Kingdom of Deira | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 450–654 | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
| Capital | York | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Northumbrian Old English,Common Brittonic | ||||||||||
| Religion | Anglo-Saxon paganism,Christianity | ||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||
| Historical era | Early Medieval | ||||||||||
• Established | c. 450 | ||||||||||
• Shared crown withBernicia | 604 | ||||||||||
• merged with Bernicia | 654 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Deira (/ˈdaɪrə,ˈdɛərə/DY-rə,DAIR-ə;[1]Old Welsh/Cumbric:Deywr orDeifr;Old English:Dere orDera rice)[2] was an area ofPost-Roman Britain, and a laterAnglian kingdom.[3]
The name of the kingdom is ofBrythonic origin, and is derived from theProto-Celtic*daru, meaning 'oak' (derw in modern Welsh), in which case it would mean 'the people of theDerwent', a derivation also found in theLatin name forMalton,Derventio.[4] It iscognate with the modernIrish worddoire (pronounced[ˈd̪ˠɛɾʲə]); the names of the Irish cities ofDerry andKildare stem from this word.[5][6]
Following theRoman withdrawal from Britain a number of successor kingdoms rose in northern England, reflecting pre-Roman tribal territories. The area betweenthe Humber andRiver Tees known asDeywr orDeifr corresponds to the tribal lands of theParisi, bordered to the west and north by the Brythonic kingdoms ofElmet (Elfed) andBernicia (Bryneich) respectively, and to the east by theNorth Sea.
Early Deira may have centred onPetuaria (modernBrough) and archaeological evidence shows that the town was refortified. Petuaria was a great tribal centre for the Parisi, but declined in importance from the mid-fourth century (possibly as the harbour silted up). After this period,Derventio (modernMalton) may have functioned as the region's capital.[7]
It is not known if Deira was ever an independent Brythonic kingdom, and no British king has been identified with the area from the surviving genealogies, poems or chronicles. However the area was subject to the same fractious inheritance traditions and changing power dynamic (following the Roman withdrawal) that allowedElmet and Bernicia to become independent hereditary kingdoms in the early fifth century. InWelsh literature, Deira is part of theHen Ogledd (The Old North) region, which was divided into many related kingdoms after the death ofCoel Hen (Coel the Old).[8][9]
The kingdom, which was previously ruled by a British dynasty, was probably created in the third quarter of the fifth century when Anglian warriors invaded theDerwent Valley.[10] Anglian Deira's territory also extended from theHumber to theTees, and from the sea to the western edge of theVale of York. It later merged with the kingdom ofBernicia, its northern neighbour, to form the kingdom ofNorthumbria.
According toSimeon of Durham (writing early in the 12th century), Deira extended from theHumber to theTyne, but the land was waste north of theTees. The Brythonic kingdom centred onEboracum ("boar-place"), which may have also been calledEbrauc. After the city was taken by King Edwin of the Angles, it becameEoforwic, the capital of the new Anglian kingdom.[11]
Archaeology suggests that the Anglian royal house was in place by the middle of the fifth century, but the first certainly recorded king isÆlla in the late sixth century.[12] After his death, Deira was subject to kingÆthelfrith of Bernicia, who united the two kingdoms into Northumbria. Æthelfrith ruled until the accession of Ælla's sonEdwin, in 616 or 617, who also ruled both kingdoms until 633.[13]
Osric, the nephew of Edwin, ruled Deira after Edwin, but his sonOswine was put to death byOswiu in 651. For a few years subsequently, Deira was governed byÆthelwald son ofOswald of Bernicia.[14]
Bede wrote of Deira in hisHistoria Ecclesiastica (completed in 731).[15]
| Reign | Incumbent | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 559/560 to 589 | Ælla (Aelli) | ÆLLA YFFINGDEIRA CYNING ÆLLA REXDEIRA | |
| 589/599 to 604 | Æthelric (Aedilric) | ÆÞELRIC IDINGBERNICIA 7 DEIRA CYNING ÆÞELRIC REXBERNICIA ET DEIRA | |
| Bernicia Dynasty | |||
| 593/604? to 616 | Æthelfrith | ÆÞELFERÞ ÆÞELRICINGDEIRA CYNING ÆÞELFERÞ REXDEIRA | Killed in battle |
| Deira Dynasty | |||
| 616 to 12/14 October 632 | Edwin | EDVVIN ÆLLINGBERNICIA 7 DEIRA CYNING EDVVIN REXBERNICIA ET DEIRA | Killed in battle byCadwallon of Gwynedd andPenda of Mercia |
| late 633 to summer 634 | Osric | OSRIC ÆLFRICINGDEIRA CYNING OSRIC REXDEIRA | |
| Bernicia Dynasty | |||
| 633 to 5 August 642 | Oswald | OSVVALDBERNICIA 7 DEIRA CYNING OSVVALD REXBERNICIA ET DEIRA | Killed byPenda,King of Mercia; Saint Oswald |
| 642 to 644 | Oswiu | OSVVIO ÆÞELFRIÞINGBERNICIA 7 DEIRA CYNING OSVVIO REXBERNICIA ET DEIRA | |
| Deira Dynasty | |||
| 644 to 651 | Oswine | OSVVINE OSRICINGDEIRA CYNING OSVVINE REXDEIRA | Murdered |
| Bernicia Dynasty | |||
| summer 651 tolate 654 or 655 | Æthelwold | ÆÞELVVALD OSVVALDINGDEIRA CYNING ÆÞELVVALD REXDEIRA | |
| 654 to 15 August 670 | Oswiu | OSVVIO ÆÞELFERÞINGNORÞANHYMBRA CYNING OSVVIO REXNORÞANHYMBRA | Restored |
| 656 to 664 | Alchfrith | ALCHFRIÞDEIRA CYNING ALCHFRIÞ REXDEIRA | |
| 664 to 670 | Ecgfrith | ECGFRIÞDEIRA CYNING ECGFRIÞ REXDEIRA | |
| 670 to 679 | Ælfwine | ÆLFVVINEDEIRA CYNING ÆLFVVINE REXDEIRA | |
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Ceremonial counties | |
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| Culture and heritage | |
