Penda
Family: Mercians · Role: king of the Mercians · First appears: Book XII 7–11
Penda, king of the Mercians, first surrendered to Cadwalla, gave hostages, and promised to assist him against the Saxons. During Cadwalla’s pursuit of Oswald, Penda broke into the battle at Burne and killed Oswald. Later, Alfrid and Ethelwald rebelled against Oswy and fled to Penda, asking him to assemble an army and cross the Humber with them.
Penda delayed until Cadwalla granted him permission to wage war against Oswy. Near the River Winwid, Oswy defeated Penda and killed him along with thirty other commanders. Penda’s son was Wulfred, while Cadwallader was the son of Penda’s sister, who became Cadwalla’s partner after Cadwalla’s reconciliation with her brother.
Relationship record
Life events
- Penda surrendered to Cadwalla, gave hostages, and promised assistance against the Saxons.(Book XII 7–11)
- With: Cadwalla
- “For, finding no other way for his own safety, he surrendered himself to Cadwalla, and gave hostages, with a promise that he would assist him against the Saxons.”
- Penda killed Oswald during Cadwalla's pursuit of him.(Book XII 7–11 · 📍 Burne)
- With: Oswald
- “Cadwalla, upon hearing this news, being inflamed with rage, assembled his army, and went in pursuit of the holy king Oswald; and in a battle which he had with him at a place called Burne, Penda broke in upon him and killed him.”
- Alfrid and Ethelwald rebelled against Oswy and fled to Penda for military aid.(Book XII 7–11)
- Cadwalla permits Penda to wage war against Oswy.(Book XII 12–17)
- Oswy defeats Penda and kills him and thirty other commanders.(Book XII 12–17 · 📍 River Winwid)
- With: Oswy
- “the king, in hopes of divine assistance, though he had a less army, however, gave him battle near the River Winwid, and having killed Penda and thirty other commanders, gained the victory.”
Book XII 7–11
- sworn: Cadwalla (Penda surrendered to Cadwalla and promised assistance.) “For, finding no other way for his own safety, he surrendered himself to Cadwalla, and gave hostages, with a promise that he would assist him against the Saxons.”
- enemies with Oswald (Penda besieged Oswald and was sent to give him battle.) “Afterwards he sent Penda, king of the Mercians, and the greatest part of his army, to the same place, to give him battle. But Oswald, as he was besieged one night by Penda, in the place called Heavenfield, that is, the Heavenly Field, set up there our Lord's cross”
- enemies with Oswy (Penda sought permission to make war against Oswy.) “But Penda, fearing to break the peace, which Cadwalla had settled through the kingdom of Britain, deferred beginning any disturbance without his leave, till he could some way work him up, either to make war himself upon Oswy, or allow him the liberty of doing it.”
- enemies with Cadwalla “he divided his forces into four parts, and then made no delay to advance and join battle with the enemy, wherein Penda was forthwith taken”
- liege: Cadwalla “he surrendered himself to Cadwalla, and gave hostages, with a promise that he would assist him against the Saxons”
- with Alfrid (Alfrid sought Penda's military assistance.) “they fled to Penda, king of the Mercians, desiring him to assemble his army and pass the Humber with them”
- with Ethelwald (Ethelwald sought Penda's military assistance.) “they fled to Penda, king of the Mercians, desiring him to assemble his army and pass the Humber with them”
Book XII 12–17
- enemies with Oswy “Penda, having assembled a vast army, went to the Humber, and laying waste that country, began a fierce war upon the king.”
- child: Wulfred “Penda's son Wulfred”
- younger kin: Cadwallader (Penda was Cadwallader's maternal uncle.) “His mother was Penda's sister, by the same father but a different mother, descended from the noble race of the Gewisseans.”
- with Cadwalla (Cadwalla and Penda were reconciled.) “For Cadwalla, after his reconciliation with her brother, made her the partner of his bed, and had Cadwallader by her.”
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Extracted from the original text of The History of the Kings of Britain. Made with Rho MD.