Chapter 3.1

< Vt prīmī successōrēs Aedvīnī rēgis et fidem suae gentis prōdiderint et rēgnum porrō Osvald Chrīstiānissimus rēx utrumque restaurāverit.>

[1] At interfectō in pugnā Eduīnō, suscēpit prō illō rēgnum Deirōrum, dē quā prōvinciā ille generis prōsāpiam et prīmōrdia rēgnī habuerat, fīlius patruī eius Aelfricī vocābulō Osric, quī ad praedicātiōnem Paulinī fideī erat sacrāmentīs inbūtus. [2] Porrō rēgnum Berniciōrum (nam in hās duās prōvinciās gēns Nordanhymbrōrum antīquitus dīvīsa erat) suscēpit fīlius Aedilfridī, quī dē illā prōvinciā generis et rēgnī orīginem dūxerat, nōmine Eanfrid. [3] Sīquidem tempore tōtō quō rēgnāvit Eduīnī, fīliī praefātī rēgis Aedilfridī, quī ante illum rēgnāverat, cum magnā nōbilium iuventūte apud Scottōs sīve Pictōs exulābant, ibique ad doctrīnam Scottōrum cathecizātī, et baptismatis sunt grātiā recreātī. [4] Quī ut mortuō rēge inimīcō patriam sunt redīre permissī, accēpit prīmus eōrum, quem dīximus, Eanfrid rēgnum Berniciōrum. [5] Quī uterque rēx, ut terrēnī rēgnī īnfulās sortītus est, sacrāmenta rēgnī caelestis, quibus initiātus erat, anathematīzandō prōdidit, ac sē prīscīs idolatriae sordibus polluendum perdendumque restituit.

 [6] Nec mora, utrumque rēx Brettonum Ceadvalla impiā manū sed iūstā ultiōne perēmit. [7] Et prīmō quidem proximā aestāte Osricum, dum sē in oppidō mūnicipiō temerāriē obsēdisset, ērumpēns subitō cum suīs omnibus imparātum cum tōtō exercitū dēlēvit. [8] Dein cum annō integrō prōvinciās Nordanhymbrōrum nōn ut rēx victor possidēret, sed quasi tyrannus saeviēns disperderet ac tragicā caede dīlacerāret, tandem Eanfridum incōnsultē ad sē cum XII lēctīs mīlitibus postulandae pācis grātiā venientem similī sorte damnāvit. [9] Īnfaustus ille annus et omnibus bonīs exōsus usque hodiē permanet, tam propter apostasiam rēgum Anglōrum, quā sē fideī sacrāmentīs exuerant, quam propter vēsānam Brettonicī rēgis tyrannidem. [10] Vnde cūnctīs placuit rēgum tempora computantibus ut, ablātā dē mediō rēgum perfidōrum memoriā, idem annus sequentis rēgis, id est Osvaldī virī Deō dīlēctī, rēgnō assignārētur; quō post occīsiōnem frātris Eanfridī superveniente cum parvō exercitū, sed fide Christī mūnītō, īnfandus Brettonum dux cum inmēnsīs illīs cōpiīs, quibus nihil resistere posse iactābat, interemtus est in locō quī linguā Anglōrum Denisesburna, id est rīvus Denisī, vocātur.

    THE APOSTASY OF OSRIC & EANFRITH

    After the death of King Edwin, the Kingdom of Northumbria, which had been united under Edwin's rule (616–633), devolved into its two constituent kingdoms, Bernicia in the north and Deira in the south. Bernicia was ruled by Eanfrith (590–634), the son of Æthelfrith (whom Edwin and Rædwald had defeated in 616), and Deira was ruled by Osric, the son of Edwin's uncle Æthelric. Both Eanfrith and Osric had been Christians, butreverted to paganism upon taking the throne. Both were defeated by the invading British king Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd in 634. Cadwallon was in turn defeated by Oswald, son of Æthelfrith (and brother of Eanfrith), in the battle of Heavenfield in 634. Oswald subsequently ruled over a reunited Kingdom of Northumbria.

    (1) prō illō: “in his place”

    Deirōrum: Deira and Bernicia were the two northern kingdoms which, when united, formed the Kingdom of Northumbria. Deira included most of what is now Yorkshire, from the Humber north to the River Tees; Berncia was to the north of Deira, up to the River Forth. See Map.

    Aelfrīcī: Ælfric, paternal uncle (patruus) of Edwin

    ad praedicātiōnem: ad = “in obedience to” or “in accordance with”

    fideī … imbūtus: the order is imbūtus erat sacrāmentīs fideī; sacrāmentīs is ablative after imbūtus.

    (2) Aedilfridī: Æthelfrith was the first known king of Bernicia, who reigned from 593–616; from ca. 604 until his death he ruled over a united Kingdom of Northumbria. He was killed in battle with Rædwald, who placed Edwin on the throne of Northumbria.

    (3) Eduīnī: nominative

    iuventūte: iuventus = “a youthful group”

    ad doctrīnam: ad = “in accordance with”

    baptismatis … recreātī: the order is recreātī sunt gratiā baptismatis; gratiā is ablative of means.

