Ceolwulf II of Mercien

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Ceolwulf († between 881 and 883) was king of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia from 873 to 879.

Life

The Danish Viking Army wintered in 873/874 coming from Lindsey in Repton , the traditional burial place of the mercian kings. King Burgred fled from the Danes to Rome and these made the weak Ealdorman Ceolwulf II their vassal king in Mercia after he had held hostages and swore oaths.

A number of nobles and bishops who had already witnessed documents from his predecessor Burgred also signed Ceolwulf's documents, which underpinned his recognition in Mercia.

In the autumn of 877 the Danes invaded Mercia and took part of the harvest, leaving the other part to Ceolwulf.

Ceolwulf appears to have attacked Wales. In any case, Rhodri the Great and his son Gwriad were killed in fighting against the Mercier in 878, and Ceolwulf was probably the Mercier general. Anarawd ap Rhodri defeated the Mercier at Conway in north Wales in 881. This was called "God's vengeance for Rhodri". Ceolwulf may have been killed in this battle, but there are no later sources on him. By 883 at the latest, he was definitely dead.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , see 874.
  2. ↑ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , see 877.
  3. ^ Ian W. Walker: Mercia and the Making of England. Sutton, Stroud 2000, ISBN 0-7509-2131-5 , pp. 73-75.

swell

predecessor Office successor
Burgred King of Mercien
873–879 		Ealdorman Æthelred
personal data
SURNAME Ceolwulf II of Mercien
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Mercien (873-879)
DATE OF BIRTH 9th century
DATE OF DEATH between 878 and 883