Notes from Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Table 1 : King List According to the Introduction of Manuscript A A.D. 494 Cerdic and Cynric arrive at Cerdicshore. [Cerdic of Elesa of Esla of Gewis of Wig of Freawine of Friþugar of Brond of Bældæg of Woden] 500 Cerdic and Cynric conquer (what was thenceforth called) Wessex 516 Cerdic dies; Cynric inherits. 533 Cynric dies; Ceol of uncertain parentage, but from Cerdic, inherits. 539 Ceol dies; his brother Ceolwulf inherits. 555 Ceolwulf dies or is otherwise abdicated; Cynegils his nephew inherits Cynegils is baptised. [This puts the Chronicle’s chronology at least 50 years behind Bede’s. This corresponds loosely to the reign of Ceawlin which is conspicuously absent here, but is placed between Cynric and Ceol. The Chronicle’s beginning in the year 494 also seems to be simply incorrect, about 25 years earlier than actually happenned.] 586 Cynegils dies; his son Cœnwalh inherits. 618 Cœnwalh dies; his wife Seaxburgh rules for a year. 619 Æscwine Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 621 Centwine the brother of Cœnwalh takes the throne. 628 Ceadwalla Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 631 Ine Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. [Ine son of Cœnræd of Ceolwald of Cuþwulf of Cuþwine of Ceawlin of Cynric of Cerdic] [Note Celm is a miscopy of Celin thus Ceawlin] 668 Œþelheard Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 682 Cuþr æd Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 699 Sigeberht Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 700 Cynewulf II Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 731 Berhtric Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 747 Ecgberht takes the throne. [Ecgberht son of Ealhmund of Eafa of Eoppa of Ingild of Cœnræd of Ceolwald, ibid .] 785 Ecgberht dies; his son Œþelwulf inherits. 803 Œþelwulf dies; his son Œþelbald inherits. 808 Œþelberht the brother of Œþelbald takes the throne. 813 Œþe[l?]ræd the brother of Œþelberht takes the throne. 818 Ælffræd the brother of Œþelræd takes the throne. 841 “And then 23 years of his life were passsed, and 396 years from when his kin first conquered the land of the West Saxons from the Britons.” [If our date of 841 is correct (it’s not), then this computation would put the conquest of Wessex in A.D. 445 whereas we have it as 500. Hence 55 years are missing from the Chronicle’s own chronology, give or take a year of each reign since dates are not given and years may be rounded in either direction. This amount of years, 55, corresponds closely to the first desynchronicity, that between the Chronicle’s date of Cynegils’ conversion – no earlier than A.D. 586 – and that of the Venerable Bede – right around A.D. 635; and it is almost identical to the descynchronicity between this computation of Ælffræd’s reign and that of the scholarly consensus, which has him taking the throne in 871. Thus, it would seem that the chronology of this king-list is remarkably consistent if we simply apply these two correction factors: First, the king-list omits the reign of Ceawlin entirely, which we shall interpolate here; and second, the chronology seems to misdate the arrival (or the conquest) of Cerdic by about twenty years. Most closely I think it tracks to move the whole chronology (relative to the birth of Christ) forward by 21 years and to interpolate a 32-year reign of Ceawlin between Cynric and Ceol , yielding the following:] Table 2 : Adjusted King List According to the Introduction of Manuscript A A.D. 515 Cerdic and Cynric arrive at Cerdicshore. [Cerdic of Elesa of Esla of Gewis of Wig of Freawine of Friþugar of Brond of Bældæg of Woden] 5 21 Cerdic and Cynric conquer (what was thenceforth called) Wessex 537 Cerdic dies; Cynric inherits. 554 Cynric dies; his son Ceawlin inherits. 586 Ceol of uncertain parentage, but from Cerdic, takes the throne. 592 Ceol dies; his brother Ceolwulf inherits. 