Oswald | |
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King of Northumbria | |
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Reign | 634-642 |
Born | c. 604 Kingdom of Deira |
Died | 5 August 642 Oswestry, England |
Oswald (c. 605–642) was a King of Northumbria and the first Christian monarch of that kingdom. Oswald brought St. Aidan from Iona to start a monastery on the island of Lindisfarne. Oswald was also venerated as a saint.
Oswald was born c. 605, the son of King Athelfrith of Bernicia and his second wife Acha of Deira.[1] At age twelve his father was killed in battle by Edwin who became King of Northumbria.[2] Along with his brothers Eanfrith and Oswiu and their sister Aebbe, he found safety with the Scots in Dál Riata.[2] The monks of Iona baptized the children and raised them in the Celtic Christian faith.[3] For all of Edwin's reign Oswald remained in Exile.[4] Cadwallon ap Cadfan, the Christian king of Gwynedd, along with the pagan Penda of Mercia, attacked Northumbria in 632.[5] In 633 the two invading armies met Edwin at the Battle of Hatfield Chase.[6] Edwin was killed and his army was destroyed.[6] For the next year Cadwallon destroyed everything he could in Northumbria.[7] At the same time Oswald was gathering a small army among the Scots and Picts.[8] He attacked Cadwallon's larger army at a place called Hefenfelth ("heavenly field"). Cadwallon was killed and his army defeated.[9]
Oswald claimed the crowns of both Bernicia and Deira. By doing this he reunited Northumbria to a single kingdom.[a][1] Oswald was the first king of Northumbria to come to the throne already a Christian.[b][8] As one of his first acts Oswald set up what would become the holy island of Lindisfarne. He asked for a bishop to come to Northumbria to convert his people to the Christian faith.[12] They sent Bishop Aidan.[c][12] Aidan built a monastery and created a Christian colony on the island of Lindisfarne off the coast of Bamburgh.[8] Oswald, at least at first, had to translate for Aidan who did not speak English fluently.[8] Oswald was considered a bretwalda by Bede, the fourth such overlord over the other Anglo-Saxon kings.[14] In 635, Oswald married Cyneburh, the daughter of King Cynegils of Wessex.[15] Oswald also became the godfather of Cynegils when he was baptized c. 639–40.[8] Oswald created several similar alliances in an effort to contain Penda of Mercia.[8] About 638 he won a battle against Owen Map Bili, the king of Strathclyde near Edinburgh.[8] In 640 Oswald tried to recover Lindsey from Penda. The two armies met again in 642 at the Battle of Maserfield (probably in Shropshire).[16] Oswald was killed in the battle.[17] For a year after the battle his head and hands were fastened to stakes.[17] His brother Oswiu finally recovered Oswald's relics.[8] Oswiu succeeded Oswald as king of Northumbria.[18]
Oswald married Cyneburh of Wessex. Their son, "the only son he possessed on earth", was:[19]