Penda's brother and co-king was also killed at Maserfield. It was mainly between the armies of the Christian king Oswald of Northumbria and the pagan King Penda of Mercia. She was born into a time of great strife. Since the death of Oswald's uncle Edwin of Northumbria at Hatfield Chase in 633, the Mercians under Penda had presented an obstacle to the power of Northumbria over the lands of Britain south of the Humber. He says only that Oswald died fighting for his country at Maserfield, giving the impression that the battle was part of a "just war". [2] Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon is also thought to have donated reinforcements to Penda from the Kingdom of Gwynedd. [5] (In the 12th century, Henry of Huntingdon wrote of the battle: "It is said the plain of Maserfeld was white with the bones of the Saints". He finally defeated and killed Penda at the Battle of Winwaed in 655.[15]. [7] In 640 Oswald recovered the kingdom of Lindsey from Penda. If this location is correct, it would mean Oswald was in the territory of his enemies, which would suggest he was on the offensive. back to top. [13], The battle of Maserfield left Penda "the most formidable king in England. Maserfield was the old name for the area and probably meant ‘marshy field’ (perhaps a description of where the battle took place. AC = "according to the Annales Cambriae".. Penda of Mercia defeated and killed Oswald of Northumbria. [3], The outcome of the battle was defeat for the Northumbrians. The battle ended in Oswald's death and his army's defeat. The location of the battle is traditionally identified as Oswestry (etymology: "Oswald's Tree") in Shropshire, which at that time is thought to have probably still been in the territory of Powys. The pagan Penda, King of the Mercians is an obstacle to this and Oswald supports Penda's brother Eowa's claim to the Mercian crown. Oswald's body was cut into pieces, and his head and arms mounted on poles; the parts were retrieved in the next year by his brother and successor Oswiu. "[14] Following the battle, Deira, in the southern part of Northumbria, chose a king of its own, Oswine. On the 5th August 641/2, the Mercian king Penda, together with many allies, including, it is generally believed, Cynddylan, the Prince of Powys, faced the Northumbrian king Oswald at a place called Maserfield in English or Maes Cogwy in Welsh. The Battle of Maserfield AD 642 Following his victory over Cadwallon ap Cadfan at Heavenfield, the 'saintly' Oswald of Northumbria is looking to extend his power southwards. More information : One of several proposed sites for the battle of Maserfield 641/2 AD. 642. After death. The Battle of Maserfield took place near Oswestry, which was probably so named as a contraction of Oswald’s tree, as after his death he was dismembered by the Mercians and his limbs and head placed on a wooden cross to make a tree. Maserfield effectively marked the overthrow of Northumbrian supremacy, and in the years that followed the Mercians apparently campaigned into Bernicia, besieging Bamburgh at one point; the Northumbrian sub-kingdom of Deira supported Penda during his 655 invasion. The site where Oswald defeated Cadwallon became known as Hefenfelth, or Heavenfield. The site of the battle is reported to be at Oswestry in Shropshire. [3] Oswald defeated and killed Cadwallon ap Cadfan at the Battle of Heavenfield in 634. This may be a reference to Penda, the son of Pybba, meaning that Cynddylan was eager to fight in battle alongside him. The Battle of Maserfield (Welsh: Cogwy) was fought on 5 August 642. The battle was also known as Cogwy to the Welsh, with their countrymen from Pengwern participating in the battle (according to the Canu Heledd), probably as allies of the Mercians. Eowa also died in that battle, although little is known about this. The Battle of Maes Cogwy (Maserfield) was fought on 5 August 641 or 642. The Battle The cause of the war that led to Maserfield is unknown. The location of the battle is traditionally identified as Oswestry (etymology: "Oswald's Tree"; th… Coordinates: 52°51′36″N 3°03′14″W / 52.860°N 3.054°W / 52.860; 3.054 The seventh century in Britain seems to be a period where kingdoms continually strived to establish themselves. The Battle of Maserfield (or Maserfeld, "marsh (border) field"; Welsh: Maes Cogwy), was fought on 5 August 641 or 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment. It has been suggested that Eowa was the dominant king among the Mercians for a period prior to the battle, and it has also been suggested that he had ruled the northern Mercians while Penda ruled the southern Mercians. The Battle of Maserfield field"; Welsh: Maes Cogwy), was fought on 5 August 641 or 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment. At the POD the pagan king Penda of Mercia was killed by Oswald of Northumbria, instead of the latter being killed and dismembered by the former at the Battle of Maserfield on August 5, 642. Several other sites are also proposed. [9] Northumbrians may have been there also. https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Maserfield&oldid=7272522, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. Oswald soon came to be regarded as a saint. [9] The conquest of the Gododdin at Din Eidyn (Edinburgh) in 638 removed the last stronghold of the Britons in the north. Domnall Brecc, King of Dal Riata defeated them and was a close ally of Oswald. Also known as Maserfield, Maserfelth, Maserfeld, Maes Cogwy, Oswestry. Clare Stancliffe, "Where Was Oswald Killed? It was mainly between the armies of the Christian king Oswald of Northumbria and the pagan King Penda of Mercia. The