609 Ceolwulf dies or is otherwise abdicated; Cynegils his nephew inherits. by 639 Cynegils is baptised. [This synchronises the Chronicle’s chronology with Bede’s.] 640 Cynegils dies; his son Cœnwalh inherits. 671 Cœnwalh dies; his wife Seaxburgh rules for a year. 672 Æscwine Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 674 Centwine the brother of Cœnwalh takes the throne. 681 Ceadwalla Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 684 Ine Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. [Ine son of Cœnræd of Ceolwald of Cuþwulf of Cuþwine of Celm of Cynric of Cerdic] 721 Œþelheard Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 735 Cuþr æd Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 752 Sigeberht Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 753 Cynewulf II Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 784 Berhtric Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 800 Ecgberht takes the throne. [Ecgberht son of Ealhmund of Eafa of Eoppa of Inglind of Cœnræd of Ceolwald, ibid .] 838 Ecgberht dies; his son Œþelwulf inherits. 856 Œþelwulf dies; his son Œþelbald inherits. 861 Œþelberht the brother of Œþelbald takes the throne. 866 Œþe[l?]ræd the brother of Œþelberht takes the throne. 871 Ælffræd the brother of Œþelræd takes the throne. [Our chronology is now scynchronised with the consensus view precisely.] 894 “And then 23 years of his life were passsed, and 396 years from when his kin first conquered the land of the West Saxons from the Britons.” [This computation remains inaccurate by between 17 and 27 years. Unless we are to suppose another omitted king, this one reigning about two decades, and somewhere between Cerdic and Cynegils, and accept the initial A.D. reckoning of 494 as accurate, or else ascribe twenty additional years to Ceawlin’s reign beyond what anyone has seriously put forth up to this time, we must ascribe this miscomputation to themselves the scribes of the Chronicle. There simply are not 396 years reckoned in this chronology even with the addition of a thirty- two year reign for Ceawlin, whose omission is left uenxplained though certainly explainable.] C ontinued Notes The chief of the Angles of whom besought the Britons in A.D. 44 3 was probably Angelþeow. It would seem that he took the entirety of his people across the sea to Britain and left Old Anglia empty. 4 55 Battle of Agelesþrep or Agælesþrep. Identify. 457 Battle of Crecganford. Crayford. Downstream of London. South bank. 465 Battle of Wippedesfleote. 12 Bryþonnic chiefs die, among them Wipped. 473 Ælle came to Britain with his sons Cymen and Wlenciŋg and Cissa and landed at Cymenesora. 488 Ælle becomes king of Kent sooner than any estimate of Cerdic’s coming. 491 Annihilation of Andredescester 495 The Chronicle repeats this as the time of Cerdic’s coming. 514 Cerdic is said to have become king. This contradicts the previous timetable which puts only six years between his coming and his kingship. 522 End of Ælle’s kingship. 530 Conquest of Wiht yglond. 534 Se yglond gyfen to Wihtgar to ricsynne. Cerdic is said to have died, again contradicting the foregoing king-list; but this is only three years behind our date for his death foregoingly. 538 16 th February a solar eclipse. We can use this to synchronise our timetable if we can find a corroboration near in time. 5 47 Ida becomes king either of the Northumbrians or of a tribe which would later become properly Northumbrian. Ida Eoppason, of Esa of Ingui of Angenwit of Aloc of Benoc of Brand of Bældæg of Woden. 552 Cynric Cerdicson defeats the Britons at Serobyrg (Salisbury, apparently). 556 Cynric and Ceawlin fighting side-by-side at Beranbyrg. 560 Ceawlin becomes king – now six years ahead of our foregoing chronology. Ælle Yffeson becomes king of Northumbria. Yffe of Uscfrea of Wilgisl of Westerfalcna of Sæfugl of Sæbald of Sigegeat of Swæfdæg of Sigegear of Wægdæg of Woden. 