Ricberht of East Anglia
Ricberht | |
---|---|
Anglo-Saxon Paganism |
Ricberht (
. Little is known of his life or his reign.According to
Background
The earliest East Anglian kings were pagans. They belonged to the Wuffingas dynasty, named after Wuffa, whose ancestors originated from northern Europe and whose descendants ruled the East Angles in an almost unbroken line until after the reign of Ælfwald in the middle of the 8th century.[1]
When East Anglia was first mentioned by Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, it was a powerful kingdom ruled by
The assassination of Eorpwald
Soon after his conversion, Eorpwald was killed by Ricberht, possibly as the result of a pagan reaction to the East Anglian conversion. Nothing about Ricberht's ancestry or background is known,[6] although his name can be taken to imply that he was a member of the East Anglian elite and was perhaps related to Eorpwald.[4] The single source for Ricberht, Bede's Ecclesiastical History, states that "Eorpwald, not long after he had embraced the Christian faith, was slain by one Ricberht, a pagan;" ("Uerum Eorpuald non multo, postquam fidem accepit, tempore occisus est a uiro gentili nomine Ricbercto;").[7] It is not known where Eorpwald's murder occurred, nor any other details surrounding his death.[2]
Rule
Historians generally maintain that Ricberht, if he became king at all, succeeded Eorpwald and ruled for three years. Bede does not mention him again, only noting that "the province was in error for three years"[2] ("et exinde tribus annis prouincia in errore uersata est"), prior to the accession of Eorpwald's half-brother (or brother) Sigeberht and his kinsman Ecgric.[7]
Scholars have been unable to determine the regnal dates of several kings of this period, including that of Ricberht, with any certainty.[8] Higham surmises that Ricberht's ability to rule for three years, at a time when Edwin was overlord among the Anglo-Saxons, implies that Ricberht was supported by the East Angles in overthrowing Eorpwald, whom they regarded as "overly compliant" towards the Northumbrian king.[4]
It has been speculated by Michael Wood and other historians that Ricberht may have been interred in the Sutton Hoo ship-burial near the Wuffingas centre of authority at Rendlesham, but most experts consider Rædwald to be a more likely candidate.[2][9] Martin Carver has used the evidence of what he identifies as iconic pagan practices at Sutton Hoo to theorise that the ship burial represents one example of pagan defiance "provoked by the perceived menace of a predatory Christian mission".[10]
Successors
In about 630, Christianity was permanently re-established in East Anglia when Sigeberht and Ecgric succeeded to rule jointly. Ecgric, who may have been a sub-king until the abdication of Sigeberht in around 634, seems to have remained a
References
- ^ Yorke 2002, p. 68.
- ^ a b c d Yorke 2002, p. 62.
- ^ Hoggett 2010, p. 30.
- ^ a b c Higham 1997, p. 182.
- ^ Speed 1988, p. 31.
- ^ Yorke 2002, p. 67.
- ^ a b Bede 1999, ii., 15.
- ^ Kirby 2000, p. 66.
- ^ Wood 2005, p. 66.
- ^ Hoggett 2010, p. 93.
- ^ Kirby 2000, p. 67.
Sources
- ISBN 0-19-283866-0. (available at Google Books)
- Higham, N. J. (1997). The Convert Kings: Power and Religious Affiliation in Early Anglo-Saxon England. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-4828-1.
- Hoggett, Richard (2010). The Archaeology of the East Anglian Conversion. Woodbridge, Suffolk: The Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1-84383-595-0.
- Kirby, D.P. (2000). The Earliest English Kings. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-4152-4211-8.
- ISBN 1-85145-131-5.
- ISBN 978-0-563522768.
- ISBN 0-415-16639-X.
External links