    (4) Quī: connecting relative (AG 308.f)

    patriam: accusative of motion toward, without ad

    primus: “oldest”

    quem: the antecedent is primus.

    (5) Quī uterque rēx: “both of these kings”; literally, “which each king,” making the grammatical subject singular, even though both kings (Osric and Eanfrith) are being discussed. It is easier, in English, to take the subject as plural (“both kings”) and translate the verbs as plural.

    ut: “when”

    polluendum perdendumque: gerundives (agreeing with ) expressing purpose: “to be polluted and destroyed” (AG 500.4)

    634: THE YEAR OF THE BAD KINGS

    (6) utrumque: “both” (i.e., Osric and Eanfrith)

    Ceadvalla: Cadwallon ap Cadfan, ruler of the British kingdom of Gwynedd, who had defeated Edwin in the Battle of Hatfield Chase (633).

    (7) primō proximā aetāte: Bede's ordering of his narrative is somewhat confusing. In the previous sentence, he says that Cadwallon killed both Osric and Eanfrith; he then goes back and relates the separate stories of how each king met his death. Primō introduces the story of Osric's death, "first of all." Proximā aestāte, "in the following summer," has to mean the summer after Edwin died and Osric and Eanfrith took power.

    sē … obsēdisset: refers to Cadwallon, the subject of the main clause, although the subject of the verb obsēdisset in the subordinate clause in Osric (a form of “indirect reflexive”; see AG 300.2)

    ērumpens … imparātum: ērumpens refers to Cadwallon, imparātum refers to Osric; understand eum [Osricum] inparātum as the object of dēlēvit.

    cum … dīlacerāret: temporal cum clause; with the imperfect subjunctive, it is best to translate, “while he was….”

    (8) annō integrō: ablative of duration of time (AG 424.b): “for a whole year”

    prōvinciās: the object of both possidēret and disperderet; it is easiest in English to make “kingdoms” the object of the first verb, and substitute a pronoun “them” as the object of the second verb.

    nōn ut rēx victor … disperderet: victor (i.e., Cadwallon) is the subject of both verbs; ut rēx, “as a king.” Bede is making a distinction between a legitimate king and a tyrant.

    ad sē: refers to Cadwallon (the subject of the main verb, damnāvit).

    postulandae pācis gratiā: the gerundive expresses purpose: “for the sake of asking for peace.”

    similī sorte: literally, “by a similar lot”; has the adverbial meaning “likewise” (making this an ablative of manner).

    (9) et: "even"; take with usque hodiē ("even to this day").

    exōsus ... permanet: "remains hateful"

    omnibus bonīs: dative of reference with exosus (AG 376).

    tam … quam: “as much … as”

    (10) cunctīs … rēgum tempora computantibus: “No doubt this is evidence for the keeping of early king-lists” (Wallace-Hadrill 84). The passage implies that the brief reigns of Osric and Eanfrith were not recorded on the king-lists for the year 634, and that the year was assigned instead the reign of Oswald.

    dē mediō: “from the scene”

    rēgum perfidōrum: with memoriā

    sequentis rēgis: with rēgnō (as are the genitives in apposition, Osvaldī and virī … dīlēctī)

    rēgnō: dative, after adsignārētur: “was assigned to the reign…”)

    quō … superveniente ... mūnītō: an ablative absolute: “when he appeared on the scene … fortified....”

    quibus: dative object of resistere

    iactābat: > iactō = “boast”: “which he boasted that nothing could resist”

    Denisesburna: Rowley Burn, near Hexham

    NOTE: Lemmatization of Anglo–Saxon Names
    —: declined forms unattested
    [ ]: nominative forms unattested (back–formed for purposes of lemmatization)
    *: form unattested but hypothesized based on existing patterns


    Aeduini –ī m.: Edwin, King of the Northumbrians, 616-633

    Deirī –ōrum: the Deiri

    prōsāpia –ae f.: a stock, race, family

    prīmōrdium -ī n.: beginning, origin, source

    patruus patruī m.: uncle

    [Aelfric] –ī m.: Ælfric, Father of King Osric 1 of Deira, paternal uncle of Edwin 2

    vocābulum –ī n.: a designation, name

    Osric –ī m.: Osric, King of Deira, 633-634

    praedicātiō –ōnis f.: teaching; sermon

    Paulīnus –ī m.: Paulinus, Bishop of York, 625-633; bishop of Rochester, 633-644

    sacrāmentum –ī n.: sacrament

    imbuō or inbuō –ere –uī –ūtus: to wet, moisten

    porrō: forward, of space, time, or of mental operations, far off

    Bernicī –ōrum: the Bernici

    Nordanhymbri –ōrum m.: the Northumbrians, people living north of the Humber estuary

    antīquitus: in former times

    Aedilfrid –ī m.: Æthelfrith, King of the Northumbrians, 592-616

    orīgō –inis f.: origin

    Eanfridus -i m.: Eanfrith, King of the Bernicians, 633/34-634; son of Æthelfrith 2

