Centwine of Wessex

Centwine (also Centuuine, Centuwyne, Centwyn, Coentuuinus, Kentwine, Kentwyne; † after 685 ) was from 676 to 685 King of Gewissæ, an ethnic group in the late 7th century as the " West Saxons " the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex was formed.

Life

Family

Centwine comes from the House of Wessex, and is the son of Cynegils († 642 ). He was married to an unnamed sister of King Ecgfrith of Northumbria. Centwine was the father of the daughter Bugga. Maybe Cynreow and Aldhelm were his sons. Michael Lapidge put forward the theory that Dunne, the mother of a Bugga, is to be identified with cent Wines woman. However, this hypothesis is disputed.

Rule

After King 's death in 672 Cenwalhs began a politically unstable time. Venerable Bede reported that the empire was divided between the sub- kings. It seems likely that after death Cenwalhs the " strong hand " of a dominant king was missing and the empire collapsed during a 10-year period of weakness in the lower realms.

Centwine ascended 676 as successor to the throne Aescwine. At Northumbria, with its royal family he was related, entertained Centwine, as it did his brother Cenwalh ( 642-672/673 ) and his father Cynegils ( 611 to 642), good contacts. According to Bede, the Centwine but did not mention the reunification of the kingdom in cents Wines reign would have fallen. In this connection it is to see probably the banishment of his successor Caedwalla. Baldred (fl. 681-693 ), a relative Cent Wines, still seems to have reigned as a king in North Somerset and Wiltshire, while Cissa ( fl? -699? ) " Currently cent Wines " as regulus (small king) in Wiltshire and parts of Berkshire should have prevailed.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells of a battle against the British in the year 682, in the Centwine his opponents " to the sea " repelled. Aldhelm handed down a total of three victorious battles, although they could not be located, but could indicate the continuation of the expansion to the southwest. To 680 the West Saxon area extended at least to Exeter. The in tribal Hidage 100,000 hidas ( hooves ) specified size of Wessex may correspond to a slightly later state, but there was Centwine certainly one of the largest Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of his time. Furthermore Aldhelm praised the " equitable " rule Cent Wines and its land grants to newly built churches. A charter from the year 682 certified a land grant to Hæmgils, the Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey.

Abdication and death

Among the funded Centwine churches and monastic foundations was probably the unknown monastery, in 685 he retired as a monk. It is unknown whether his resignation was forced by his successor Caedwalla or voluntarily. In the latter case, this was probably due to the influence of Bishop Wilfrid, who was 681 as an exile for some time at cents Wines yard.

Wines cent year of death is unknown, but it was the time of King Ine ( 688-726 ), as Aldhelm wrote a poem for his daughter Bugga, already died. The Chronicle of Glastonbury is Centwine represents a major supporter of the abbey and reported that he was buried there.

Swell

• Anonymous: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, online at Project Gutenberg (English)
• Aldhelm: Carmen ecclesiasticum III In: Michael Lapidge, James L. Rosier ( translator's ): Aldhelm: the poetic works, Boydell, 1985, ISBN 9,780,859,911,467th
• Æthelweard: Chronica
• Venerable Bede Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, online in Medieval Source Book (English)
• Eddius Stephen: The life of Bishop Wilfrid, ch. 40