ATW Preview 19th February 2007 - The Battle of Hatfield

[Agraes]

A short preview featuring one of our new historical battles, the Battle of Hatfield.

The Battle of Haethfelth
633 AD

After the death of Æthelfrith, Edwin of Deira was established as king of Northumbria by his ally Raedwald of East Englia, Bretwalda of the English, in 616 AD. Edwin swiftly annexed the Brythonic kingdom of Elmet, driving out its king, Ceredig. Edwin married Eadbald of Kent's sister Æthelburh in 625 AD, and escaped an assassination attempt by an agent of Cwichelm of Wessex. He converted to Christianity, under the influence of his Kentish wife, bishop Paulinus of York and Pope Boniface V. However, it does not appear that the Roman church received much support from the English population, and Paulinus expelled Briton clergy from areas in which Christianity was already established, thus weakening it.

After the death of his patron Raedwald, Edwin asserted himself as overlord. He fought against the Gaels in the West, subjected Wessex, ruled a part of Mercia, conquered the Isle of Man and invaded Wales, besieging the king of Gwynedd, Cadwallon in Ynis Glannauc, near Anglesey. Cadwallon was then probably forced into exile in Ireland.

To counter Edwin's power, an alliance was forged between prince Penda of Mercia and Cadwallon. The time had come for Edwin's Northumbria to crumble. Bede described: "A great battle being fought in the plain that is called Haethfelth, Edwin was killed on the 12th of October, in the year of our Lord 633, being then forty-eight years of age, and all his army was either slain or dispersed. In the same war also, Osfrid, one of his sons, a warlike youth, fell before him; Eadfrid, another of them, compelled by necessity, went over to King Penda, and was by him afterwards slain in the reign of Oswald, contrary to his oath." This battle, generally known as the battle of Hatfield Chase, or Meicen, annihilated Northumbrian power. Bede says that Cadwallon then ruled Northumbria for one year, as a barbarous king allied to the pagan Mercians, and "though he professed and called himself a Christian, was so barbarous in his disposition and manner of living, that he did not even spare women and innocent children, but with bestial cruelty put all alike to death by torture, and overran all their country in his fury for a long time, intending to cut off all the race of the English within the borders of Britain."

Brythonic power was briefly revived under Cadwallon. It is likely that he received support from the still predominantly Briton population of western Northumbria, where the kingdoms of Rheged, Elmet and the Pennines had once lay. Edwin's cousin Osric established himself as king of Deira, while Eanfrith, from the deposed Bernician line of Æthelfrith, claimed the crown of Northumria also. Osric attempted to besiege Cadwallon, but the Britons sallied and he was killed. Eanfrith tried to negociate with the Britons, but he also was slain. The devastations of Cadwallon's reign were only ended more then a year after Hatfield, at the battle of Heavenfield.

[Gaius Baltar]

Great historical report. I love to read these, and the quality refelcts the amount of time and effort put into this mod. Easily the best.