Oswald of Sussex

Oswald (also Osuualdus; fl. 772 ) was a ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Sussex in the second half of the 8th century.

Life

The chronology is very uncertain because of the weak source location of the 8th century for Sussex. The exact life and government data Oswalds are unknown, is he is only in a charter of the year 772 Its origin is unknown. Sussex stood since the end of the 7th century clearly in the shadow of the neighboring kingdom of Wessex.

Probably Oswald was a king in Sussex, who ruled in the 760er years apparently together with Osmund, Ælfwald and Oslac. Beginning of the 770er years the political situation in Sussex was apparently unstable, which took advantage of Offa of Mercia ( 757-796 ) for themselves. In 771 Offa defeated Kent coming from the Hæstingas in East Sussex and then threw the entire kingdom of Sussex. Offa could have lands in Sussex, at its discretion in the year 772. The erstwhile kings ( Oswald, Osmund, Ælfwald and Oslac ) contributed in a charter that they signed as witnesses, only the title dux or ealdorman. In this Charter Oswald is titled dux Suðsaxorum ( Ealdorman the South Saxons ). Some historians derive from a certain primacy over the other dukes. With the year 772 Oswald's name disappeared from the records. Year of his death is unknown.

Swell

• Charter S108