565 St. Columba arrives on Hi ygland (Iona) [now we are two years ahead of the consensus]. Hand Eight’s claim that this is also the date of Œþelberht’s taking the throne of Kent is apparently completely incorrect – so incorrect, in fact, he writes that Gregory sent missionaries at this time even though he dates the accession of Gregory almost thirty years later. 5 68 Ceawlin and Cuþ a versus Œþilberht on Wibbandune. 5 71 A certian Cuþwulf conquers four towns near Bedcanforda (Bedford). 577 Cuþwine and Ceawlin versus Britons at Deorham, which must be not Durham but somewhere in the West, for they conquered thus Gleawanceaster, Cirenceaster, and Baþanceaster. 584 Cuþa dies in battle at Feþanleag. 588 Death of Ælle Northumbria; Œþelric rules after. 591 Ceol is described as beginning his reign, before actually deposing Ceawlin. Note he is here called Ceolric. See Table 3, and hereafter referring to Table 3. 592 Battle of Woddesbeorge; Ceawlin deposed. The scribe dates the accession of Father Gregory to this time 593 End of Œþelric’s rule in Northumbria. He is succeeded by Œþilfriþ. Ceawlin dies along with a certain Cuichelm and a Crida - perhaps meant to be Creoda, but not the supposed Creoda sometimes said to have been a son of Cerdic’s. 595 Saint Augustine arrives, now two years ahead of the consensus. 596 The same entry repeated verbatim. now one year ahead or perhaps the correct date. 597 Ceolwulf becomes king of Wessex. 601 Augustine receives the pall. 604 Sæberhte, son of Œþelberht (Kent)’s sister, king of Essex and his men are baptised. 611 Cynegils succeeds. 616 Œþelberht dies and his son Eadbald succeeds him. 626 Penda becomes king of Mercia. 627 Eadwine and his people baptised on Easter. 628 Cynegils and Cuichelm versus Penda at Cyrencester. 633 Eadwine slain; apparently Oswald succeded. 635 Cynegils baptised. 640 Eadbald of Kent dies and his succeeded by Eorcenberht. 642 Oswald slain. 643 Cœnwalh becomes king of Wessex [three or four years ahead of our better reckoning] 645 Cœnwalh deposed by Penda, because he deserted Penda’s sister, and not long after is baptised. 653 Middlesex converted under ‘the ealdorman Peada’. 655 Penda killed and the Mercians became Christian. His son Peada succeeds. 657 Peada dies and his brother Wulfhere succeeds. 661 Battle of Posentesbyrg on Easter. Wulfhere is routed to ( a certain) Ashdown. Cuþræd is Cuichelmson is killed, along with apparently a kinsman Cœnberht. Wulfhere gives the government of Wight to Œþelweald the king of Sussex because he was Wulfhere’s sponsor. 664 An eclipse of the sun. Eorcenberht Kent dies. The Saint-to-be Ceadda is consecrated along with Wilfrid. (Apparently the same Wilfrid known from Saint Agaþon’s letters?) 670 Death of Oswiu Œþelfriþson, of Œþelric of Ida of Eoppa; Ecgfriþ his son reigns after. 671 Miclefuglawæl. The great destruction of birds. 672 Death of Cœnwalh. [Here we are again two years ahead of our better reckoning.] 673 Egberht of Kent dies. A synod at Hertford. Saint Æþelþryþ founds the nunnery at Ely. 674-6 Reign of Ascwine. This remains about three years ahead of our reckoning. 678 A comet. King Ecgfriþ deposes Wilfrid the biscop. 680 Synod of Hatfield. Contemporary with the Sixth Œcumenical Council. Monoþelitism condemned. 685 Ceadwalla Cœnberhtson, of Ceadda of Cuþa of Ceawlin, starts a civil war, and is aided by his brother Mul. Ecgfriþ Oswyson is slain by the ceorls. 686 Ceadwalla and Mul ravage Wiht. 687 Mul and twelve with him are burned alive in Kent. Ceadwalla overran and plundered the countryside. 688 Ine succeeds to the kingdom of Wessex and builds Glastonbury. [Now we are five years ahead.] Ceadwalla travels to Rome and is baptised by Agaþon who calls him Peter. 690 Brihtwold succeeds archbishop Þeodore as the first indigenous archbishop. 755 Accession of Cynewulf. Synchronisd with accession of Offa. Six years ahead of our chronology. This would seem to be two years behind the consensus view; unless the scribe thought both events separately happened in this same year and was two years wrong about one and a different number of years wrong about the other. Our chronology is three years behind this one, which itself is two years behind the consensus view. 761 The Great Winter. Sould be cross-referenced for chronology. 