- 592-597: King of Wessex
- AKA: Ceolric of Wessex
Map of 6th Century England including Wessex which was formerly known as Gewisse.
Ceol of Wesex was born circa 575 in Wessex, England to Cutha of Wessex (c540-584) and died 597 Wessex, England of unspecified causes.
Ceol (also known as Ceola or Ceolric) was King of Wessex from 592 to 597.
Biography
Ceol was the son of Cutha (or Cuthwulf), the son of Cynric of Wessex. He reigned from either 591 or 592 to 597. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, he began his reign in 591, but it was only in the following year that he drove out his uncle Ceawlin in a battle at Woden's Barrow in Wiltshire,[1][2] thus denying the throne to the rightful heir, Ceawlin's son Cuthwine. Upon his death the throne passed to his brother Ceolwulf. Because his son Cynegils was presumably too young to inherit the throne, it was given to the brother, as was probably the custom among the Saxons. In 1967 Wright and Jackson found a stone at Wroxeter in a Sub-Roman context (dating to c. 460 – 475 AD[4]) with the inscription CUNORIX MACUS MAQVI COLINE, which translates as "Cunorix ('Hound-king' = Cynric) son of Maqui-Coline ('Son-of-Holly'), both of which are regarded as Irish personal names.[3]
Battle of Woden's Barrow (591)
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records a battle fought in the year 591 at Woden's Barrow (Old English "Wōdnesbeorġ"), the neolithic long barrow now known as Adam's Grave, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. The year entry states: "Her micel wælfill wæs æt Woddes beorge, 7 Ceawlin wæs ut adrifen." (There was great slaughter at Woden's hill, and Ceawlin was driven out.)
The Ceolian line
Ceol was the founding member of a sub-house of the House of Wessex which would rule Wessex from 591 – 645, 648 – 674 and from 676 – 685, comprising Ceol, Ceolwulf, Cynegils, Cenwalh, Seaxburh and Centwine. Coenwulf and Ceolwulf I of Mercia are also believed to be descendants of Ceol, meaning that the Ceolian line flourished for at least three centuries after its founder's death, and possibly longer. (See House of Wessex family tree.)
Anglo Saxon Chronicles
Source: Online Medieval and Classical Library Part 1 (400-750 AD)
- AD 568: This year Ceawlin, and Cutha the brother of Ceawlin, fought with Ethelbert, and pursued him into Kent. And they slew two aldermen at Wimbledon, Oslake and Cnebba.
- AD 577: This year Cuthwin and Ceawlin fought with the Britons, and slew three kings, Commail, and Condida, and Farinmail, on the spot that is called Derham, and took from them three cities, Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath.
- AD 584: This year Ceawlin and Cutha fought with the Britons on the spot that is called Fretherne. There Cutha was slain. And Ceawlin took many towns, as well as immense booty and wealth. He then retreated to his own people.
Family Life
- Cynegils of Wessex (c596-642) - succeeded Ceol's brother to become King of Wessex.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Cynegils of Wessex (c596-642) | 595 Wessex, England | 643 Wessex, England | |
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Ceol of Wessex (-597) | 575 Wessex, England | 597 Wessex, England | |
| Ceolwulf of Wessex (-611) | 578 Wessex, England | 611 Wessex, England | |
See Also
Bibliography
- "Prince Cuthwine of Wessex." Render Plus. 20 April 2009
- Yorke, Barbara (1990). Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England. London: Seaby. ISBN 1-85264-027-8.
- Kirby, D.P. (1992). The Earliest English Kings. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-09086-5.
External Links
- wikipedia:en:Ceol of Wessex
- House of Wessex - Family Tree Chart on Wikipedia
- Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - Pt 1 A.D. 250-750 - Online Medieval & Classical Library
- Ceolric of Wessex at thePeerage
- Ceol of Wessex - Geni.com
- Anglo-Saxon and Danish Kings of England - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
- Ceol 1 at Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England
Ancestry Trees
- Alfred the Great Family Ancestry
- House of Wessex
- Anglo-Saxon Chronicle which gives a genealogy for Æthelwulf of Wessex (c795-858).
Contemporary Sources
Anglo Saxon Chronicles
Source: Online Medieval and Classical Library Part 1 (400-750 AD)
References
- ^ Yorke (2004). "Ceol (Ceola, Ceolric) (d. 597)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5001. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5001?docPos=1. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
- ^ According to Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England, Oxford University Press, 3rd Edition, 1971, p. 30, the battle was fought at Woddesbeorg or Wodnesbeorg, probably the tumulus now called Adam's Grave, overlooking the Vale of Pewsey.
- ^ Wright, R.P. and Jackson, K.H. (1968) "A Late Inscription from Wroxeter", The Antiquaries Journal 48, part 2: 296–300.
Footnotes (including sources)
MainTourc.