Beonna of East Anglia

Beorna (also: Beonna, beanna or Bynna ) was a king of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of East Anglia in the mid- 8th century.

Life

With Ælfwalds death in 749 extinguished the dynasty of Wuffinger. The kingdom was divided between Hunbeanna and Alberht. According to another opinion followed Ælfwald the three jointly ruling kings Hun, Beorna and Aethelberht I., of which only Beorna and Aethelberht are unequivocally proven by the discovery of coins as kings.

To Beornas life no contemporary reports were handed down. Also the archaeological material was sparse until the early 1980s, the hoards of Middle Harling (Norfolk ), Barham ( Suffolk ) and Burrow Hill ( Suffolk ) took over 50 coins to Beornas days. At least three Master of the Mint, Efe, Werferth and Wilred were working for Beorna. One of the mints was in Ipswich, which developed into a thriving commercial center. In the year 758, only Beorna was named as king. Beorna allowed to mint their own coins to 760. About this time came the Kingdom of East Anglia under the reign of King Offa of Mercia. Æthelred I was Beornas successor as king.

Swell

  • Symeon of Durham: Historia regum Anglorum et Dacorum the year 749
  • John of Worcester: Chronicon

Pictures of Beonna of East Anglia

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