Gyrwas facts for kids
The Gyrwas (also known as Gyrwe) were an early Anglo-Saxon group of people. They lived mostly on the western side of the wetlands known as the Fens. This area is in eastern England. The Gyrwas were split into two main groups: the northern Gyrwas and the southern Gyrwas. This information comes from an old document called the Tribal Hidage.
Contents
Who Were the Gyrwas?
The name Gyrwe means 'fen-dweller'. This name makes sense because they lived near the Fens. The Fens are a large area of very flat, low-lying land. Much of it is wet and marshy.
Where Did the Gyrwas Live?
The land where the Gyrwas lived included several places. These were Lindisfarne, Hatfield, and parts of Nottinghamshire. Their territory also stretched into northern Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire. It went as far south as Peterborough in Northamptonshire. The area around Jarrow was also part of their lands.
The Fens provided the Gyrwas with food, like fish. However, they usually built their homes on the drier parts of the land. They also lived on small islands found within the Fens.
Gyrwas Leaders and Their Importance
The Gyrwas had their own leaders. This was true even in the first half of the 7th century. A famous writer named Bede wrote about a leader named Tondbert. He was a prince of the South Gyrwas.
A Royal Marriage
Tondbert asked to marry Etheldreda. She was the daughter of King Anna of East Anglia. Tondbert died not long after their wedding. Etheldreda then married Ecgfrith of Northumbria.
Leaders like the Gyrwas probably did not claim to be related to ancient gods. But they were important enough to marry into royal families. This shows they had a high social standing.
The Gyrwas' Place in History
For a while, the Gyrwas' land was like a middle ground. It lay between the powerful kingdoms of Mercia and East Anglia. This meant they were a kind of buffer zone.
Later on, the Gyrwas became part of a larger group. This group was known as the Middle Anglia. This shows how smaller groups often joined bigger kingdoms over time.
