Crioda, King of West Saxons

Crioda, king of West Saxons

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creoda_of_Wessex

Creoda of Wessex (b. c. 493) is a shadowy figure in early Wessex history, mentioned only in the regnal list in the preface of the Anglo-Saxon chronicle. There he is stated to have been the son of Cerdic and father to Cynric.

Creoda was a co-Ruler of West Saxons, before 534. Creoda isn't mentioned by every authority, but Royalty For Commoners does include him. Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before 1700 does too, by omission. However, in fairness, even the Anglo-Saxon Chronical skips Creoda. However, if one examines the ages, the Creoda generation does make sense.

"By some accounts he also reigned jointly (519-534) with his grandfather (or father?), Cerdic, founder of Wessex."

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Whether or not Creola was father of Cynric is not certain. The Winchester Manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle lists Cynric as the son of Cerdic. However the Abingdon and Worcester Manuscripts have Creola as the son of Cerdic and father of Cynric.

The Winchester (or Parker) Chronicle has Cynric, son of Cerdic , son of Elesa, son of Gewis, son of Wig, son of Freawine, son of Frithugar, son of Brand, son of Beldeg, son of Woden, son of Finn, son of Godwulf, son of Geats (‘’Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’’ (A) : The Winchester Manuscript, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 173, ff.1-32).

There is an unsolved mystery surrounding the name of Creoda (also Cretta or Crida). The name of Creoda is a highly rare name - in fact, only four times the name ‘Creoda’, in its’ various spellings, is mentioned during the 600 years history of Anglo-Saxons, and the place names connected somehow to the name of Creoda are few, and are located not far from the city of Cirencester:

1) Creoda, King of Mercians, who claimed to be descendant of Icel, and alleged first King of Mercia. 

2) Certain ‘Creoda’ King of West Saxons appears in some ancient regnal lists, but about whom nothing is known. 

3) Cretta who appears in the list of the ancestors, or possibly Kings, of Aldfrith,ill-fated and the only known King of Lindsey. 

4) Certain Crida, who is once mentioned is 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle' 593:  ‘Ceawiln, Cwichelm and Crida perished…’.

All the variations: Critta,Crida and Creoda are almost certainly,the different spellings of the same name, and at least three of the above mentioned persons (Creoda of Mercia, Critta of Lindsey and, of course, Crida of 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle') are known to have died about the same time - about the end of the sixth century, so they probably, or even almost certainly were the same person.

A number of different explanations were made, but the most probable theory relays to the name of Creoda’s alleged father Venta. ‘Venta’ is not a name, either British or English, but a name of a place: Venta, or in Roman: ‘Caistor-next-Norwich’, a place in Norfolk, which might have been a residence of unknown East Anglian Kings, if in the late 5th or in 6th century East Anglia, before it’s history was beginning to be recorded, was devided into two Kingdoms (see: Kingdom of East Anglia).

This Creoda might have been the King of Northern East Anglia, and who was expelled in or before the year 571, when East Anglian King Wuffa annexed Norfolk and expelled its’ ruler, after what event English led by Creoda moved westwords, were he created (at least he is listed as the first King of these Kingdoms) the Kingdoms of Lindsey and Mercia, probably in this order. It is also plausible, that Creoda himself was the King of the whole Kingdom of East Anlgia, whom Wuffa, son of Wehha, whom the posterity made the first,or one of the firts,legitimate ruler of East Angles, expelled from his domains, but it is unprobabe, since there is no mention of such King of East Anglia in any existent regnal lists or ancient historical writings or documents.The exact date of Creoda’s death is given in 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle' 593, according to which he ‘perished’ along with Ceawlin, King of Wessex (what may eliminate the possibility, that this Creoda might also have been a sole King of West Saxons, though he might have been a joint ruler with this Ceawlin - nothing is known about this West Saxon Creoda who appears in some ancient regnal lists as King of West Saxons - it probably was, if he ever existed, another ‘Creoda’) and Cwichhelm (probably some local West Saxon lord).

According to the Mercian traditions and genealogies, the name of Creoda’s father was ‘Cynewald’ and although nothing, except his name, is known about him, this is the most plausible version, since the name ‘Cynewald’ is a real English name, of, probably, an existing person. In old West Saxon regnal list were Creoda’s name appears as King of Wessex, his father is unnamed and unknown.

Creoda from Lindsey left issue: son named Cueldgils,who might have been the next King of Lindsey, but of whom nothing is known.The Mercian Creoda left another son, named Pybba or Pypba, who appeared is some old Mercian regnal lists, and who later became a King of Mercia.

Cerdic was allegedly the first King of Anglo-Saxon Wessex from 519 to 534, cited by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as the founder of the Kingdom of Wessex and ancestor of all its subsequent kings.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Cerdic landed in Hampshire in 495 with his son Cynric in five ships. He is said to have fought a Brittonic king named Natanleod at Netley Marsh in Hampshire and killed him thirteen years later (in 508) and to have fought at Cerdicesleag (Charford, Cerdic's Ford[1]) in 519, after which he became first king of Wessex. The conquest of the Isle of Wight is also mentioned among his campaigns, and it was later given to his kinsmen, Stuf and Wihtgar (who had supposedly arrived with the West Saxons in 514). Cerdic died in 534 and was succeeded by his son Cynric.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerdic_of_Wessex

Kings and Queens of Britain, Grevill Stewart Parker Freeman-Grenville, (Wordsworth Editions Ltd. 1999), p. 12.

