| Bernicia |
Articles about Bernicia |
Information AboutBernicia |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BERNICIA | |
| 6th century establishments | |
| petty kingdoms of england | |
| medieval scotland | |
| history of northumberland | |
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The Brythonic kingdom of Bryneich was formed in what had once been the southern lands of the Votadini by the division of the great northern realm of King Coel Hen between his sons in c. 420 AD. This northern realm is referred to by Welsh scholars as '' Y Gogledd Hen '' or, literally, "The Old North". The kingdom of Bryneich was ruled from Bamburgh (known as ''Din Guardi'' in Brythonic) under his descendants until they were driven from the castle in 547 by the Angles. Near this chief royal residence lay the island of Lindisfarne (formerly known as ''Ynys Metcaut''), which became the Seat of a Bishop . The territory of Bernicia is said to have stretched from its border with Ebrauc (later called Deira ) on the Tyne northwards, ultimately incorporating Gododdin lands up to the Firth Of Forth , while its western frontier was gradually extended westward, encroaching on the remaining Cumbric speaking kingdoms of Rheged and Strathclyde . Thus, English Bernicia became not only part of England's far north, but also much of the southeast of Scotland, from Edinburgh south. After ''Bryneich'''s final conquest by the Angles in c.606 it is thought that only a small proportion of the population still spoke the original Cumbric language, mainly in the uplands. This led to Bernicia's contribution of the English as one of the four major ethnic groups of what later became Scotland; they are dominant in the heavily populated Scotch lowlands. Further, since those who emigrated to Northern Ireland came from the borderlands of England and Scotland, the Protestants there are predominantly British in ethnicity. The first Anglian king of whom we have any record is Ida , who is said to have obtained the throne about 547 . Æthelfrith , king of Bernicia, united Deira with his own kingdom around the year 604 and ruled the two kingdoms (united as the kingdom of Northumbria) until he was defeated and killed by Raedwald Of East Anglia (who had given refuge to Edwin , son of Ælle, King Of Deira ) around the year 616 . Edwin then became king. The early part of Edwin's reign was probably spent finishing off the remaining resistance coming from ''Bryneich'' exiles operating out of Gododdin . After he had completed the pacification of the "Welsh" population in Bernicia he was then drawn towards similar subjugation of Elmet (a Cumbric speaking territory which once existed in the modern-day West Riding of Yorkshire, near Leeds ) which drew him into direct conflict with Wales proper. Following the disastrous Battle Of Hatfield Chase on October 12 , 633 , in which Edwin was defeated and killed by Cadwallon Ap Cadfan of Gwynedd and Penda Of Mercia , Northumbria again was divided into Bernicia and Deira. Bernicia was then briefly ruled by Eanfrith , son of Aethelfrith, but after about a year he went to Cadwallon to sue for peace and was killed. Eanfrith's brother Oswald then raised an army and finally defeated Cadwallon at the Battle Of Heavenfield in 634 ; after this victory, he reunited Deira with Bernicia. The kings of Bernicia were thereafter supreme in Northumbria, although Deira had its own sub-kings at times during the reigns of Oswiu and his son Ecgfrith . Kings of Bryneich
Kings of Bernicia
Under Deiran rule 616 - 633
United with Deira to form Northumbria from 634. FURTHER READING
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