King Oswald of Northumbria
This profile of King Oswald of Northumbria is part of
Who's Who in Medieval History
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
King Oswald was known for:
Introducing (or, more accurately, re-introducing) Christianity to Northumbria and making the kingdom powerful enough to hold sway over most of the lands in the English Heptarchy.
Occupations:
King
Military Leader
Saint
Places of Residence and Influence:
England
Important Dates:
Born:c. 604
Died:August 5, 642
About King Oswald:
Oswald was the son of King Aethelfrith, who had founded Northumbria by adding the kingdom of Deira to the land he already ruled, Bernicia. Aethelfrith took as his second wife Princess Aacha of Deira and expelled Aacha's brother Edwin from the kingdom; Edwin fled to East Anglia. Oswald was the first-born son of Aacha.
The early years of Oswald's life were spent in relative safety and comfort at the Northumbrian court, but in about 616 King Aethelfrith met Raedwald of East Anglia in battle and was slain. Raedwald installed Aethelfrith's banished brother-in-law Edwin on the throne of Northumbria, and Oswald and his brother Oswiu were forced to flee. The brothers found sanctuary on the isle of Iona, where Saint Columba had founded a monastery, and where -- thanks to Columba and his monks -- the evangelization of Scotland began. There Oswald and Oswiu were converted to Christianity; they were educated at Iona, and they grew to adulthood steeped in their new faith.
In 632, the situation changed in Northumbria when Oswald's uncle, Edwin, was killed in battle against King Cadwallon of Gwynedd and King Penda of Mercia. In the state of chaos that followed, Oswald's half-brother Eanfrith, son of Aethelfrith and his first wife, seized the throne of Bernicia, while Osric, a relative of Edwin, took control of Deira. Eanfrith may have been able to take the crown by cooperating with Cadwallon, but if so any alliance they forged soon disintegrated. When in 634 Eanfrith met with Cadwallon to negotiate a peace, the British king ordered his men to kill him. Osric was killed in battle at about this time, as well.
Now Oswald saw an opportunity, and, with a small retinue of men supplied by King Domnall Brecc of Dalriada (in present-day Scotland), he ventured south to take the Northumbrian crown. At Heavenfield (Hexham, in present-day Northumberland), Oswald prepared to meet Cadwallon in combat; he set up a large wooden cross as his standard, the first Christian symbol ever raised in Bernicia. After overcoming significant odds, Oswald won the battle; Cadwallon was killed, and Oswald marched triumphantly home.
Eanfrith had an infant son, but since Eanfrith had been an unpopular ruler, no one appears to have stepped forward on his son's behalf. Oswald was the preferred choice for king; and, as the son of a father from Bernicia and a mother from Deira, his dual heritage made him a fine candidate for reuniting Northumbria. This he succeeded at doing fairly well.
Although Edwin had introduced Christianity into Northumbria, Eanfrith reverted to paganism when he became king; not only were there many pagans left in the kingdom, but Christianity had actually been suppressed. As a devout Christian, Oswald wanted to see his land returned to the religion he followed; and so, he invited monks from Iona to evangelize Northumbria. Led by St. Aidan, the monks founded a monastery on the isle of Lindisfarne, where they also established a bishopric. Using Lindisfarne as their home base, the monks spread Christianity throughout most of Northumbria. Lindisfarne would become an important center of learning, contributing to the Northumbrian Renaissance and sponsoring the production of the extraordinary Lindisfarne Gospels.
After joining Bernicia to Deira, Oswald expanded his kingdom still further. He captured Din Eitin (present-day Edinburgh), conquered a portion of southern present-day Scotland, and, by arranging for his brother to marry Princess Rhiainfelt, added her kingdom of North Rheged to Northumbria. When he stood as sponsor to the baptism of King Cynegils of Wessex, and married his daughter, Oswald strengthened the alliance between his wife's homeland and his own. By the time he was through expanding, Oswald controlled all of southern England, with the exception of the kingdom of Kent.
Oswald became known for his generous, good-hearted nature. He had many churches and monasteries constructed, and under his rule Northumbria prospered. But Mercia was rising in dominance and posed a serious threat, and its warrior-king, Penda, had twice before brought an end to a Northumbrian monarch's reign. In 642 Penda gathered forces from Wales, including the armies of Gwynedd, Powys and Pengwern, as well as from his own kingdom, and marched on Northumbria. The combatants met at the Battle of Maserfelth (Maserfeld), and Oswald was slain. It was said that his last thoughts were for the welfare of his soldiers, and that his last words were "God have mercy on their souls."
The victors of Maserfelth hacked Oswald's body to pieces and placed his head and limbs on stakes. The body parts remained there a year before being carried to various churches and monasteries. Stories sprang up of miracles connected to Oswald's remains, and the place where he died, the wooden cross he'd set up at Heavenfield, and his tomb were all said to be responsible for miraculous healing. Oswald was even believed to have stopped a plague. For these reasons, Oswald was venerated as a martyr and saint in the Northumbrian church.
More King Oswald Resources:
King Oswald in Print
The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
King Oswald on the Web
Early Medieval Britain
Who's Who Directories:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Chronological Index
Geographical Index
Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society
Who's Who in Medieval History
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
King Oswald was known for:
Introducing (or, more accurately, re-introducing) Christianity to Northumbria and making the kingdom powerful enough to hold sway over most of the lands in the English Heptarchy.
Occupations:
King
Military Leader
Saint
Places of Residence and Influence:
England
Important Dates:
Born:c. 604
Died:August 5, 642
About King Oswald:
Oswald was the son of King Aethelfrith, who had founded Northumbria by adding the kingdom of Deira to the land he already ruled, Bernicia. Aethelfrith took as his second wife Princess Aacha of Deira and expelled Aacha's brother Edwin from the kingdom; Edwin fled to East Anglia. Oswald was the first-born son of Aacha.