784 The chronology now synchronises to our own with the death of Cynewulf. 785 First Synod of Chelsea. Tax to Rome from the Crown begins here. 787 Berhtric marries Eadburh Offasdotter. Allegedly the first Dane ships appear in England. 792 Offa orders Œþelberht (Wihtrædson, a Jute and king of Kent, died 760) decapitated. Reasons unknown. 794 Death of Offa. Two years behind consensus view now. 866 Coming of the Great Heathen Army, accession of Œþelræd. 871 Accession of Ælffræd the Great. 900 Death of Ælffræd the Great. Table 3 : Adjusted King List Incorporating the Narrative concerning Ceolric but rejecting in general the chronology of the text in favor of that we have computed in the foregoing A.D. 515 Cerdic and Cynric arrive at Cerdicshore. [Cerdic of Elesa of Esla of Gewis of Wig of Freawine of Friþugar of Brond of Bældæg of Woden] 5 21 Cerdic and Cynric conquer (what was thenceforth called) Wessex 537 Cerdic dies; Cynric inherits. 5 54 Cynric dies; his son Ceawlin inherits. 578 Cuþa, probably a son of Cerdic, is killed in battle at Feþanleag. 585 Ceolric (or Ceol), likely the son of Cuþa, of Cerdic, begins his rule. 586 Ceawlin is deposed at Woddesbeorge. [If this really was synchronous with the accession of Gregory, then we need only move our chronology ahead by four years. So let us now assume that the Conquest of Cerdic really happened in 525; and so their arrival to the isle could have been in 519 or really any time before that.] 591 Ceolric dies; his brother Ceolwulf inherits. 608 Ceolwulf dies or is otherwise abdicated; Cynegils his nephew inherits. by 638 Cynegils is baptised. [This synchronises the Chronicle’s chronology with Bede’s. Considering that it remains synchronised to the consensus view straight through to Ælffræd, it seems overwhelmingly likely that the scribes simply got the date of Father Gregory’s accession, and apparently that of Saint Augustine’s mission as well, wrong; or came to a different computation than the mainstream view anyway.] 639 Cynegils dies; his son Cœnwalh inherits. 670 Cœnwalh dies; his wife Seaxburgh rules for a year. 671 Æscwine Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 673 Centwine the brother of Cœnwalh takes the throne. 680 Ceadwalla Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 683 Ine Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. [Ine son of Cœnræd of Ceolwald of Cuþwulf of Cuþwine of Celm of Cynric of Cerdic] 720 Œþelheard Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 733 Cuþr æd Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 751 Sigeberht Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 752 Cynewulf II Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. 784 Berhtric Cerdiciŋg takes the throne. [Somewhere we must add back in one year to our reckoning since we found that Ceolric’s reign began a year before Ceawlin’s ended. Why not here? Perhaps every year foregoing in this list should be added one year thereunto. It is not simple to reckon since any reign could be a month or two or three or more longer than year and rounded to a year. So being within one or two years of any particular date is an achievement here.] 800 Ecgberht takes the throne. [Ecgberht son of Ealhmund of Eafa of Eoppa of Inglind of Cœnræd of Ceolwald, ibid .] 838 Ecgberht dies; his son Œþelwulf inherits. 856 Œþelwulf dies; his son Œþelbald inherits. 861 Œþelberht the brother of Œþelbald takes the throne. 866 Œþe[l?]ræd the brother of Œþelberht takes the throne. 871 Ælffræd the brother of Œþelræd takes the throne. [Our chronology is now scynchronised with the consensus view precisely.] 