Ethelfrid
Family: Northumbrians · Role: king · First appears: Book XI 13
As king of the Northumbrians in Book XI 13, Ethelfrid was stirred by Ethelbert to raise an army against the Britons and march on Bangor to destroy Dinooth and the clergy. At Legecester, he defeated Brocmail, who fled the city, and ordered his forces to attack the assembled monks, killing two hundred. He then faced Blederic, Margadud, and Cadwan, who “joining battle with him, wounded him, and forced him to flee,” while ten thousand and sixty-six of his men were killed.
In Book XII 1–3, Cadwan and Ethelfrid made peace, dividing Britain at the Humber and confirming the agreement by oath; afterward, “there commenced such a friendship between them, that they had all things common.” When Ethelfrid would not consent to the restoration of his pregnant wife, she remained with Cadwan until she gave birth to Edwin, and Cadwan also had a son, Cadwalla; the two boys were brought up together. Later, Ethelfrid and his brother’s son Ethelwald were harassed by war.
Relationship record
Life events
- Ethelbert incited Ethelfrid to raise an army against the Britons.(Book XI 13)
- With: Ethelbert
- “stirred up Ethelfrid, king of the Northumbrians, and the other petty kings of the Saxons, to raise a great army”
- Ethelfrid defeated Brocmail, who fled and abandoned Legecester.(Book XI 13 · 📍 Legecester)
- With: Brocmail
- “Brocmail, who, having a less army to withstand him, at last quitted the city and fled”
- Ethelfrid ordered his forces to attack the assembled monks, killing two hundred.(Book XI 13 · 📍 Legecester)
- “commanded his men to turn their arms first against them; and so two hundred of them were honoured with the crown of martyrdom”
- Blederic, Margadud, and Cadwan defeated Ethelfrid and forced him to flee.(Book XI 13)
- The Britons killed ten thousand and sixty-six men from Ethelfrid's army.(Book XI 13)
- Cadwan and Ethelfrid made peace, dividing Britain at the Humber and confirming the agreement by oath.(Book XII 1–3)
- With: Cadwan
- “At last, as they were forming their troops for a battle, their friends came, and made peace between them on these terms: that Cadwan should enjoy that part of Britain which lies on this side of the Humber, and Ethelfrid that which is beyond it. As soon as they had confirmed this agreement with an oath made to their hostages, there commenced such a friendship between them, that they had all things common.”