Eormenric of Kent

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Kent in Anglo-Saxon times

Eormenric (also Iurmenric or Irmenric ) is considered to be the first historically established king of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent from the Oiscingas dynasty in the 6th century.

Life

The name Eormenric is unusual for an Anglo-Saxon . Eormen names in England were almost exclusively restricted to the Kent royal family, i.e. Eormenric's descendants, while they were widespread in the Franconian Empire . Even in archaeological finds such as grave goods, a Franconian influence can be seen from around 500.

The sources of Eormenric's origin are contradicting: Beda Venerabilis wrote around 730 that he was a son of Ohta . In around 800, however, Nennius described him as the son of Ossa (= Oisc / Oeric ). There is also uncertainty about his assumption of power: It is possible that he followed Oeric around 512, but probably around 522 or 539 on Ohta.

He married his daughter Ricola to Sledda and thus joined the royal family of Essex . It is not entirely certain when his son Æthelberht I., who was probably born around 552, would succeed him; while some assume an early date of 560 for Eormenric's death, others put it closer to 585. Accordingly, it is also unclear whether the heathen Eormenric had the opportunity to influence the choice of bride for his son, the Christian Bertha , daughter of the Frankish king Charibert I , around 580 .

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literature

  • Michael Lapidge, John Blair, Simon Keynes, Donald Scragg (Eds.): The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England . Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford et al. a. 2001, ISBN 978-0-631-22492-1 .
  • Nicholas Brooks : Anglo-Saxon Myths: State and Church, 400-1066 , Hambledon & London, 1998, ISBN 978-1-85285-154-5 .
  • Nicholas J. Higham: The convert kings: power and religious affiliation in early Anglo-Saxon England , Manchester University Press, 1997, ISBN 978-0-7190-4828-9 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Nicholas Brooks: Anglo-Saxon Myths: State and Church, 400-1066 , Hambledon & London, 1998, ISBN 978-1-85285-154-5 , pp. 46-47.
  2. ↑ Beda: HE 2.5
  3. ↑ Nennius : Historia Brittonum chap. 58.
  4. ^ A b Simon Keynes: Kings of Kent . 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. 501-502.
  5. ^ John Morby: Dynasties of the World: a chronological and genealogical Handbook , Oxford University Press, Oxford 1989, ISBN 978-0-19-860473-0 , p. 64.
  6. ^ Ochta in Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
  7. ↑ Nicholas J. Higham: The convert kings: power and religious affiliation in early Anglo-Saxon England , Manchester University Press, 1997, ISBN 978-0-7190-4828-9 , pp. 85-86.
  8. ↑ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 552
predecessor Office successor
Ohta King of Kent
512/522/539? –About 560/585 		Æthelberht I.
personal data
SURNAME Eormenric of Kent
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lurmenric; Irmenric
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century or 6th century
DATE OF DEATH at 560 or at 585