long term effect was that Oswiu restored Northumbrian power over the next 13 years. The Battle of Maserfield (or Maserfeld, "marsh (border) field"; Welsh: Maes Cogwy), was fought on 5 August 641 or 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment. The Battle of Maserfield (or Maserfeld), (marsh (border) field) Welsh: "Maes Cogwy", was fought on 5 August 641 or 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment. Battle of Maserfield Edit Main article: Battle of Maserfield Historia Brittonum , Chapter 65, notes that "[Penda] fought the battle of Cocboy, in which fell Eawa, son of Pybba, his brother, king of the Mercians, and Oswald, king of the North-men, and he gained the victory by diabolical agency." DETAIL + / - The 20th-century historian, D. P. Kirby, wrote that the battle left Penda as "without question the most powerful Mercian ruler so far to have emerged in the midlands."[2]. Maserfield, battle of, 642. [12] Oswald's brother Oswiu finally recovered Oswald's body. The site of the battle is reported to be at Oswestry in Shropshire. This included men, women and children. The historian Bede, writing in the next century, portrayed Oswald as a saintly figure in his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum; his desire to portray Oswald in a positive light may have led him to omit mention of Oswald's aggressive warfare. King Oswald's uncle, King Edwin of Northumbria, was killed at the Battle of Hatfield Chase in 633 by Penda and his ally Cadwallon ap Cadfan. Battle of Maserfield Fought on 5 August 641 or 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment. Penda is said by Bede to have removed Oswald's head and hands and to have hung them on stakes, perhaps as an offering to a pagan god of war. Battle Of Maserfield 641: Hob Uid: 73624: Location : Warrington Warrington Winwick: Grid Ref : SJ6000092000: Summary : One of several supposed sites of The Battle of Maserfield AD 641/2. The site of the battle is traditionally identified with Oswestry; arguments have been made for and against the accuracy of this identification. ", in C. Stancliffe and E. Cambridge (ed.). Nicholas Brooks, "The Formation of the Mercian Kingdom", in S. Bassett, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Maserfield?oldid=5095182. Also known as Cogwy to the Welsh, with their countrymen from Pengwern participating in the battle … [11] Oswald was killed in the battle. The site of the battle is uncertain. On August 5, 642, 31 Penda defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Maserfield, which was fought near the lands of the Welsh, and Oswald was killed. There were many boundary shifts as they attempted to acquire new lands and defend existing ones. The Battle of Maserfield (or Maserfeld, "marsh (border) field"; Welsh: Maes Cogwy ), was fought on 5 August 641 or 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment. From: Maserfield, battle of in A Dictionary of British History » It was mainly between the armies of the Christian king Oswald of Northumbria and the pagan King Penda of Mercia. [2] Northumbria fell apart and was divided into its two former kingdoms of Deira and Bernicia. [4] Since Penda was a pagan and Oswald was Christian, the latter was subsequently venerated as a martyr and saint. Thus the battle led to the internal weakening and fracturing of the Northumbrian kingdom, a situation which lasted until after the battle of the Winwaed, despite Oswine's murder on the orders of Oswiu in 651. The battle ended in Oswald's death and his army's defeat. The Battles of Maserfield and Winwaed. The Battle of Maserfield was fought on this day – August 5th 642 (possibly 641) between the Kingdom of Northumbria under King Oswald on one side and an alliance between King Penda of Mercia and welsh allies, possibly from Gwynedd and Powys. It’s believed he died only eight years later during the Battle of Maserfield in 642, where he lost to the pagan king, King Penda of Mercia. The Battle of Hatfield Chase (Old English: Hæðfeld; Old Welsh: Meigen) was fought on 12 October 633 [1] at Hatfield Chase near Doncaster (today part of South Yorkshire, England).It pitted the Northumbrians against an alliance of Gwynedd and Mercia.The Northumbrians were led by Edwin and the Gwynedd-Mercian alliance was led by Cadwallon ap Cadfan … The Battle of Winwaed - Location. One of many sites for the battle of Maserfield 641/2 AD. He says only that Oswald died fighting for his country at Maserfield, giving the impression that the battle was part of a "just war". The Battle of Maserfield (or Maserfeld, "marsh (border) field"; Welsh: Maes Cogwy), was fought on 5 August 641 or 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment. [14] The immediate effect of the battle was to weaken and divide Northumbria. [4] Oswald was considered a bretwalda by Bede, the fourth such overlord over the other Anglo-Saxon kings. This page was last changed on 15 January 2021, at 23:03. It has sometimes been identified as Oswestry (‘Oswald's tree’) in Shropshire, but somewhere closer to the Northumbrian‐Mercian border is more likely. Bede mentions the story that Oswald prayed for the souls of his soldiers when he saw that he was about to die. Bede says that the spot where he died came to be associated with miracles, and people took dirt from the site, which led to a hole being dug as deep as a man’s height. [2][9] Since the Historia Brittonum says Penda ruled for only ten years (Bede says 22 years: 633–655), this may mean that it was dating Penda's reign from the time of his victory at Maserfield; this would make sense if Eowa's death removed an important rival to Penda, enabling him to claim