Cenwalh of Wessex

Cenwalh (also Cenwealh, Cenuualch, Cenuualh, Cenwalch, Cenwall, Coenwalh, Coinualch, Cynewalc, Cynewalh, Kenwealh, Kynewalh etc.; † 672/673 ) was 642-672 / 673, with a break in the years 645-648, King of Gewissæ, an ethnic group as the " West Saxons " the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex was formed in the late 7th century.

Life

Family

It comes from the House of Wessex, and is the son of Cynegils. Cenwalh was married twice; first marriage with a sister of King Penda of Mercia, which he violated by 645; second marriage to Seaxburg. Cenwalhs progeny are not known.

Youth

The Battle of Cirencester 628 against Penda of Mercia was emerging with little success for his father and ended with a peace treaty. This agreement clearly provided for the marriage with the sister of Penda Cenwalhs. The dominance of the region around Cirencester in the UK Hwicce where both fishing and Saxons settled, passed to Mercia. It seems one of the reasons for the southward expansion since the Gewissæ lie. This battle was the beginning of the rivalry between Wessex and Mercia, which lasted until the 9th century.

Rule

Cenwalh succeeded his father in 642 Cynegils to the throne. 645 Penda of Mercia invaded the Gewissæ again, because, as the Venerable Bede, Cenwalh had his wife, a sister Penda violated. Cenwalh fled to the court of King Anna of East Anglia, who was also an enemy of Penda. In exile Cenwalh, who was not yet baptized, unlike his father and brother, was 646 converted to Christianity and baptized by Anna Bishop Felix. Who reigned over his kingdom during his exile, is unknown. Maybe ruled Cenberht, father of the future king Caedwalla at this time.

648 came Cenwalh under unknown circumstances returned to power. His nephew Cuthred, the son of his deceased brother 636 Cwichelm, probably also laid claim to the throne. Cenwalh transferred Cuthred in 648 huge estates of 3000 hidas at Ashdown in Berkshire, a disputed territory between the Gewissæ and Mercia. The area corresponded to almost half a kingdom as Lindsey, Sussex and Essex. Cuthred and Cenberht seem subreguli ( "Among Kings" ) to have been. As a bishop in the year 650 died Birinus sat Cenwalh Agil Bert, one franc, who had studied in Ireland, as the new bishop of Dorchester-on -Thames. At Northumbria entertained Cenwalh, as his father before him, good contacts. The common hostility to Mercia, but also compounds of the West Saxon bishop Agil Bert for Northumbrian clergy, enabled Cenwalh for a reconciliation of deirischen Under King Ealhfrith ( 656-664 ) to work with Bishop Wilfrid.

In the year 652 Cenwalh led a battle at Bradford-on -Avon. His opponent and the backgrounds were not recorded, but is an exploration of Mercia likely than fighting against the British. 658 hit Cenwalh the Walas ( British ) at Peonnan (insecure, presumably Penselwood in Somerset ) to flight, and pursued them to the river Parrett. Despite this victory, the situation came to a head at the northern border and led to a shift in its sphere of influence to the southwest. The southern Jutland Hampshire and British areas in western Wiltshire, Dorset and Somerset were probably during the reign Cenwalhs Gewissæ.

To 660 built Cenwalh a new bishopric in Winchester and sat there Wina ( 660-663 ) as the first bishop. It was Cenwalh apparently no longer possible to protect the area of the upper Thames. Bishop Agil Bert left England in the year 660 661 fell Wulfhere of Mercia in a Wessex. Cenwalh stood at Posentesbyrg ( location unknown) to battle. But Pursued by Wulfhere he had to retire to Ashdown in Berkshire. Cenwalh fell out to 663 with Bishop Wina, who fled to Wulfhere by Mercia. The Gewissæ stayed a few years without a bishop until Cenwalh Agil Bert wanted to move to return. That bishop of Paris had become, but arranged that his nephew Leuthhere 670 appointed in his place as bishop and was consecrated by Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury. Cenwalh enjoys high reputation in Winchester, but the gifts of land at the founding of the diocese are not supported by contemporary charters. However, the original, the St. Peter consecrated, "Church of Old Minster " could be proven by archaeological excavations as a strictly geometric stone church of his time. Even later instruments take on Cenwalhs Foundation reference.

The monastery " Sherborne Abbey " in Sherborne (Dorset) probably derives from a church foundation Cenwalhs. The authenticity of the Charter in this respect is, however, controversial. In Sherborne, the former British Lanprobus, was already a church in vorsächsischer time. A charter from the year 670 certified a land grant to Beorhtwald, but the abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, is probably a fake. In the year 672 Cenwalh took some time for Benedict Biscop on at his court, who had just returned from his fourth trip from Rome to England.

After the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Cenwalh 672 died and his second wife Seaxburg took over for a year rule. It seems what is unique in the Anglo-Saxon history, to have ruled not as regent, but in its own right. She is the only Queen called in the Anglo-Saxon king lists. Bede, however, reported that the empire was divided between the sub- kings. This division of the kingdom seems likely.

Swell

• Venerable Bede Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, online in Medieval Source Book (English)
• Anonymous: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Online in Project Gutenberg (English)
• Æthelweard: Chronica
• Bertram Colgrave (ed.): Eddius Stephen, Vita Wilfredi, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1927, ISBN 0-521-30927-1.