894 “And then 23 years of his life were passsed, and 396 years from when his kin first conquered the land of the West Saxons from the Britons.” [This computation remains inaccurate by 23 years. Curiously, 396 years before this date computes A.D. 498; while the original claimed date for the arrival of Cerdic to the isle is A.D. 494; while still the full text of the Chronicle puts that event in A.D. 495; thus, while the exact figure of 396 appears inaccurate, the scribe seems to be referring us to the date of Cerdic’s arrival rather than his being made king – whatever exactly is meant by being made king in the context of 6 th century Saxons. And this arrival date, imprecise though it seems, in the 490’s, is perfectly acceptable to us so long as we disregard the scribe’s claim that six winters elapsed between Cerdic’s arrival and the start of his reign, which figure, of course, the text itself likewise disregards.] T he Generations of Woden The sons of Woden are three: Bældæg, Wægdæg and Weolþelgeat. The princes of the second generation from Woden are three: Brand Bældægson, Sigegear Wægdægson, and Waga Weolþelgeatson. And the Venerable Bede also has that Witta is the brother of Sigegear and that his grandsons are Hengest and Horsa; but this cannot be so unless there are other accounted generations in between W ægdæg and Hengest besides these two, wherefore we have omitted this tradition from the present table, though we acknowledge Hengest to be of the W ægdægiŋga. The princes of the third generation thus reckoned are four: Benoc and Freoþogar, the sons of Brand; Swæfdæg Sigegearson; and Wihtlæg Wagason. The princes of the fourth generation are four: Aloc Benocson, Freawine Freoþogarson, Sigegeat Swægdægson, and Wærmund Wihtlægson. The princes of the fifth generation are four: Angenwit Alocson, Wig Freawineson, Sæbald Sigegeatson, and Offa Wærmundson. The princes of the sixth generation are four: Ingui Angenwitson, Giwis Wigson, Sæfugl Sæbaldson, and Angelþeow Offason. The princes of the seventh generation thus reckoned are four: Esa Inguison, Esla Giwison, Westerfalcna Sæfuglson, and Eomar Angelþeowson; and to these we shall add Hengest and Horsa though we can not say for sure of which generation from Woden they belong. They were the first of Wodenscynn to come to Britain, this about the middle of the fifth century of our Lord’s incarnation. The princes of the eighth generation, thus including the Wittaiŋga, are six: Eoppa Esason, Elesa Eslason, Wilgisl Westerfalcnason,; and Æsc and Ocþa, the sons of Hengest; and Icel Eomærson, who was the first of the Weolþelgeatiŋga to come to Britain. The princes of the ninth generation are five: Ida Eoppason, the first of the Benociŋga to come to Britain; an d Cerdic Elesason, the first of the Freoþogariŋga to come to Britain; and Uscfrea Wilgislson; and Eormenric Ocþason; and Cnebba Icelson. T he princes of the tenth generation are six: Œþelric and Ocga, the sons of Ida; and Cynric Cerdicson; and Yffe Uscfreason; and Œþelberht Eormenricson; and Cyneweald Cnebbason. The princes of the el e venth generation are seven: Œþelferþ Œþelricson; and Aldhelm Ocgason; and Ceawlin and Cuþa, the sons of Cynric; and Ælla Yffeson, the first of the Sigegeariŋga to Come to Britain; and Eadbald Œþelberhtson; and Creoda Cynewaldson. The princes of the twelfth generation are ten: Oswy Œþelferþson; Ecgweald Aldhelmson; Cuþwine Ceawlinson; and Ceolric, Ceolwulf, and Ceadda, the sons of Cuþa; and Saint Eadwine Ælleson; and Eorcenberht and Eormenræd, the sons of Eadbald; and Pybba Creodason. The princes of the thirteenth generation are ten: Ecgferþ Oswyson; Leodweald Ecgwealdson; Cuþwulf Cuþwineson; Cynegils Ceolricson; Cœnnberht Ceaddason; and Ecgberht and Hloþhere, the sons of Eorcenberht; and Penda, Eowa, and Cœnwalh, the sons of Pybba. The princes of the fourteenth generation are fourteen: Cuþwine Leodwealdson; Ceolweald Cuþwulfson; Cuichelm Cynegilson; and Ceadweall and Mul, the sons of Cœnberht; and Eadric and Wihtræd, the sons of Ecgberht; and Wulfhere, Œþelræd, Peada, and Merewalh, the sons of Penda; and Alweo and Osmod, the sons of Eowa; and Cundwalh Cœnwalhson. The princes of the