Æthelwald Moll was King of

Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...

, the historic

petty kingdom A petty kingdom is a kingdom described as minor or "petty" (from the French 'petit' meaning small) by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it (e.g. the numerous kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England unified into ...

Angles The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ...

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

England, from 759 to 765. He seized power after the murder of Oswulf son of Eadberht; his ancestry and connection to the royal family of Northumbria is unknown. Æthelwald faced at least one rebellion, led by Oswine, perhaps a brother of Oswulf. In 765 a

Witenagemot The Witan () was the king's council in Anglo-Saxon England from before the seventh century until the 11th century. It was composed of the leading magnates, both ecclesiastic and secular, and meetings of the council were sometimes called the Wi ...

of Northumbrian notables deposed Æthelwald and replaced him with Alhred, a kinsman of his predecessor. After his removal from the throne Æthelwald became a monk, perhaps involuntarily. Æthelwald's marriage with one Æthelthryth is recorded in 762 at Catterick by

Symeon of Durham __NOTOC__ Symeon (or Simeon) of Durham (died after 1129) was an English chronicler and a monk of Durham Priory. Biography Symeon entered the Benedictine monastery at Jarrow as a youth. It moved to Durham in 1074, and he was professed in 1085 or ...

. He is known to have had at least one son,

Æthelred Æthelred (; ang, Æþelræd ) or Ethelred () is an Old English personal name (a compound of '' æþele'' and '' ræd'', meaning "noble counsel" or "well-advised") and may refer to: Anglo-Saxon England * Æthelred and Æthelberht, legendary prin ...

, who later became king.

Origins

Æthelwald is not recorded in the extant genealogies of Northumbrian kings, perhaps because he was not a descendant of Ida and the

Bernicia Bernicia ( ang, Bernice, Bryneich, Beornice; la, Bernicia) was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England. The Anglian territory of Bernicia was ap ...

n kings. Whether he was a descendant of the

Deira Deira ( ; Old Welsh/Cumbric: ''Deywr'' or ''Deifr''; ang, Derenrice or ) was an area of Post-Roman Britain, and a later Anglian kingdom. Etymology The name of the kingdom is of Brythonic origin, and is derived from the Proto-Celtic *''daru' ...

n dynasty of Ælle, or simply a member of a powerful noble family, is unknown. It is likely that he is to be identified with the ''patrician'' Moll, recorded in the reign of King Eadberht, to whom Eadberht and his brother

Ecgbert, Archbishop of York Ecgbert (died 19 November 766) was an 8th-century cleric who established the archdiocese of York in 735. In 737, Ecgbert's brother became king of Northumbria and the two siblings worked together on ecclesiastical issues. Ecgbert was a corresponde ...

, granted the monasteries of Stonegrave,

Coxwold Coxwold is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England, in the North York Moors, North York Moors National Park. It is 18 miles north of York and is where the Rev. Laurence Sterne wrote ''A Sentimental Jour ...

, and Donaemuthe, all in modern

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

. These had belonged to Moll's brother, Abbot Forthred.

Reign

On 24 July 759, King Oswulf was murdered by members of his own household. The regicide was "a crime in which Æthelwald may very well have been involved." Æthelwald was crowned

King of Northumbria Northumbria, a kingdom of Angles, in what is now northern England and south-east Scotland, was initially divided into two kingdoms: Bernicia and Deira. The two were first united by king Æthelfrith around the year 604, and except for occasional ...

on 5 August 759. His reign was not unopposed. The continuator of Bede's '' Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum'' reports the death of a certain Oswine in 761. The '' Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' and Symeon of Durham's ''Historia Regum'' supply more details, recording that Oswine, "a most noble

ætheling Ætheling (; also spelt aetheling, atheling or etheling) was an Old English term (''æþeling'') used in Anglo-Saxon England to designate princes of the royal dynasty who were eligible for the kingship. The term is an Old English and Old Saxon ...

", was killed fighting against Æthelwald on 6 August 761 in the

Eildon Hills Eildon Hill lies just south of Melrose, Scotland in the Scottish Borders, overlooking the town. The name is usually pluralised into "the Eildons" or "Eildon Hills", because of its triple peak. The high eminence overlooks Teviotdale to the Sout ...

. Æthelwald was deposed on 30 October 765, apparently by a council of noblemen and prelates held at ''Pincanheale'', an important site used for two later Northumbrian church councils. According to the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

Annals of Tigernach The ''Annals of Tigernach'' (abbr. AT, ga, Annála Tiarnaigh) are chronicles probably originating in Clonmacnoise, Ireland. The language is a mixture of Latin and Old and Middle Irish. Many of the pre-historic entries come from the 12th-centur ...

'', Æthelwald was tonsured. He was succeeded as king by Eadberht's son-in-law Alhred.

Descendants

Æthelwald's marriage with one Æthelthryth is recorded in 762 at Catterick by

. They are known to have had at least one son,

, who later became king. It is presumed, on

onomastic Onomastics (or, in older texts, onomatology) is the study of the etymology, history, and use of proper names. An '' orthonym'' is the proper name of the object in question, the object of onomastic study. Onomastics can be helpful in data mining, ...

grounds, that the Moll "slain by the urgent command of King

Eardwulf Eardwulf or Eardulf is an Anglo-Saxon male name. Notable people with the name include: * Eardwulf of Northumbria, (floruit late 8th/early 9th century), ruler of Northumbria * Eardwulf of Kent (floruit middle 8th century), ruler of Kent * Eardwulf, ...

" was a kinsman of Æthelwald Moll.Kirby, p.156, Symeon of Durham, p. 461.

Notes

References

* * D.P. Kirby, ''The Earliest English Kings.'' London: Unwin Hyman, 1991. * John Marsden, ''Northanhymbre Saga: The History of the Anglo-Saxon Kings of Northumbria.'' London: Cathie, 1992. * * Ann Williams, ''Kingship and Government in Pre-Conquest England, c. 500–1066.'' Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1999. * Barbara Yorke, ''Kings and Kingdoms in Early Anglo-Saxon England.'' London: Seaby, 1990.

External links

* ; see also {{DEFAULTSORT:Aethelwald Moll Of Northumbria Anglo-Saxon warriors Northumbrian monarchs 8th-century English monarchs