Siefredus of Northumbria facts for kids

Siefredus (pronounced See-fred-us) was a Viking king who ruled a part of England called Northumbria. We know about him mostly from old coins that have his name on them. These coins suggest he was king from about 895 to 900 AD. He became king after Guthfrith.

How We Found Out About Siefredus

This silver coin, called a penny, shows the name of King Siefredus.

In 1840, a huge collection of over 8,000 old items was found in a place called Cuerdale, in Lancashire, England. This collection is known as the Cuerdale Hoard.

Among these treasures were many silver coins from Northumbria. Some of these coins had the words "SIEFREDUS REX" on them, which means "King Siefredus." This was very exciting because no one knew about a king named Siefredus before this discovery!

The Cuerdale Hoard also contained coins with the name of another unknown king, Cnut. By looking at the different types of coins and when they were made, experts believe that Cnut ruled after Siefredus, from about 900 to 905 AD. They also think Siefredus became king after Guthfrith and ruled from about 895 to 900 AD.

Interestingly, some coins have the names of both Cnut and Siefredus. This might mean they ruled together for a short time.

Who Was Siefredus?

Historians have tried to figure out if Siefredus was known by another name in other old writings. Some think he might be the same person as a Viking leader named Sigfrith. This Sigfrith led a Viking fleet (a group of ships) against a kingdom called Wessex in 893 AD.

It's also thought that he could be the same Sichfrith (another way to spell Sigfrith) who tried to claim the Kingdom of Dublin in Ireland in the same year. We can't be completely sure if these are all the same person, but it's possible. Vikings from Northumbria and Dublin often had contact with each other during this time.

There are different ideas about where Siefredus came from. One idea is that he was from Northumbria. This theory suggests he sailed to Dublin after his fleet landed troops in Wessex. Another idea is that Siefredus was from Dublin and went to England after he couldn't become king there.

Many historians think the idea of him being from Northumbria is more likely. This is because an old book called the Chronicon hints that Sichfrith was from Northumbria. There's even a suggestion that Siefredus and his successor, Cnut, might have been the same person, but this is less commonly believed.