fifteenth generation are seventeen: Cuþa Cuþwineson; Cœnræd Ceolwealdson; and Cuþræd and Cynegils, the sons of Cuichelm; and Alric, Eadberht, and Œþelberht, the sons of Wihtræd; and Cœnræd, Werburh, and Berhtweald, the sons of Wulfhere; and Ceolr æd and Ceolweald, the sons of Œþelræd; and Merchelm and Meresin, the sons of Merewalh; and Œþelbald Alweoson; Eanwulf Osmodson; and Centwine Cundwalhson. The princes of the sixteenth generation are nine: Saint Ceolwulf Cuþason; and Ine and Ingild, the sons of Cœnræd Ceolwealdson; and Eardwulf Eadberhtson; and Eadberht Œþelberhtson; and Wiglaf and Beornwine, the sons of Cœnræd Wulfhereson; and Þiŋfriþ Eanwulfson; and Cynreow Centwineson. The princes of the seventeenth generation are five: Eoppa Ingildson; Wigmund Wiglafson; Beornræd Beornwineson; Offa Þiŋfriþson; and Bassa Cynreowson. The princes of the eighteenth generation are four: Eafa Eoppason; Saint Wigstan Wigmundson; Ecgfriþ Offason; and Cuþberht Bassason. The princes of the nineteenth generation are four: Eahlmund Eafason; and Cœnwulf, Ceolwulf, and Cuþræd, the sons of Cuþberht. The princes of the twentieth generation are four: Ecgberht Eahlmundson; Saint Cynehelm Cœnwulfson; and Cyneberht and Cœnweald, the sons of Cuþ ræd. T he sole prince of the twenty-first generation from Woden is Œþelwulf Ecgberhtson. The princes of the twenty-second generation are the four sons of Œþelwulf: Œþelbald, Œþelberht, Œþelræd, and Ælffræd. T he princes of the twenty-second generation are the two sons of Ælffræd: Eadweard and Œþelweard. The princes of the twenty-third generation are seven: Œþelstan, Ælfweard, Eadwine, Eadmund, and Eadræd, the sons of Eadweard; and Œþelwine and Ælfwine, the sons of Œþelweard. T he princes of the twenty-fourth generation are the two sons of Eadmund: Eadwig and Eadgar. The princes of the twenty-fifth generation are the two sons of Eadgar: Saint Eadweard and Œþelræd. The princes of the twenty-sixth generation are the three sons of Œþelræd: Eadmund, Eadræd, and Eadwig. The princes of the twenty-seventh generation are the two sons of Eadmund: Eadmund and Eadweard. The sole prince of the twenty-eighth generation is Eadgar Eadweardson. So are reckoned twenty-eight generations, subsisting in an-hundred- fifty-one princes known by name, as the house of Woden; and the last of these died in the year our Lord the Eleven- Hundred-Twenty-Sixth. And it is known that there are princes unnamed and unreckoned within this house, for at least that the count of generations to Hengest cannot be as few as the three which the Venerable Bede hath given us; and also for that many princes are named within the ancient Chronicles to be descended from Cerdic or from other princes without any clue how they are descended so that we cannot reckon them a place within our table. And many are the claims beside these of men to be of Wodenscynn whether as bastards or as forgotten princes. For instance it is known well that Godwin, the earl of Wessex and father of greatly-renowned king Harold, was the son of Wulfnoþ Œþelmærson, this Wulfnoþ the brother of Eadric Streona, this whose native district suggest him to be of the kin of Merewalh Pendason of the fourteenth generation. Indeed it may well be said in a general way that the whole of the English race, and the whole of the Saxon race, are entirely sprung from Woden’s loins. Indeed we have said nothing of the mainland Saxons who no-doubt must be of Woden’s kin, and likewise the East Saxons of the isle who say they are of Seaxnot. If indeed there was such a Seaxnot then he must have been of Woden’s kin; for inasmuch as the West Saxons claim no kinship with such Seaxnot they must in some otherwise be of the same ilk as the East Saxons. Though it seems more natural to us to say that Seaxnot is a fiction and that the East Saxons are the kin of Freoþogar by some line which hath not been kept to us within the Chronicles owing to the poverty and irrelevance of those East Saxons in the history of the isle.