Caedwalla

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Caedwalla (also Cædwalla, Ceadualla, Cedwala, Chedwalla, Caeduald, Petrus etc .; * around 659; † April 20, 689 ) was from 685 to 688 king of the Gewissæ , an ethnic group that was known in the late 7th century as "West Saxony" formed the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex .

Life

family

Caedwalla's father Cenberht († 661) came from the House of Wessex and was a king or sub-king of the Gewissæ from the 640s to 661. His Celtic name suggests that his mother, whose name is unknown, was a British princess. His brother Mul (686-687) was briefly King of Kent .

John Leland (1506–1552) took the view that Caedwalla would have been married to an otherwise unknown Centhryth (Cynethryth). This theory is rarely supported by modern historians. No descendants of Caedwalla are known.

exile

Caedwalla gives Bishop Wilfrid a certificate. Wall painting by Lambert Barnard from the early 16th century

Caedwalla's relative Centwine (676–685) ascended the throne in 676 as the successor to Æscwine (674–676). According to Beda, who did not mention Centwine by name, the reunification of the kingdom, which had fallen into sub-kingdoms, fell during Centwine's reign. The banishment of Caedwalla is also to be seen in this context.

Around 682 Caedwalla attacked the Kingdom of Sussex as a " warlord " with his army . Æthelwalh fell during the fighting and Sussex was sacked. In Sussex, Caedwalla met Bishop Wilfrid , who was living there in exile. Probably under its influence, he made generous gifts to the Church. Apparently Caedwalla set Ecgwald (683? -685?), Whose origin is unknown, as a subregulus (sub-king) in Sussex. Ecgwald is only known through two presumably fake charters . In these 683 and 685 he submissively ( mente devota ) approves gifts of land by Caedwalla to Bishop Wilfrid. The fight against the conquerors from Wessex continued Æthelwalhs Ealdormen Berthun (682? -Um 686) and Andhun (682? -Before 686). They were able to drive out Caedwalla and together ruled over Sussex.

Domination

Succession to the throne

King Centwine retired as a monk in a monastery in 685. It is unknown whether his abdication was forced or voluntary by his successor, Caedwalla. When Caedwalla took control of the kingdom, Cenred (fl. 670 / 676–705 / 717), with whom he was widely related, was able to maintain his position as subregulus (sub-king). In an older version of the Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis , Caedwalla is referred to as Cissa's successor (fl.? -699?), Which indicates his deposition as regulus ( small king ) around 685. A Caedwalla charter from 688 bears Cissa's signature, but without a title.

expansion

England at the time of Caedwalla

The Gewissæ had been pushed from Mercia to the southwest into British territories. By the 660s, Wulfhere of Mercia had further consolidated its influence in the Hampshire and Sussex areas east of Wessex . Caedwalla may have felt threatened by this "encirclement" and turned to the east.

Around the year 685/686 Caedwalla succeeded in a devastating attack on Sussex in which Ealdorman Berthun was killed and Sussex came back under the rule of Wessex. Caedwalla then apparently ruled Sussex directly. After Bishop Wilfrid left Sussex around 686, the Church of Sussex came under Hædde , the Bishop of Winchester (Wessex).

Caedwalla finally conquered Kent in alliance with King Sighere of Essex in 686, and he was able to defeat King Eadric . Caedwalla then installed his brother Mul as governor in Kent, while Sighere ruled west of Kent. At an unknown time, Caedwalla also gained supremacy over Surrey . In the Jut provinces and in Surrey he began energetically to create church structures.

This was followed, also in the year 686, by Caedwalla's attack on the Jutian Isle of Wight , where a pagan small kingdom existed under King Arualdus (Arwald). He was powerless against the overwhelming strength of the troops from Wessex and, like his two younger brothers, died in the fighting in which a large part of the island's inhabitants were slaughtered. Caedwalla was badly wounded in these battles and had the island repopulated by West Saxony. Although he was still a pagan himself, he had sworn to give a quarter of the conquered land to the church. When the exiled bishop Wilfrid was able to return to Northumbria in 686 , he handed the lands over to his nephew Beornwine, whom he placed the priest Hiddila at his side.