    siquidem: if only, if indeed

    rēgnō rēgnāre rēgnāvī rēgnātus: to rule

    Aeduini –ī m.: Edwin, King of the Northumbrians, 616-633

    praefatus, -a, -um: previously mentioned

    Aedilfrid –ī m.: Æthelfrith, King of the Northumbrians, 592-616

    rēgnō rēgnāre rēgnāvī rēgnātus: to rule

    iuventūs iuventūtis f.: youth, young man

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    Pictī –ōrum m.: the Picts, a Celtic people of northern Britain

    exsulō exsulāre exsulāvī exsulātus: to be in exile

    doctrīna –ae f.: teaching, doctrine

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    catēchizō –āre –āvī –ātum: to catechize

    baptisma –atis n.: baptism

    recreō recreāre recreāvī recreātum: to restore, revive, refresh, cheer

    mortuus –a –um: dead

    Eanfridus -i m.: Eanfrith, King of the Bernicians, 633/34-634; son of Æthelfrith 2

    Bernicī –ōrum: the Bernici

    uter utra utrum: either which (of two)

    terrēnus –a –um: earthen

    īnfula –ae f.: bandage

    sortior –ītus sum: to cast lots; obtain

    sacrāmentum –ī n.: sacrament

    initiō initiāre initiāvī initiātus: to initiate

    anathematizō –āre –āvī –ātus: to anathemize

    prīscus –a –um: ancient

    īdō(lo)latria –ae f.: idolatry, idol-worship, paganism

    sordēs –is f.: filth; greed

    polluō –ere –uī –ūtus: to soil

    restituō restituere restituī restitūtus: to restore

    uter utra utrum: either which (of two)

    Britannī –ōrum m.: Britons

    Ceadvalla: Cadwallon, King of Gwynedd, d.634

    impius –a –um: disloyal

    ultiō –ōnis f.: act of vengeance

    perimō –ere –ēmī –ēmptus: to take away completely; annihilate

    prīmō: at first

    proximus proximī m.: neighbor

    aestās aestātis f.: summer

    Osric –ī m.: Osric, King of Deira, 633-634

    mūnicipium mūnicipi(ī) n.: township

    temerārius –a –um: accidental; thoughtless, impetuous

    obsideō obsidēre obsēdī obsessus: to blockade

    ērumpō ērumpere ērūpī ēruptus: to break out, burst out

    imparātus –a –um: unprepared, unfurnished

    dēleō dēlēre dēlēvī dēlētus: to destroy

    Nordanhymbri –ōrum m.: the Northumbrians, people living north of the Humber estuary

    possideō –ēre –sēdī –sessus: to hold, possess

    tyrannus tyrannī m.: tyrant

    saeviō saevīre saeviī saevitum: to rage

    disperdō -perdere -perdidī -perditum: to waste, ruin, destroy

    tragicus –a –um: of tragedy, tragic

    dīlacerō –āre –āvī –ātum: to tear to pieces

    Eanfridus -i m.: Eanfrith, King of the Bernicians, 633/34-634; son of Æthelfrith 2

    incōnsultus –a –um: without advice

    legō legāre legāvī legātus: to bequeath; choose as a deputy

    postulō postulāre postulāvī postulātus: to demand

    īnfaustus –a –um: unfortunate

    exōsus –a –um: hating much; usually w. an obj. acc.; hostile

    permaneō permanēre permānsī permānsum: to remain

    apostasia –ae f.: a departure from one's religion

    Anglī –ōrum m.: the Angles, a Germanic tribe; the English

    sacrāmentum –ī n.: sacrament

    exuō exuere exuī exūtus: to take off

    vēsānus –a –um: insane

    Britannicus –a –um: British

    tyrannis –idis f. : tyranny

    computō –putāre: to count, compute, reckon

    medium medi(ī) n.: middle

    perfidus –a –um: faithless, treacherous, false

    Osuald –ī m.: Oswald, King of the Northumbrians, 634-642

    as–signō –signāre: to mark out, assign

    occīsiō –ōnis f. : killing, slaying, murder, slaughter

    Eanfridus –i m.: Eanfrith, King of the Bernicians, 633/34-634; son of Æthelfrith 2

    superveniō –īre –vēnī –ventu: to come over or upon; come unexpectedly; fall upon

    Christus –ī m.: Christ

    mūniō mūnīre mūnīvī mūnītus: to build, fortify

    īnfandus –a –um: not to be uttered

    Britannī –ōrum m.: Britons

    immēnsus –a –um: immense

    resistō resistere restitī: to pause

    iactō iactāre iactāvī iactātus: to throw

    interimō interimere interēmī interēmptus: to destroy

    Anglī –ōrum m.: the Angles, a Germanic tribe; the English

    Denisesburna: the Devil's Water or Rowley Burn

    rīvus –ī m.: brook, stream

    [Denisus] –ī m.: Denis/Denise?

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    Suggested Citation

    Rob Hardy. Bede: Historia Ecclesiastica Selections. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-947822-20-7. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/bede-historia-ecclesiastica/book-3/chapter-3-1