Oswald's Childhood
The early years of Oswald's life were spent in relative safety and comfort at the Northumbrian court, but in about 616 King Aethelfrith met Raedwald of East Anglia in battle and was slain. Raedwald installed Aethelfrith's banished brother-in-law Edwin on the throne of Northumbria, and Oswald and his brother Oswiu were forced to flee. The brothers found sanctuary on the isle of Iona, where Saint Columba had founded a monastery, and where -- thanks to Columba and his monks -- the evangelization of Scotland began. There Oswald and Oswiu were converted to Christianity; they were educated at Iona, and they grew to adulthood steeped in their new faith.
In 632, the situation changed in Northumbria when Oswald's uncle, Edwin, was killed in battle against King Cadwallon of Gwynedd and King Penda of Mercia. In the state of chaos that followed, Oswald's half-brother Eanfrith, son of Aethelfrith and his first wife, seized the throne of Bernicia, while Osric, a relative of Edwin, took control of Deira. Eanfrith may have been able to take the crown by cooperating with Cadwallon, but if so any alliance they forged soon disintegrated. When in 634 Eanfrith met with Cadwallon to negotiate a peace, the British king ordered his men to kill him. Osric was killed in battle at about this time, as well.
The Road to the Crown
Now Oswald saw an opportunity, and, with a small retinue of men supplied by King Domnall Brecc of Dalriada (in present-day Scotland), he ventured south to take the Northumbrian crown. At Heavenfield (Hexham, in present-day Northumberland), Oswald prepared to meet Cadwallon in combat; he set up a large wooden cross as his standard, the first Christian symbol ever raised in Bernicia. After overcoming significant odds, Oswald won the battle; Cadwallon was killed, and Oswald marched triumphantly home.
King of Northumbria
Eanfrith had an infant son, but since Eanfrith had been an unpopular ruler, no one appears to have stepped forward on his son's behalf. Oswald was the preferred choice for king; and, as the son of a father from Bernicia and a mother from Deira, his dual heritage made him a fine candidate for reuniting Northumbria. This he succeeded at doing fairly well.
Oswald the Christian
Although Edwin had introduced Christianity into Northumbria, Eanfrith reverted to paganism when he became king; not only were there many pagans left in the kingdom, but Christianity had actually been suppressed. As a devout Christian, Oswald wanted to see his land returned to the religion he followed; and so, he invited monks from Iona to evangelize Northumbria. Led by St. Aidan, the monks founded a monastery on the isle of Lindisfarne, where they also established a bishopric. Using Lindisfarne as their home base, the monks spread Christianity throughout most of Northumbria. Lindisfarne would become an important center of learning, contributing to the Northumbrian Renaissance and sponsoring the production of the extraordinary Lindisfarne Gospels.
The Expansion of Northumbria
After joining Bernicia to Deira, Oswald expanded his kingdom still further. He captured Din Eitin (present-day Edinburgh), conquered a portion of southern present-day Scotland, and, by arranging for his brother to marry Princess Rhiainfelt, added her kingdom of North Rheged to Northumbria. When he stood as sponsor to the baptism of King Cynegils of Wessex, and married his daughter, Oswald strengthened the alliance between his wife's homeland and his own. By the time he was through expanding, Oswald controlled all of southern England, with the exception of the kingdom of Kent.
The Death of Oswald
Oswald became known for his generous, good-hearted nature. He had many churches and monasteries constructed, and under his rule Northumbria prospered. But Mercia was rising in dominance and posed a serious threat, and its warrior-king, Penda, had twice before brought an end to a Northumbrian monarch's reign. In 642 Penda gathered forces from Wales, including the armies of Gwynedd, Powys and Pengwern, as well as from his own kingdom, and marched on Northumbria. The combatants met at the Battle of Maserfelth (Maserfeld), and Oswald was slain. It was said that his last thoughts were for the welfare of his soldiers, and that his last words were "God have mercy on their souls."
Oswald the Saint
The victors of Maserfelth hacked Oswald's body to pieces and placed his head and limbs on stakes. The body parts remained there a year before being carried to various churches and monasteries. Stories sprang up of miracles connected to Oswald's remains, and the place where he died, the wooden cross he'd set up at Heavenfield, and his tomb were all said to be responsible for miraculous healing. Oswald was even believed to have stopped a plague. For these reasons, Oswald was venerated as a martyr and saint in the Northumbrian church.
More King Oswald Resources:
King Oswald in Print
The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
The King in the North: The Life and Times of Oswald of Northumbria
by Max Adams
Northumbria: The Lost Kingdom
by Paul Gething and Edoardo Albert
The Kingdom of Northumbria: Ad 350-1100
by N. J. Higham
Northumbria, 500-1100: Creation and Destruction of a Kingdom
by David Rollason
The Anglo-Saxons
by James Campbell
Roman Britain and Early England
by Peter Hunter Blair
Anglo-Saxon England
(Oxford History of England)
by Frank M. Stenton
King Oswald on the Web
St. Oswald
Substantive biography by Anselm Parker at the Catholic Encyclopedia.
St. Oswald, King of Northumbria (AD 605-AD 642)
Informative biography at Britannia Internet Magazine.
Early Medieval Britain
Who's Who Directories:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Chronological Index
Geographical Index
Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society
The text of this document is copyright ©2013 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is not granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission, please visit About's Reprint Permissions page.
The URL for this document is:
http://historymedren.D106/od/owho/p/King-Oswald.htm
Source...