in two important old texts: the Gesta Danorum and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
In the Gesta Danorum, Freawine was a governor in a place called Schleswig. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions him as an ancestor of the kings of Wessex, who ruled a powerful kingdom in England long ago. This chronicle says he was the son of Friðgar and the father of two sons, Ket and Wig.
Freawine's Story in Gesta Danorum
In the Gesta Danorum, Freawine was connected to a famous Danish prince named Offa of Angel. Offa later became a king of Denmark. Freawine was Offa's father-in-law, meaning Offa married Freawine's daughter. King Wermund, Offa's father, thought highly of Freawine and his sons, Ket and Wig.
The Battle and Revenge
Freawine faced a challenge from King Eadgils of the Myrgings. They fought, and sadly, Freawine was killed in this combat.
His two sons, Ket and Wig, later avenged their father's death. However, they fought against Eadgils together, two against one. This was seen as a dishonorable act at the time. Their brother-in-law, Offa, helped to restore their family's honor. He did this by fighting two Saxons at the same time in a "single combat" and defeating them. This event is also mentioned in another old poem called Widsith, where it's described as a duel against Eadgils of the Myrgings.
Freawine in Royal Family Trees
Freawine's name appears in the family tree of the Wessex kings found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. However, he is not mentioned in other similar royal family trees. For example, he is missing from the Wessex kings' family tree in the Anglian collection of Anglo-Saxon royal pedigrees. He is also absent from a similar family tree in one copy of Asser's Vita Ælfredi regis Angul Saxonum, which is a biography of King Alfred the Great.
Some historians believe that Freawine and his son Wig might have been added to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle's Wessex royal family tree later on. They think these heroic figures were put into an existing family tree that might have originally come from the royal family of Bernicia, another ancient kingdom. It's also thought that the name of Freawine's father, Friðgar, was added simply to create a poetic sound with other names in the lineage.
