Sigeberht the Good facts for kids
Sigeberht II, also known as Sigeberht the Good or Sigeberht the Blessed, was a king of the East Saxons (a group of Anglo-Saxons) from about 653 to 660 or 661 AD. He became king after his relative, Sigeberht I the Little.
Even though Christianity had been introduced to Essex before, the kingdom had gone back to worshipping old pagan gods. During Sigeberht's time, Christianity was brought back in a big way. Most of what we know about Sigeberht comes from a book called Historia Ecclesiastica by a monk named Bede.
Sigeberht's Family
It's a bit tricky to know much about Sigeberht's family. The old records don't give us many details. Some historians think he might have been the son of Sæward and the father of Sigehere. But the information from different old texts can be confusing.
Becoming Christian
King Sigeberht had a strong friend and ally in King Oswiu from the northern kingdom of Bernicia. Sigeberht often visited Oswiu's court, which shows that Oswiu was a very powerful king. This friendship might have helped Oswiu against his enemy, King Penda of Mercia.
When Sigeberht became king, he followed the old pagan religions. But King Oswiu encouraged him to become Christian. Sigeberht and his followers were baptized by Bishop Finan. This happened around 653 or 654 AD.
Sigeberht then asked Oswiu to send Christian missionaries to his kingdom. Cedd, a priest who had been working as a missionary, led this group. Their work was very successful. Cedd later became the Bishop of Essex. He started Christian communities in places like Tilaburg (which is probably East Tilbury today) and Ithancester (which is likely Bradwell-on-Sea).
The King's Death
Bede's book tells us that Sigeberht became a very religious king who believed in forgiving others. But he was murdered by two of his own relatives. These brothers were angry because Sigeberht was "too ready to pardon his enemies."
Bishop Cedd had told one of the brothers that he was not allowed to eat with anyone or enter their house because he was married in a way that was against Christian rules. However, Sigeberht ignored Cedd's warning and accepted an invitation to eat at the brothers' house.
When Sigeberht met Cedd on the road, he asked for forgiveness. But Cedd warned him that he would die in that house because he had disobeyed. Bede wrote that Sigeberht's death was a good thing because it showed his strong faith.
Historians also think there might have been political reasons for Sigeberht's death. After King Oswiu lost some power, the East Saxons might have wanted a new leader. Some historians even think that Sigeberht's successor, Swithhelm, might have been involved in the murder.
We don't know the exact date Sigeberht died, but it was before 664 AD.