A rebellion broke out in Kent in 687, during which Mul and twelve of his followers were burned. Oswine from the Kentish dynasty of the Oiscingas was proclaimed the new king . Caedwalla then waged war again and devastated the country. Around 687 Caedwalla gave 40 hidas at Hebureahg (Hoo in Kent) to Abbot Ecgbald for St. Peter's Minster in Medeshamstede ( Peterborough ). Around 687/688 Caedwalla gave property on the Wandle River in Surrey to the London Bishop Erkenwald , who passed it on to St Mary's Church in Barking in 693.

Consolidation

With Kent, Surrey, the Isle of Wight, Sussex and the "allied" Essex, Caedwalla had gained dominance over most of England south of the Thames. He was the last ruler to be called "King of the Gewissæ". The name Seaxe ("Saxony") replaced the old tribal name Gewissæ in the course of the 7th century , which finally gave way to the name Westseaxe ("West Saxony", Wessex) in the early 8th century . These name changes reflect the political development from tribal kingship to territorial rule. In Charter S235, Caedwalla 688 referred to himself as Rex Saxonum (King of the Saxons), with which he expressed his hegemonic position over the Germanic peoples of southern England.

Caedwalla was a patron of the double monastery Barking Abbey in Essex. He is also considered a possible founder of Abingdon Abbey , which he has made several donations. In 688, Baldred and Abbot Aldhelm of Malmesbury exchanged lands north of the River Avon . Baldred ceded Stercanlei (Startley Farm in Great Somerford, Wilts.) And areas at Cnebbanburg against an area at Braydon, Wilts. The document was signed by Caedwalla as a witness. In August of the year 688 Caedwalla transferred large lands in the Kemele forest (possibly near Kemble in Gloucestershire ) to the church in Malmesbury with Charter S231 . Charter S234 is probably a falsified copy in which S231 was mixed up with an older Charter Centwines (676–685).

Abdication and death

In 688 Caedwalla resigned surprisingly to go on a pilgrimage to Rome . The successor in Wessex fell to Ine (688-726). He was hospitably received by Cunincpert (688-700), king of the Lombards , in Pavia before he traveled on to Rome in 689. Caedwalla, who was considered a Christian but had apparently never actually been baptized until then, finally came to Rome, where he was baptized by Pope Sergius I (687–701) on April 10, 689, the baptismal name Peter (Peter) and died soon afterwards on April 20, 689 at the age of about thirty. He was buried in St. Peter's Basilica . Pope Sergius had an epitaph placed on Caedwalla's tomb, boasting of his military successes and Christian virtues. The grave inscription, the author of which Benedict of Milan is believed, has disappeared since the high Middle Ages and the exact grave site is unknown.

Caedwalla is considered a saint , although no cult around him could be proven. His feast day is April 20th. He is the patron saint of converts and murderers .

