Penda of Mercia: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Penda (d. November 15, 655) was a King of Mercia (c. 626 - 655). He was one of the most powerful of the early Anglo-Saxon kings.

Penda was the son of Pybba and probably came to the throne in 626. His age at this time is a matter of some dispute: according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, he was 80 years old at the time of his death (and therefore about 50 upon coming to power), but the evidence with regard to the ages of his children and relatives makes this seem implausible. During the early part of his reign, he seems to have ruled alongside his brother, Eowa. In 628, the Chronicle records a battle between Penda and the West Saxons at Cirencester.

Throughout his reign, Penda benefited from alliances with the Welsh of Powys and Gwynedd. In Dumnonia, while undertaking a siege of Exeter around the year 630, he encountered a force under the exiled king of Gwynedd, Cadwallon ap Cadfan; although initially in conflict, the two soon forged an alliance, and Cadwallon married Penda's sister. Together they drove the Northumbrians out of Gwynedd, and they then invaded Northumbria itself. On October 12, 633, Penda and his Welsh allies defeated the Northumbrians at Hatfield Chase and killed their king, Edwin. One of Edwin's sons, Eadfrith, was captured by Penda, who later had him killed.

More conflict with Northumbria followed. On August 5, 642, Penda defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Maserfield and killed their king, Oswald. The pagan Penda had the Christian Oswald's body mutilated, and Oswald was thereafter revered as a martyr; the site of the battle became known as Oswestry, or "Oswald's Tree", because Penda had hung his remains from a tree. Penda's brother, Eowa, was also killed in this battle; however, it is unclear on which side he was fighting.

Penda devoted most of his reign to aggression against the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. It was probably at some point between 635 and 640 that he fought with the East Anglians and defeated them, killing their kings Sigebert and Egric. In 645, Penda attacked Wessex again and its king, Cenwealh (who had divorced Penda's sister), fled into exile; however, Cenwealh was able to return to power in 648. Around the year 650, Penda attacked East Anglia and drove out its king, Anna; when Anna attempted to reclaim his kingdom in 653 or 654, Penda invaded again and killed him in battle.

During the reign of Penda, the districts corresponding to Cheshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire were probably acquired by Mercia; here Penda installed a king called Merewalh over the Magonsaete. In later centuries it was said that Merewalh was a son of Penda, but there is little basis for that claim.

Penda also established his son Peada as a dependent prince in Middle Anglia. Although a pagan, he allowed his daughter Cyneburg to marry Ecgfrith, the son of King Oswiu of Northumbria, and it was during Peada's reign that Christianity was introduced into Middle Anglia.

Penda's reign was primarily characterized by the long conflict with Northumbria, the only other Anglo-Saxon kingdom of this period that could rival Mercia in power. Despite his major successes in battle against the Northumbrians in 633 and 642, war dragged on endlessly, since Penda was never able to achieve a final victory over them and yet was unwilling to compromise. He continually raided Northumbria and once almost succeeded in reducing the royal stronghold of Bamburgh; when he was unable to capture it, Bede reports that he attempted to set the city ablaze, but that it was saved by a sacred wind that blew the fire back in the faces of the Mercians.

Finally, in 655, Penda invaded Northumbria with a huge army, reported to have been thirty legions strong, which included several of his client kings and allies, such as Cadfael ap Cynfeddw of Gwynedd and Aethelhere of East Anglia. He even enjoyed the support of Aethelwald, the king of Deira, a sub-kingdom of southern Northumbria. Recognizing the odds against him, Oswiu tried to buy peace. Perhaps some agreement was temporarily reached, since Oswiu's son Ecgfrith was taken hostage by Penda and the Historia Britonum reports that Penda accepted Oswiu's offer of treasure, although Bede states that the offer was rejected. In any case, a great battle was fought near the river Winwaed on November 15. Although the numerical odds were on his side, Penda was deserted by Cadfael and Aethelwald. He suffered a crushing defeat and was killed.

References

• Bede
• Anglo-Saxon Chronicle