The ''

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the ninth century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of ...

'' records a battle fought in the year 592 at Woden's Barrow (Old English "Wōdnesbeorġ"), the Neolithic

long barrow Long barrows are a style of monument constructed across Western Europe in the fifth and fourth millennia BCE, during the Early Neolithic period. Typically constructed from earth and either timber or stone, those using the latter material repres ...

now known as

Adam's Grave Adam's Grave was a Neolithic British Isles, Neolithic long barrow near Alton Barnes in Wiltshire, southwest England. Its remains have been scheduled as an ancient monument. The barrow is considered to be of the Severn-Cotswold tomb type. These g ...

, near

Marlborough Marlborough or the Marlborough may refer to: Places Australia * Marlborough, Queensland * Principality of Marlborough, a short-lived micronation in 1993 * Marlborough Highway, Tasmania; Malborough was an historic name for the place at the sou ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

. The year entry states: "Her micel wælfill wæs æt Woddes beorge, 7 Ceawlin wæs ut adrifen." (There was great slaughter at Woden's hill, and Ceawlin was driven out.)

Ceawlin Ceawlin ( ; also spelled Ceaulin, Caelin, Celin, died ''ca.'' 593) was a King of Wessex. He may have been the son of Cynric of Wessex and the grandson of Cerdic of Wessex, whom the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' represents as the leader of the fi ...

was king of

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

Wessex The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886. The Anglo-Sa ...

. In most versions of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' the entry does not record the identity of the force opposing Ceawlin but one version, Manuscript E, says they were

Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, w ...

. Yorke, however, says the opponent was

Ceol Ceol ( ; also known as Ceola or Ceolric) is portrayed by the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' and West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List as King of Wessex for five to six years around 592 to 597 (the ''Chronicle'') or 588 to 594 (the List). Historicit ...

, Ceawlin's nephew.Yorke, Barbara (1990). ''Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England.'' London: Seaby. . Ceawlin is recorded as dying the following year and was succeeded by Ceol; his son

Cuthwine Cuthwine (born c. 565), was a member of the House of Wessex, the son of Ceawlin of Wessex, King Ceawlin of Wessex. Cuthwine's father Ceawlin was deposed from the throne of Wessex in 592 by his nephew Ceol. Therefore, Cuthwine never inherited th ...

went into exile. The ''Chronicle'' records a second battle on the same site in the year 715. The area was of strategic importance since it lay near the intersection of the ancient Ridgeway with Wansdyke.

References

External links

Adam's Grave
{{Authority control 592 6th century in England Woden's Burg (592) Woden's Burg Woden's Burg Woden's Burg (592)