Northumbria

Northumbria was an early medieval English kingdom. It existed from 654 to 1066 AD. It covered parts of what we now call Northern England and Southern Scotland.

The name "Northumbria" comes from Old English. It means "the people or province north of the Humber." This is because it was north of the Humber Estuary. Before it became one kingdom, the area was split into two smaller kingdoms. These were called Deira and Bernicia. After some fighting, these two kingdoms joined together. They came together under the rulers of Bernicia.

At its strongest point, Northumbria reached far. It stretched from the Humber, Peak District, and River Mersey in the south. It went all the way up to the Firth of Forth in the north. Later, Northumbria stopped being its own kingdom. The Danes took over Deira. They made it part of the Kingdom of York. The northern part, called the Earldom of Bamburgh, was taken over by Scotland. The southern part became part of England. It became Northumberland and the County Palatine of Durham.

Kingdom (654–954)

Northumbria started as two smaller areas called Deira and Bernicia. Deira was south of the River Tees, and Bernicia was north of it. Long ago, these places may have been home to old groups of people.

Over time, these two areas joined together. Leaders from both sides sometimes fought, but they also used marriages to connect their families and bring peace. Vikings from faraway lands later attacked Northumbria, splitting it apart for a time. Even with these hard times, Northumbria stayed important in early England.

Kings

Northumbria had many kings, and their time in power was often short and full of fights. Some of the well-known kings include:

• Æthelfrith: The first to rule both Deira and Bernicia.
• Edwin: Brought Christianity to Northumbria and ruled from 616 to 633.
• Oswald: A strong Christian king who helped Northumbria grow again after a loss.
• Oswiu: Oswald’s brother who won an important battle and helped unite Christian ways.

Other kings came and went, sometimes losing their power or facing tough ends. The last Viking king, Eric of York, ruled for a short time before Northumbria was taken over by other rulers.

Ealdormen and earldoms of Northumbria

Main article: Earl of Northumbria

See also: Ealdorman

After people from Wessex took over areas south of the Tees, attacks from Scots made the remaining part of Northumbria smaller. It was ruled by an earl and stretched from the Tyne to the Tweed. The surviving part of Northumbria, along with a group called the Haliwerfolk between the Tyne and Tees, was fought over by the growing kingdoms of England and Scotland. The area was almost split in half along the River Tweed.

Religion

Roman and post-Roman Britain

When the Romans were in Britain, some people north of the Humber followed Christianity. York had a bishop as early as the fourth century. After the Romans left Britain in the early fifth century, Christianity stayed, but it mixed with older beliefs. When Anglo-Saxons arrived, they brought their own traditions and ideas.

Conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity

The first king of Northumbria to become Christian was King Edwin. He was baptized by Paulinus in 627, and many people followed him. However, when Edwin died in 633, some people went back to their old ways. Later, a lasting change happened thanks to an Irish priest named Aidan. He helped King Oswald become Christian in 635 and worked to share the faith with others. King Oswald moved the religious center from York to Lindisfarne.

Monasteries and figures of note

Aidan started a monastery at Lindisfarne in 635, modeled after one in Scotland. This place became very important for religion in Northumbria. Over time, many respected leaders came from there, including Aidan, Wilfrid, and Cuthbert. They all became bishops and were later honored as saints. Another important person was Hieu, who started a monastery at Hartlepool with Aidan's help.

Northumbria's Christian culture was shaped by both Europe and Ireland. Wilfrid traveled to Rome and brought back new ways, leaving behind older Irish traditions. He helped start a new monastery at Ripon in 660. Another monastery was created at Monkwearmouth–Jarrow by Benedict Biscop, who brought many books from Rome. His successor, Ceolfrith, kept adding to the library.

In York, Paulinus started a school and a church in the early seventh century. Alcuin studied and taught there before moving to work for Charlemagne in 782.

Synod of Whitby

Main article: Synod of Whitby

In 664, King Oswiu called a meeting called the Synod of Whitby to decide whether Northumbria should follow Roman or Irish religious customs. Many people, especially at the Lindisfarne monastery, preferred the Irish way of calculating the date of Easter. But Wilfrid, who was from Ripon, supported the Roman customs. The king chose to adopt the Roman practices, aligning Northumbria with the rest of Southern England and Western Europe. The main religious center moved from Lindisfarne back to York.

Impact of Scandinavian raiding, settlement and culture

In 793, Vikings attacked the monastery at Lindisfarne, marking the start of many raids on religious places in Northumbria. Even though important items like the Lindisfarne Gospels survived, the monastic way of life weakened.

After 867, Scandinavian forces took control of Northumbria, bringing new people and their ancient beliefs. Once the fighting stopped, these new settlers slowly adopted Christianity, mixing their own culture with their new faith. This blend can be seen in stone carvings and special crosses, like the Gosforth Cross. During the ninth and tenth centuries, more parish churches were built, often featuring stone sculptures with Scandinavian designs.

Culture

The culture of Northumbria was rich and influenced by many places, including nearby lands and Ireland. This mix helped create many beautiful artworks and stories.

Irish monks helped bring Christianity to Northumbria and set up important places like Lindisfarne. They brought special ways of making art and writing. One famous example is the Lindisfarne Gospels, a beautifully decorated book.

Northumbria was also known for its writers. Bede, a famous writer from Northumbria, wrote many important books about the history of the English people. There were also poets who wrote religious poems in their own language.

Over time, new people called Vikings came from Scandinavia. They brought their own traditions, but they also mixed with the local culture. This mixing can be seen in carvings and statues that show both old stories and new Christian ideas. One example is the Gosforth Cross, which has carvings of both Norse myths and Christian symbols.

Economy

Northumbria's economy depended on farming, with animals and land playing a big role in trade. By the mid-800s, many farms probably used the open field system. Northumbria sent out grain, silver, hides, and slaves. They brought in oil, fancy goods, and church supplies from Frankia in the 700s. After 793, raids, gifts, and trade with Scandinavians made strong economic ties across the North Sea.

When coins became popular again in the late 600s, Northumbrian coins carried kings' names, showing royal control of money. This royal money was special in Britain for a long time. King Aldfrith (685–705) made Northumbria's first silver coins, probably in York. Later coins had the name of King Eadberht (738–758) and his brother, Archbishop Ecgbert of York. These coins were small silver sceattas, good for daily use, unlike bigger gold coins from Frankia or Rome. During King Eanred's time, the silver in coins went down until they were made from copper alloy, called stycas. Stycas were used until at least the 860s, maybe later. Bigger silver pieces were found in the Bedale Hoard, along with sword fittings and necklaces in gold and silver.

Language

See also: Northumbrian Old English

Long ago, there were five main languages in Britain: English, British, Irish, Pictish, and Latin. Northumbrian was one of four types of Old English, along with Mercian, West Saxon, and Kentish.

Some words in English came from older Celtic languages, like the names Deira and Bernicia. Later, people from Norse areas moved into northern and eastern England, called the Danelaw. They brought their own language, called Old Norse, which changed Northumbrian in many ways. Many place-names in the area today come from Old Norse.