Eowa of Mercia
Encyclopedia
Eowa was a son of the Mercia
n king Pybba
and a brother of the Mercian king Penda
; according to the Historia Brittonum and the Annales Cambriae
. These two sources state that Eowa was a king of the Mercians himself at the time of the Battle of Maserfield
(or Cogwy), in which he was killed, on August 5 of what was probably the year 642. The later Mercian kings Ethelbald
, Offa
and Ecgfrith
were descended from Eowa; the period of their rule began in 716 following the death of Penda's grandson Ceolred
and ended with Ecgfrith's death in December 796.
It was in the battle of Maserfield that Oswald of Northumbria
was defeated and killed by the Mercians under Penda. Eowa also died in this battle, although little is known about this. It has been suggested that Eowa may have been a co-ruler of the Mercians alongside Penda, or possibly even superior in status to Penda at this time (if so, this could explain why the Historia Brittonum seems to date Penda's reign from the battle of Maserfield), and that he may have been subject to Oswald and fighting as his ally in the battle. It is possible that it was customary among the Mercians until this time for there to be more than one king, and Penda and Eowa may have ruled over the southern and northern Mercians respectively.
Neither Bede
, in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People
, nor the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
mention Eowa's participation or death at Maserfield, or his previously being a Mercian king, although the Chronicle later mentions him when tracing the descent of Ethelbald and Offa.
Nicholas Brooks wrote that, if Eowa is considered to have ruled during the period between roughly 635 and Maserfield, this could account for an obscure recorded Welsh raid into Mercian territory, during which it is said that no mercy was shown to "book-holding monks". Brooks noted that if Eowa was a Northumbrian puppet, there would be the possibility that Oswald may have made moves to promote Christianity in Mercia at this time, thus accounting for the presence of monks in what was still a pagan kingdom. Since Penda is known to history as an ally of the Welsh, this along with the presence of monks makes it seem unlikely that the raid could have taken place during his rule.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the lineage of Eowa's grandson Ethelbald, who ruled from 716 until 757:
Later, it gives the lineage of Eowa's great-great-grandson Offa, who ruled from 757 to 796 and was descended from Eowa's son Osmod rather than Eowa's son Alweo. The descent purportedly extends back to Woden
:
The Historia Brittonum says that Pybba had 12 sons, but that Penda and Eowa were the ones best known to him.
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
n king Pybba
Pybba of Mercia
Pybba was an early King of Mercia. He was the son of Creoda and father of Penda and Eowa....
and a brother of the Mercian king Penda
Penda of Mercia
Penda was a 7th-century King of Mercia, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom in what is today the English Midlands. A pagan at a time when Christianity was taking hold in many of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Penda took over the Severn Valley in 628 following the Battle of Cirencester before participating in the...
; according to the Historia Brittonum and the Annales Cambriae
Annales Cambriae
Annales Cambriae, or The Annals of Wales, is the name given to a complex of Cambro-Latin chronicles deriving ultimately from a text compiled from diverse sources at St David's in Dyfed, Wales, not later than the 10th century...
. These two sources state that Eowa was a king of the Mercians himself at the time of the Battle of Maserfield
Battle of Maserfield
The Battle of Maserfield , Welsh: "Maes Cogwy", was fought on August 5, 641 or 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment...
(or Cogwy), in which he was killed, on August 5 of what was probably the year 642. The later Mercian kings Ethelbald
Ethelbald of Mercia
Æthelbald was the King of Mercia, in what is now the English Midlands, from 716 until 757. During his long reign, Mercia became the dominant kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons, and recovered the position of pre-eminence it had enjoyed during the seventh century under the strong Mercian kings Penda and...
, Offa
Offa of Mercia
Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...
and Ecgfrith
Ecgfrith of Mercia
Ecgfrith was a King of Mercia who briefly ruled in the year 796. He was the son and heir of King Offa of Mercia and his wife Cynethryth. In 787, Offa had Ecgfrith crowned as co-ruler. He succeeded his father in July 796, but despite Offa's efforts to secure his son's succession, it is recorded...
were descended from Eowa; the period of their rule began in 716 following the death of Penda's grandson Ceolred
Ceolred of Mercia
-Mercia at the end of the 7th century:By the end of the 7th century, England was almost entirely divided into kingdoms ruled by the Anglo-Saxons, who had come to Britain two hundred years earlier. The kingdom of Mercia occupied what is now the English Midlands, bordered by Northumbria to the...
and ended with Ecgfrith's death in December 796.
It was in the battle of Maserfield that Oswald of Northumbria
Oswald of Northumbria
Oswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and is now venerated as a Christian saint.Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile; after defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of...
was defeated and killed by the Mercians under Penda. Eowa also died in this battle, although little is known about this. It has been suggested that Eowa may have been a co-ruler of the Mercians alongside Penda, or possibly even superior in status to Penda at this time (if so, this could explain why the Historia Brittonum seems to date Penda's reign from the battle of Maserfield), and that he may have been subject to Oswald and fighting as his ally in the battle. It is possible that it was customary among the Mercians until this time for there to be more than one king, and Penda and Eowa may have ruled over the southern and northern Mercians respectively.
Neither 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...
, in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People
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...
, nor the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
mention Eowa's participation or death at Maserfield, or his previously being a Mercian king, although the Chronicle later mentions him when tracing the descent of Ethelbald and Offa.
Nicholas Brooks wrote that, if Eowa is considered to have ruled during the period between roughly 635 and Maserfield, this could account for an obscure recorded Welsh raid into Mercian territory, during which it is said that no mercy was shown to "book-holding monks". Brooks noted that if Eowa was a Northumbrian puppet, there would be the possibility that Oswald may have made moves to promote Christianity in Mercia at this time, thus accounting for the presence of monks in what was still a pagan kingdom. Since Penda is known to history as an ally of the Welsh, this along with the presence of monks makes it seem unlikely that the raid could have taken place during his rule.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the lineage of Eowa's grandson Ethelbald, who ruled from 716 until 757:
- Aethelbald was Alweo's offspring, Alweo Eawa's offspring, Eawa Pybba's offspring...
Later, it gives the lineage of Eowa's great-great-grandson Offa, who ruled from 757 to 796 and was descended from Eowa's son Osmod rather than Eowa's son Alweo. The descent purportedly extends back to Woden
Woden
Woden or Wodan is a major deity of Anglo-Saxon and Continental Germanic polytheism. Together with his Norse counterpart Odin, Woden represents a development of the Proto-Germanic god *Wōdanaz....
:
- That Offa was Thingfrith's offspring, Thingfrith Eanwulf's offspring, Eanwulf Osmod's offspring, Osmod Eawa's offspring, Eawa Pybba's offspring, Pybba Creoda's offspring, Creoda Cynewald's offspring, Cynewald Cnebba's offspring, Cnebba Icel's offspring, Icel Eomer's offspring, Eomer Angeltheow's offspring, Angeltheow Offa's offspring, Offa Wermund's offspring, Wermund Wihtlaeg's offspring, WihtlaegWihtlægWihtlæg, Whitlæg, Wighlek or Wiglek is a legendary king of either Denmark or Angeln in Germanic legends.In Anglo-Saxon genealogies, Whitlæg is one of the Sons of Woden. According to the genealogies in the Anglian collection, Weothulgeot was ancestor to the royal house of Mercia and the father of...
Woden's offspring.
The Historia Brittonum says that Pybba had 12 sons, but that Penda and Eowa were the ones best known to him.