Oswald of Northumbria

Military Commander

0604 – 0642

4

Who was Oswald of Northumbria?

Oswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and was venerated as a saint in the Middle Ages.

Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile; after defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira once again under a single ruler, and promoted the spread of Christianity in Northumbria. He was given a strongly positive assessment by the historian Bede, writing a little less than a century after Oswald's death, who regarded Oswald as a saintly king; it is also Bede who is the main source for present-day historical knowledge of Oswald. After eight years of rule, in which he was the most powerful ruler in Britain, Oswald was killed in the Battle of Maserfield.

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Born
0604
Deira
Parents
Siblings
Children
Died
Aug 5, 0642
Oswestry

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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