Arwald
Encyclopedia
Arwald was the last Jutish King of the Isle of Wight
and last pagan king in Anglo-Saxon England until the Vikings in the 9th century. His name may have been "Arwald" or "Atwald" - Bede
's script is often difficult to read. PASE has "Arwald".
Nearly all we know of him is from Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
, which describes the invasion of the Isle of Wight by Caedwalla, a Wessex
King, who, with merciless slaughter, endeavoured to destroy all the island's inhabitants and replace them with his own followers. Caedwalla had also vowed to give a quarter of the Isle of Wight to St. Wilfrid and the Church.
Arwald was killed in battle, but his two younger brothers escaped to the Great Ytene Forest (now called the New Forest
). They were betrayed to Caedwalla and taken to a place where he "was in hiding with his wounds" at Stoneham, near Southampton
. Shortly before they were put to the sword they allegedly converted to Christianity
by the intervention of an abbot, being described by Bede as "the first fruits" of the massacre because of this conversion.
Thus canonised, their names are unknown, but they are called collectively "St. Arwald"- after their pagan uncle (who died fighting Christianity).
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and last pagan king in Anglo-Saxon England until the Vikings in the 9th century. His name may have been "Arwald" or "Atwald" - Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
's script is often difficult to read. PASE has "Arwald".
Nearly all we know of him is from Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum is a work in Latin by Bede on the history of the Christian Churches in England, and of England generally; its main focus is on the conflict between Roman and Celtic Christianity.It is considered to be one of the most important original references on...
, which describes the invasion of the Isle of Wight by Caedwalla, a Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
King, who, with merciless slaughter, endeavoured to destroy all the island's inhabitants and replace them with his own followers. Caedwalla had also vowed to give a quarter of the Isle of Wight to St. Wilfrid and the Church.
Arwald was killed in battle, but his two younger brothers escaped to the Great Ytene Forest (now called the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
). They were betrayed to Caedwalla and taken to a place where he "was in hiding with his wounds" at Stoneham, near Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. Shortly before they were put to the sword they allegedly converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
by the intervention of an abbot, being described by Bede as "the first fruits" of the massacre because of this conversion.
Thus canonised, their names are unknown, but they are called collectively "St. Arwald"- after their pagan uncle (who died fighting Christianity).