Deira was a kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons in northern England. Together with its northern neighbour Bernicia it later formed part of the kingdom of Northumbria. The kingdom extended from the Tees to the Humber in the 7th century.
The origins of Deira are unclear, but it is presumed to have been a British kingdom taken over by Anglo-Saxons. Deira's history begins with its conquest by the Bernician king Æthelfrith. Following Æthelfrith's death, Edwin of Deira ruled Deira and Bernicia. Edwin converted to Christianity in 627, but was killed in battle in 633. Æthelfrith's sons returned from exile and ruled Deira and Bernicia with junior members of the family ruling Deira as sub-kings.
With the end of the Northumbrian kingdom in the Viking Age, the north was again divided in two, with Bernicia reborn, ruled again from Bamburgh, and the south ruled from York, Viking Jorvik.
British origins edit
The name of the kingdom is of Brythonic origin, perhaps from Deifr, meaning "waters",[citation needed] or from Daru, meaning "oak", in which case it would mean "the people of the Derwent", a derivation also found in the Latin name for Malton, Derventio.[1]
As with Bernicia, it is supposed that Deira may have been taken over by small Anglo-Saxon warbands. The 9th century Historia Brittonum (chapter 61) gives a genealogy of Deiran kings, tracing descent from Woden. It states that a certain Soemil "first separated Deira from Bernicia".[2]
The region of Craven, larger in earlier times than today's district centred on Skipton, is thought to have been a British kingdom conquered by the Deirans in early times. The conquest of the kingdom of Elmet can be dated, King Ceretic being expelled around 616. The absorption of the neighbouring kingdom of Loidis, like that of Craven, is not recorded.[3]
(which later absorbed Brythonic kingdom of Ebrauc) was a kingdom in Northern England during the 6th century AD. It extended from the Humber to the Tees, and from the sea to the western edge of the Vale of York. It later merged with the kingdom of Bernicia (Brythonic, Brynaich) to the north to form the kingdom of Northumbria.
According to Simeon of Durham it extended from the Humber to the Tyne, but the land was waste north of the Tees. After the Kingdom of Ebrauc was annexed by Edwin, York (Ebrauc) became its capital. Before this it is likely that the capital would have been at or near Pocklington.
The first Anglian king of whom we have any record is Ælla, who flourished in the later 6th century after conquering the realm from the Britons in 581. After his death, Deira was subject to king Æthelfrith of Bernicia, who united the two kingdoms into Northumbria. Æthelfrith ruled until the accession of Ælla's son Edwin, in 616 or 617, who also ruled both kingdoms until 633.
Osric, the nephew of Edwin, ruled Deira after Edwin, but his son Oswine was put to death by Oswiu in 651. For a few years subsequently Deira was governed by Æthelwald son of Oswald of Bernicia.
Bede wrote of Deira in his Historia Ecclesiastica.
For a list of the kings of Deira, see: List of monarchs of Northumbria.
Notes edit
References edit
- Geake, Helen & Joanthan Kenny (eds), Early Deira: Archaeological studies of the East Riding in the fourth to ninth centuries AD. (2000) ISBN 1-900188-90-2
- Higham, N.J., The Kingdom of Northumbria AD 350-1100 (1993) ISBN 0-86299-730-5