Penda

Family: Mercians · Role: king · First appears: A.D. 626–655

In 626, Penda began to reign, aged fifty, and was recorded as the son of Wybba. In 628, Cynegils and Cwichelm fought him at Cirencester before making a treaty there. In 633, he and Cadwalla slew Edwin and Osfrid at Hatfield moor, then ravaged Northumbria; Paulinus fled by ship to Kent. In 642, Penda slew Oswald at Mirfield.

In 645, Penda drove Kenwal from his dominion; the exile and loss of the kingdom are also recorded under 658, with Kenwal said to have been driven out because he had discarded Penda’s sister. In 656, Wulfhere, son of Penda, succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians. Peada and Ethelred are also recorded as sons of Penda.

Relationship record

Life events

• Penda drove Kenwal into exile and deprived him of his kingdom.(A.D. 656–660 · 📍 East-Anglia)
  • With: Kenwal
  • “Penda had driven him thither and deprived him of his kingdom, because he had discarded his sister.”
• 626 · Penda began to reign; the annal records his ancestry.(A.D. 626–655)
  • With: Wybba Creoda son of Cynewald Cynewald Cnebba Icel Eomer Angelthew Offa son of Wearmund Wearmund Whitley Woden
  • “This year Penda began to reign; and reigned thirty winters. He had seen fifty winters when he began to reign. Penda was the son of Wybba, Wybba of Creoda, Creoda of Cynewald, Cynewald of Cnebba, Cnebba of Icel, Icel of Eomer, Eomer of Angelthew, Angelthew of Offa, Offa of Wearmund, Wearmund of Whitley, Whitley of Woden.”
• 628 · Cynegils and Cwichelm fought Penda and afterwards made a treaty.(A.D. 626–655 · 📍 Cirencester)
  • With: Cynegils Cwichelm
  • “This year Cynegils and Cwichelm fought with Penda at Cirencester, and afterwards entered into a treaty there.”
• 633 · Cadwalla and Penda slew Edwin and his son Osfrid.(A.D. 626–655 · 📍 Hatfield moor)
  • With: Edwin Cadwalla Osfrid
  • “This year King Edwin was slain by Cadwalla and Penda, on Hatfield moor, on the fourteenth of October. He reigned seventeen years. His son Osfrid was also slain with him.”
• 633 · Cadwalla and Penda ravaged Northumbria, and Paulinus fled by ship to Kent.(A.D. 626–655)
  • With: Cadwalla Paulinus
  • “After this Cadwalla and Penda went and ravaged all the land of the Northumbrians; which when Paulinus saw, he took Ethelburga, the relict of Edwin, and went by ship to Kent.”
• 642 · Penda slew Oswald in battle.(A.D. 626–655 · 📍 Mirfield)
  • With: Oswald
  • “This year Oswald, king of the Northumbrians, was slain by Penda, king of the Southumbrians, at Mirfield, on the fifth day of August”
• 645 · Penda drove Kenwal from his dominion.(A.D. 626–655)
  • With: Kenwal
  • “This year King Kenwal was driven from his dominion by King Penda.”
• 656 · Wulfhere, Penda's son, succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians.(A.D. 656–660)
  • With: Wulfhere
  • “and Wulfhere, son of Penda, succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians.”

A.D. 626–655

• parent: Wybba “Penda was the son of Wybba”
• enemies with Cynegils “Cynegils and Cwichelm fought with Penda at Cirencester”
• enemies with Cwichelm “Cynegils and Cwichelm fought with Penda at Cirencester”
• enemies with Edwin “After this Cadwalla and Penda went and ravaged all the land of the Northumbrians”
• enemies with Osfrid “His son Osfrid was also slain with him.”
• enemies with Oswald “Oswald, king of the Northumbrians, was slain by Penda, king of the Southumbrians”
• enemies with Kenwal “King Kenwal was driven from his dominion by King Penda.”
• child: Peada “when Peada, the son of Penda, assumed the government of the Mercians.”

A.D. 656–660

• child: Wulfhere “Wulfhere, son of Penda,”
• enemies with Kenwal “Penda had driven him thither and deprived him of his kingdom, because he had discarded his sister.”

A.D. 661–684

• child: Wulfhere “Wulfere, the son of Penda”

A.D. 685–721

• child: Ethelred son of Penda “Ethelred, the son of Penda, King of Mercia,”

⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →

Extracted from the original text of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Made with Rho MD.