Hwicce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kingdom of the Hwicce
577–780s
Kingdom of the Hwicce (with later counties). Wychwood Forest, a former Hwicce territory, had apparently been lost before 679.
Capital	Worcester
Religion	Paganism, Christianity
Government	Monarchy
Historical era	Heptarchy
• Established	577
• Assimilated into Mercia	780s
Preceded by Succeeded by Sub-Roman Britain Mercia

The Hwicce (pronounced like "hwitch-uh") was a tribal kingdom in Anglo-Saxon England. It was a smaller kingdom that existed during a time when England was divided into several different kingdoms.

According to an old book called the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Hwicce kingdom began in 577 AD. This was after a big fight known as the Battle of Deorham. Later, around 628 AD, the Hwicce kingdom became a client kingdom of Mercia. This means it was still a kingdom, but it was under the control and influence of the more powerful Mercian kingdom. This change happened after the Battle of Cirencester.

The Tribal Hidage, an old document, said that Hwicce had 7,000 "hides." A hide was a measure of land, usually enough to support one family. This suggests Hwicce had a farming economy, similar in size to the kingdoms of Essex or Sussex.

The exact borders of the Hwicce kingdom are not fully known today. However, historians believe they were similar to the area covered by the old Diocese of Worcester. This church area was set up around 679–680 AD. The early bishops of Worcester were even called Episcopus Hwicciorum, which means "Bishop of the Hwicce."

So, the kingdom likely included most of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. It also covered parts of Warwickshire, the area around Bath, and some smaller parts of other nearby counties.

What's in a Name?

The name Hwicce is a bit of a mystery! Historians aren't completely sure where it came from. It's the plural form of an old English word. It might have been the name of a tribe or a family group.

One idea is that it comes from an old word meaning "ark" or "chest." This could describe the shape of the Hwicce territory. It was like a flat valley surrounded by the Cotswolds and Malvern Hills. Another idea is that it came from a person's name, meaning "the people of the man called Hwicce." But no such name has ever been found in old records.

Some historians have even suggested the name might have meant "the cowards." This idea comes from an old Norse word for "coward." However, many experts don't agree with this. Another interesting idea is that "Hwicce" referred to people living near the River Severn. These people were known for weaving baskets using reeds and rushes. The modern word wicker is similar, but it's thought to come from a different language.

There's also a theory that the name comes from an old British language (like Welsh). In Welsh, gwych means 'excellent'. So, the name could have meant "the very excellent ones." This would be like some other proud tribal names from Roman times. But, this Welsh word isn't recorded in very old texts, which makes it harder to prove.

Even today, the name Hwicce lives on in some place names. You can find it in Wychwood in Oxfordshire and Whichford in Warwickshire. It's also in Wichenford, Wychbury Hill, Wyche, and Droitwich in Worcestershire. The first part of the local area Wychavon also comes from the old kingdom.

The Story of Hwicce

The land of the Hwicce kingdom might have been the same area as the Roman civitas (a type of Roman city-state) of the Dobunni tribe.

Early Days and New Influences

After the Romans left Britain, this area stayed mostly British for about a century. However, some Anglo-Saxon graves and place names in the northeast suggest that Angles started moving into the area. They might have come along the River Avon. These new groups may have collected tribute (payments) from the British rulers.

Battles and New Rulers

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells us about the Battle of Deorham in 577 AD. In this battle, the Gewisse (who became the West Saxons) defeated three British kings. They captured important cities like Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath.

However, the West Saxons didn't control this area for very long. Their rule might have ended as early as 584 AD. This was the year of the battle of Fethanleag, where a West Saxon leader was killed. By 603 AD, the area was no longer under West Saxon control.

The Angles became more powerful in the area around 628 AD. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that the West Saxons fought Penda of Mercia, an Anglian king, at Cirencester. Penda won this battle. He likely made an agreement with the local leaders. Because of this, the Hwicce area didn't immediately become part of Mercia. Instead, it became an allied or "client" kingdom of Mercia. This meant Hwicce was still its own kingdom but was under Mercia's influence.

The Hwicce kingdom included several smaller groups of people. These included the Husmerae, the Stoppingas, and the Weorgoran.

Christian Faith in Hwicce

The first kings of Hwicce we know about were two brothers, Eanhere and Eanfrith. A writer named Bede mentioned that Queen Eafe was baptized in Hwicce. She was the daughter of Eanfrith, and both brothers were Christians, as were their people. This tells us that Hwicce was a Christian kingdom.

It's thought that the Hwicce people became Christian through Celtic Christians. This was different from the mission sent by Pope Gregory I. Old place names also show that Christianity likely survived in the area even after Anglo-Saxons arrived. It seems the new Anglo-Saxons blended into the existing Christian church. The ruling family of Hwicce probably played a big part in this process. They might have even come from marriages between Anglian and British leading families.

Kings and Bishops

Historians believe that Eanhere married Osthryth, who was the daughter of a powerful king from Northumbria. They had sons named Osric, Oswald, and Oshere. Osric wanted the Hwicce to have their own bishop. But it was Oshere who helped create the see of Worcester (a bishop's area) in 679–680 AD. A writer from the 12th century said that Worcester was chosen as the bishop's seat because it was the capital of the Hwicce.

Oshere's sons, Æthelheard, Æthelweard, and Æthelric, later became rulers. At the start of King Offa's reign in Mercia, Hwicce was ruled by three brothers: Eanberht, Uhtred, and Aldred. The last two lived until about 780 AD. After them, the rulers of Hwicce stopped using the title of "king." Their next leader, Æthelmund, who died in a battle in 802 AD, was only called an "earl."

The Hwicce region remained under the control of Mercia's rulers until Mercia itself fell. Along with the rest of English Mercia, Hwicce then came under the rule of King Alfred around 877–883 AD. This was under Earl Æthelred, who might have been from Hwicce himself.

Rulers of Hwicce

There isn't a complete list of Hwicce kings from their time. So, historians have put this list together from different old writings. Sometimes, more than one king ruled at the same time. This is why some dates overlap.

An ealdorman was a very important royal official. They were like a chief magistrate or governor of a region in Anglo-Saxon England.

Other Important People of Hwicce

Æthelmod gave land to Abbess Beorngyth in October 680. He was probably part of the royal family. Osred (around 693 AD) was a thegn (a type of lord or noble) of the Hwicce. Some historians have even called him a king.