Osric of Deira facts for kids

Osric was a king who ruled a part of northern England called Deira for a short time, around 632 to 634 AD. He was related to another king named Edwin of Northumbria, who was his cousin. Osric was also the father of a future king, Oswine.

Becoming King of Deira

After King Edwin was killed in a big battle against Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd and Penda of Mercia, the large kingdom of Northumbria became very messy. It split into two smaller kingdoms. Eanfrith became king in Bernicia, and Osric took power in Deira.

A Change in Beliefs

A famous historian named Bede wrote about Osric. Bede said that Osric had been a Christian. However, when Osric became king, he decided to go back to older, non-Christian beliefs, which people at the time called paganism. Eanfrith, the king of Bernicia, also made this choice.

The End of Osric's Reign

Cadwallon, the king who had defeated Edwin, continued to attack Northumbria. Bede tells us that Osric tried to trap Cadwallon in a strong town. Osric's army surrounded the town, hoping to defeat Cadwallon.

Osric's Last Battle

However, Cadwallon surprised Osric. He suddenly led all his soldiers out of the town. They attacked Osric and his army by surprise. In this battle, Osric was killed, and his army was destroyed.

A Forgotten Year

Because Osric and Eanfrith had stopped following Christianity, their time as kings was later seen as a very bad period. People decided to pretend their reigns didn't happen. The year they ruled was added to the reign of the next Christian king, Oswald of Bernicia. Oswald later defeated Cadwallon and ruled both Bernicia and Deira, bringing the kingdom back together.