or consolidate authority over all the Mercians. Posts about Battle of Maserfield written by Susan Abernethy. [5] Penda remained a constant threat but was kept busy fighting the East Angles and making new alliances with the Welsh. On August 5, 642, Penda defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Maserfield, which was fought near the lands of the Welsh, and Oswald was killed. Oswald had defeated Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd, King of the Britons (Penda's ally at Hatfield) at Heavenfield in 634, and subsequently re-established Northumbrian hegemony across much of Britain; although it is thought that Penda recognized Oswald's authority in some form after Hatfield, he may nevertheless have been hostile to Northumbrian power or at least perceived by Oswald as a threat. Bede reports the commonly accepted date given above; the Welsh Annales Cambriae is generally considered incorrect in giving the year of the battle as 644. Northern and central Britain, c. 700. Osthryth was one of the few women mentioned by the Venerable Bede in his “Ecclesiastical History of the English People”. Following the battle, Deira, in the southern part of Northumbria, chose a king of its own, Oswine, while Bernicia in the north (which had been dominant, with Oswald, a member of the Bernician royal line, ruling both Bernicia and Deira prior to Maserfield) was ruled by Oswald's brother Oswiu. [6]) The Historia Brittonum accredits Penda's victory to "diabolical agency",[7] but the characterization of the battle as a clash between Christians and pagans may be oversimplified if there were Welsh, who were Christian, fighting on Penda's side. BATTLE OF MASERFIELD 941. Northumbria became lead kingdom of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy thirteen years earlier. After eight years of rule, in which he was the most powerful ruler in Britain, Oswald was killed in the Battle of Maserfield. [7][8] The possibility exists that he was subject to Oswald and fighting in the battle as his ally. [7] Oswiu succeeded Oswald as king of Northumbria. Maserfield, battle of, Source: A Dictionary of British History Author(s): John Cannon. Coordinates: 52°51′36″N 3°03′14″W / 52.860°N 3.054°W / 52.860; -3.054. Oswald has since been venerated as a saint. Bernicia in the north was ruled by Oswald's brother Oswiu. The Battle of Maserfield (Welsh: Cogwy) was fought on 5 August 642. Source for information on Maserfield, battle of: The Oxford Companion to British History dictionary. This is too much of a coincidence, and probably refers to the approximate area of the battle. Bede reports a number of miracles attributed to Oswald's bones and to the spot where he died. [1] After the battle Cadwallon and Penda began slaughtering the people of Northumbria. [1], Penda's Welsh allies would have included Cynddylan ap Cyndrwyn of Powys; the Marwnad Cynddylan says of him that "when the son of Pyd requested, how ready he was". Battle Of Maserfield 641: Hob Uid: 65970 Location : Shropshire Shropshire Oswestry: Grid Ref : SJ2800029000 Summary : The battle of Maserfield, at which King Oswald was killed by King Penda of Mercia, may have taken place at Oswestry in 641/2.The battlefield is thought to have been in the vicinity of Maes-y-llan (SJ 285290)This site is one of several possible locations. [9] It would have angered the Welsh, Britons themselves, against Oswald. The Battle of Maserfield (Welsh: Cogwy) was fought on 5 August 642. According to the Historia Brittonum and the Annales Cambriae, Penda's brother Eowa, also said to have been a king of the Mercians, was killed in the battle along with Oswald. [citation needed], The cause of the war that led to Maserfield is unknown. It was in the battle of Maserfield that Oswald of Northumbria was defeated and killed by the Mercians under Penda. (1) In this battle … [8] As a pagan, Penda would not have been happy over Oswald bringing monks from Iona to Lindisfarne, further expanding Christianity in the north. There is no record of what led to this battle or why this place. "[10] He maintained this position until his death against the Bernicians at the Battle of Winwaed in 655; at times in the years between the two battles, his power was sufficient that he could mount destructive raids into Bernicia itself, at one point besieging Bamburgh, prior to his final, doomed campaign. Oswald united Deira and Bernicia and ruled as King of Northumbria, but only for 8 years before he too was killed in battle, slain by his old enemy Penda of Mercia at the Battle of Maserfield in modern Shropshire. Battle *Penda of Mercia defeated and killed *Oswald of Northumbria. [a][12] For a year after the battle his head and hands were fastened to stakes. Results The site of the battle is reported to be at Oswestry in Shropshire. The battle ended in Oswald's death and his army's defeat. Maserfield. Although maps of the area do not show a battlefield, the OS Landranger, does have the words "Pendas Fields" (SE3735-SE3835) located near Barnbow Wood. The historian Bede, writing in the next century, portrayed Oswald as a saintly figure in his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum; his desire to portray Oswald in a positive light may have led him to omit mention of Oswald's aggressive warfare. [7] About 638 he won a battle against Owen Map Bili, the king of Strathclyde near Edinburgh. According to Frank Stenton, Maserfield left Penda as "the most formidable king in England. [6] Oswald also created several similar alliances in an effort to contain Penda. Possible site for the battle of Maserfield (Maserfelth) 941/2 AD. 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