swell

literature

Web links

Commons : Caedwalla  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ^ A b c Simon Keynes: Kings of the West Saxons . In: Lapidge et al. (Ed.): The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England . Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford et al. a. 2001, ISBN 978-0-6312-2492-1 , pp. 511-514.
  2. ↑ DP Kirby: The Earliest English Kings , Routledge, London-New York 2000, ISBN 978-0415242110 , pp. 39 and 100.
  3. ^ A b John Cannon, Anne Hargreaves: The Kings and Queens of Britain , Oxford University Press, 2009 (2nd revised edition), ISBN 978-0-19-955922-0 , pp. 55–56.
  4. ↑ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 685
  5. ^ John Leland : Collectanea , Volume 3, p. 55.
  6. ↑ a b Barbara Yorke: Centwine  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.oxforddnb.com   (paid registration required). In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved November 13, 2011
  7. ↑ Barbara Yorke: Wessex in the early Middle Ages (Studies in the Early History of Britain) , Continuum, 1995, ISBN 978-0718518561 , p. 83.
  8. ↑ a b c Beda: HE 4.15
  9. ↑ a b Barbara Yorke: Cædwalla . In: Lapidge et al. (Ed.): The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England . Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford et al. a. 2001, ISBN 978-0-631-22492-1 , p. 81.
  10. ↑ Charter S230 and Charter S232
  11. ↑ Patrick Wormald: Ine (paid registration required). In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved November 13, 2011
  12. ↑ John Hudson (Ed.): Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis. The History of the Church of Abingdon, Volume I , Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-19-929937-9 , p. CIX
  13. ↑ Charter S231
  14. ^ A b Barbara Yorke: Kings and Kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England . Routledge, London-New York 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-16639-3 , pp. 137-139.
  15. ^ SE Kelly: Sussex, Kingdom of . In: Lapidge et al. (Ed.): The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England . Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford et al. a. 2001, ISBN 978-0-6312-2492-1 , pp. 431-432.
  16. ↑ Barbara Yorke: Kings and Kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England , Routledge, London-New York 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-16639-3 , p. 30.
  17. ↑ a b c Barbara Yorke: Kings and Kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England , Routledge, London-New York 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-16639-3 , pp. 48-49.
  18. ↑ Bede: HE 4:16
  19. ↑ a b Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 687
  20. ↑ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 686
  21. ↑ Barbara Yorke: Nunneries and the Anglo-Saxon Royal Houses . Continuum, 2003, ISBN 978-0826460400 , p. 38; see: Charter S233
  22. ↑ Charter S1246
  23. ↑ Susan E. Kelly: Charters of Malmesbury Abbey , Oxford University Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0197263174 , p. 146; see: Charter S1248
  24. ↑ Barbara Yorke: Wessex in the early Middle Ages (Studies in the Early History of Britain) , Continuum, 1995, ISBN 978-0-7185-1856-1 , pp. 57-59.
  25. ↑ Barbara Yorke: Certain . In: Lapidge et al. (Ed.): The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England . Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford et al. a. 2001, ISBN 978-0-631-22492-1 , pp. 203-204.
  26. ↑ Barbara Yorke: Wessex in the early Middle Ages (Studies in the Early History of Britain) , Continuum, 1995, ISBN 978-0-7185-1856-1 , pp. 34-35.
  27. ^ Heinrich Beck , Dieter Geuenich , Heiko Steuer (eds.): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde , Volume 12 , de Gruyter, 1998, ISBN 978-3-11-016227-1 , p. 49; see: Charter S235
  28. ^ Barbara Yorke: Kings and Kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England . Routledge, London-New York 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-16639-3 , p. 55.
  29. ↑ John Hudson (Ed.): Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis. The History of the Church of Abingdon, Volume I . Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-19-929937-9 , pp. XLVI, LXXXIV and CCI and pp. 2–5 and 13.
  30. ↑ Susan E. Kelly: Charters of Malmesbury Abbey , Oxford University Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-19-726317-4 , pp. 96 and 147-148; see: Charter S1170
  31. ↑ Susan E. Kelly: Charters of Malmesbury Abbey , Oxford University Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-19-726317-4 , pp. 144-145; see: Charter S231 and Charter S234
  32. ↑ a b Beda: HE 5.7
  33. ↑ Paulus Deaconus : Historia Langobardorum VI, 15
  34. ^ Katherine O'Brien O'Keeffe, Andy Orchard (Ed.): Latin Learning and English Lore: Studies in Anglo-Saxon Literature . University of Toronto Press, 2005, ISBN 9780802089199 , p. 185.
  35. ↑ St. Augustine's Abbey (ed.): The Book of Saints: A Dictionary of Servants of God canonized by the Catholic Church: extracted from the Roman & other Martyrologies. Macmillan, 1947, p. 32.
  36. ↑ Saint Caedwalla ( Memento of 23 December 2014 Internet Archive ) in saints.sqpn.com
predecessor Office successor
Centwine King of Wessex
685–688
with Baldred (fl. 681–693), Cissa (fl.? –699?) And Cenred (fl. Around 670 / 676–705 / 717) as sub-kings 		Ine
personal data
SURNAME Caedwalla
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Cædwalla; Ceadualla; Cedwala; Caeduald; Chedwalla; Peter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Wessex
DATE OF BIRTH at 659
DATE OF DEATH April 20, 689
Place of death Rome