Cynric
| Cynric | |
|---|---|
| King of Wessex | |
| Reign | 534–560 |
| Predecessor | Cerdic, possibly Creoda of Wessex |
| Successor | Ceawlin |
| Died | 560 |
| Issue |
Ceawlin Cutha or Cuthwulf[1] |
| House | Wessex |
| Father | Cerdic or Creoda of Wessex |
Cynric was King of Wessex from 534 to 560. Everything known about him comes from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. There, he is stated to have been the son of Cerdic and also (in the regnal list in the preface) to have been the son of Cerdic's son, Creoda. During his reign, it is said that the Saxons expanded into Wiltshire against strong resistance and captured Searobyrig, or Old Sarum, near Salisbury, in 552. In 556, he and his son Ceawlin won a battle against the Britons at Beranburh, now identified as Barbury Castle.[2] If these dates are accurate, then it is unlikely that the earlier entries in the Chronicle, starting with his arrival in Britain with his father Cerdic in 495, are correct. David Dumville has suggested that his true regnal dates are 554–581.
Etymology
The name Cynric has a straightforward Old English etymology meaning "Kin-ruler".
In popular culture
In the 2004 film King Arthur, Cerdic and Cynric were depicted as Saxon invaders and were killed, respectively, by King Arthur and Lancelot at the Battle of Badon Hill (Mons Badonicus). Cynric was portrayed by Til Schweiger.
See also
Notes
References
- Peter Clemoes, Simon Keynes, Michael Lapidge (1981). Anglo-Saxon England, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-03834-0
- Laing, L.R. (1975). The archaeology of late Celtic Britain and Ireland, c. 400-1200 AD, Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-416-82360-2
- John Nowell Linton Myres (1989). The English Settlements, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-282235-7
External links
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cerdic |
King of Wessex 534–560 |
Succeeded by Ceawlin of Wessex |