Står även som namnet Cerdic av Wessex Anglosaxiska ätten.

Bestaan van deze persoon is niet bewezen. Volgens overlevering is zijn zoon Cynric eigenlijk de directe zoon van Cerdic (de vader van Creoda).

Creoda was a co-Ruler of West Saxons, before 534. Creoda isn't mentioned by every authority, but Royalty For Commoners does include him. Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before 1700 does too, by omission. However, in fairness, even the Anglo-Saxon Chronical skips Creoda. However, if one examines the ages, the Creoda generation does make sense.

"By some accounts he also reigned jointly (519-534) with his grandfather (or father?), Cerdic, founder of Wessex." -------------------- Born Wessex, England 493. -------------------- There is an unsolved mystery surrounding the name of Creoda (also Cretta or Crida). The name of Creoda is a highly rare name - in fact, only four times the name ‘Creoda’, in its’ various spellings, is mentioned during the 600 years history of Anglo-Saxons, and the place names connected somehow to the name of Creoda are few, and are located not far from the city of Cirencester:

1) Creoda, King of Mercians, who claimed to be descendant of Icel, and alleged first King of Mercia. 2) Certain ‘Creoda’ King of West Saxons appears in some ancient regnal lists, but about whom nothing is known. 3) Cretta who appears in the list of the ancestors, or possibly Kings, of Aldfrith,ill-fated and the only known King of Lindsey. 4) Certain Crida, who is once mentioned is 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle' 593: ‘Ceawiln, Cwichelm and Crida perished…’.

All the variations: Critta,Crida and Creoda are almost certainly,the different spellings of the same name, and at least three of the above mentioned persons (Creoda of Mercia, Critta of Lindsey and, of course, Crida of 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle') are known to have died about the same time - about the end of the sixth century, so they probably, or even almost certainly were the same person.

A number of different explanations were made, but the most probable theory relays to the name of Creoda’s alleged father Venta. ‘Venta’ is not a name, either British or English, but a name of a place: Venta, or in Roman: ‘Caistor-next-Norwich’, a place in Norfolk, which might have been a residence of unknown East Anglian Kings, if in the late 5th or in 6th century East Anglia, before it’s history was beginning to be recorded, was devided into two Kingdoms (see: Kingdom of East Anglia).

This Creoda might have been the King of Northern East Anglia, and who was expelled in or before the year 571, when East Anglian King Wuffa annexed Norfolk and expelled its’ ruler, after what event English led by Creoda moved westwords, were he created (at least he is listed as the first King of these Kingdoms) the Kingdoms of Lindsey and Mercia, probably in this order. It is also plausible, that Creoda himself was the King of the whole Kingdom of East Anlgia, whom Wuffa, son of Wehha, whom the posterity made the first,or one of the firts,legitimate ruler of East Angles, expelled from his domains, but it is unprobabe, since there is no mention of such King of East Anglia in any existent regnal lists or ancient historical writings or documents.The exact date of Creoda’s death is given in 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle' 593, according to which he ‘perished’ along with Ceawlin, King of Wessex (what may eliminate the possibility, that this Creoda might also have been a sole King of West Saxons, though he might have been a joint ruler with this Ceawlin - nothing is known about this West Saxon Creoda who appears in some ancient regnal lists as King of West Saxons - it probably was, if he ever existed, another ‘Creoda’) and Cwichhelm (probably some local West Saxon lord).

According to the Mercian traditions and genealogies, the name of Creoda’s father was ‘Cynewald’ and although nothing, except his name, is known about him, this is the most plausible version, since the name ‘Cynewald’ is a real English name, of, probably, an existing person. In old West Saxon regnal list were Creoda’s name appears as King of Wessex, his father is unnamed and unknown.

Creoda from Lindsey left issue: son named Cueldgils,who might have been the next King of Lindsey, but of whom nothing is known.The Mercian Creoda left another son, named Pybba or Pypba, who appeared is some old Mercian regnal lists, and who later became a King of Mercia.

Cerdic was allegedly the first King of Anglo-Saxon Wessex from 519 to 534, cited by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as the founder of the Kingdom of Wessex and ancestor of all its subsequent kings.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Cerdic landed in Hampshire in 495 with his son Cynric in five ships. He is said to have fought a Brittonic king named Natanleod at Netley Marsh in Hampshire and killed him thirteen years later (in 508) and to have fought at Cerdicesleag (Charford, Cerdic's Ford[1]) in 519, after which he became first king of Wessex. The conquest of the Isle of Wight is also mentioned among his campaigns, and it was later given to his kinsmen, Stuf and Wihtgar (who had supposedly arrived with the West Saxons in 514). Cerdic died in 534 and was succeeded by his son Cynric.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerdic_of_Wessex

Kings and Queens of Britain, Grevill Stewart Parker Freeman-Grenville, (Wordsworth Editions Ltd. 1999), p. 12.