Bernicia was an
Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by
Anglian settlers of the
6th century in what is now the South-East of
Scotland, and the
North-East of
England.
The Anglian territory of Bernicia was approximately equivalent to the modern counties of
Northumberland,
Durham,
Berwickshire and
East Lothian, stretching from the
Forth to the
Tees. In the early
7th century, it merged with its southern neighbour,
Deira, to form the kingdom of
Northumbria and its borders subsequently expanded considerably.
British Bryneich
Bernicia is mentioned in
Old Welsh poetry, in the writings of
Nennius and elsewhere under the name of
Bryneich or
Brynaich. It isn't quite clear whether this is simply supposed to represent a Welsh version of
Bernicia, or was the name of a preceding
Brythonic kingdom. However, the name seems to derive from the Brythonic word
Berniccā meaning ‘land of mountain passes’, so the latter hypothesis would appear to be correct.
This Brythonic kingdom was formed from what had once been the southern lands of the
Votadini, possibly as part of the division of a supposed ‘great northern realm’ of
Coel Hen in c. AD
420. This northern realm is referred to by Welsh scholars as
Yr Hen Ogledd or, literally, "The Old North". The kingdom may have been ruled from
Bamburgh, which certainly features in Welsh sources as
Din Guardi. Near this high-status residence lay the island of
Lindisfarne (formerly known, in Welsh, as
Ynys Metcaut), which became the
seat of the Bernician
bishops. It is unknown when the Angles finally conquered the whole region, but around
604 is likely.
Kings of Bryneich
There are several
Old Welsh pedigrees of princely
Men of the North which may represent the Kings of Bryneich. The late
John Morris surmised that the line of a certain
Morcant Bulc referred to these monarchs, chiefly because he identified this man as the murderer of
Urien Rheged who was, at the time, besieging
Lindisfarne.
Anglo-Saxon Bernicia
Some of the
Angles of Bernicia may have been employed as
mercenaries along
Hadrian's Wall during the late
Roman period. Others are thought to have migrated north (by sea) from
Deira in the early
6th century. The first Anglian king of whom we've any record is
Ida, who is said to have obtained the throne and the kingdom about
547. His sons spent many years fighting a united force from the surrounding Brythonic kingdoms until their alliance collapsed into civil war.
A Forcibly United Northumbria
Ida’s grandson,
Æthelfrith, united
Deira with his own kingdom by force around the year
604. He ruled the two kingdoms (united as Northumbria) until he was defeated and killed by
Rædwald of East Anglia (who had given refuge to
Edwin, son of
Ælle, king of Deira) around the year
616. Edwin then became king. The early part of Edwin's reign was possibly spent finishing off the remaining resistance coming from
Bryneich exiles operating out of
Gododdin. After he'd completed the pacification of the "Welsh" population in Bernicia he was then drawn towards similar subjugation of
Elmet (a
Cumbric speaking territory which once existed in the modern-day
West Riding of Yorkshire, near
Leeds) which drew him into direct conflict with Wales proper.
Following the disastrous
Battle of Hatfield Chase on
October 12,
633, in which Edwin was defeated and killed by
Cadwallon ap Cadfan of
Gwynedd and
Penda of Mercia, Northumbria again was divided into Bernicia and Deira. Bernicia was then briefly ruled by
Eanfrith, son of Aethelfrith, but after about a year he went to Cadwallon to sue for peace and was killed. Eanfrith's brother
Oswald then raised an army and finally defeated Cadwallon at the
Battle of Heavenfield in
634. After this victory, Oswald appears to have been recognised by both Bernicians and Deirans as king of a properly united Northumbria. The kings of Bernicia were thereafter supreme in that kingdom, although Deira had its own sub-kings at times during the reigns of
Oswiu and his son
Ecgfrith.
Kings of Bernicia
(see also
List of monarchs of Northumbria)
Under
Deiran rule 616 - 633
Eanfrith of Bernicia son of Æthelfrith (633 - 634)
Under Oswald son of Æthelfrith, Bernicia was united with Deira to form Northumbria from 634 onward.
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