The Battle of the Winwaed was fought on November 15, 655 (or perhaps in 654, according to one interpretation of the chronology), between King Penda of Mercia and Oswiu of Bernicia, ending in the Mercians' defeat and Penda's death. November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... Events November 15 - Northumbrian king Oswiu defeats the pagan Mercian king Penda in the Battle of Winwaed Empress Saimei ascends to the throne of Japan. ... Events King Reccaswinth issues Visigothic law code. ... Penda (died November 15, 6551) was a 7th century King of Mercia. ... Oswiu (c. ... Mercia, sometimes spelled Mierce, was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy, in what is now England, in the region of the Midlands, with its heart in the valley of the River Trent and its tributary streams. ...

Although said to be the most important battle between the northern and southern divisions of the Anglo-Saxons in early Britain, few details are available. For instance, the two armies met on the banks of a river named the Winwaed, but this river has never been identified. Possibly it was a tributary of the Humber. There is good reason to believe it may have been the river now known as Cock Beck in the ancient kingdom of Elmet, which winds its way through Pendas Fields, Leeds, before joining the River Wharfe (which eventually feeds into the Humber). The Anglo-Saxons refers collectively to the groups of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid-5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ... A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ... Humber is also the name of one of the ranges of cars manufactured by the Rootes Group Humber is also the name of a river in Newfoundland, Canada, as well as a river and a college, both in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Cock Beck is a stream in the outlying areas of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from its source due to run-off close to Whinmoor skirting Swarcliffe and Manston (where a public house has been named The Cock Beck), through Pendas Fields, Scholes-in-Elmet, Barwick-in-Elmet... Elmet is an area of West Yorkshire in England. ... Pendas Fields is a private housing estate in Leeds, West Yorkshire. ... Leeds is a city in the county of West Yorkshire, in the north of England. ... The River Wharfe is a river in Yorkshire, England. ...

The roots of the battle lay in Penda's success in dominating England in the 630s and 640s. He had defeated and killed Edwin of Northumbria at Hatfield Chase in 633 (in alliance with Cadwallon ap Cadfan) and Oswald of Northumbria at the Battle of Maserfield in 642. In the years after Maserfield, the Mercians apparently campaigned into Bernicia, besieging Bamburgh at one point, and the Northumbrian sub-kingdom of Deira supported Penda during his 655 invasion. Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Centuries: 6th century 7th century 8th century Decades: 580s - 590s _ 600s - 610s - 620s - 630s - 640s - 650s - 660s - 670s - 680s Years: 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 Events: 632 - death of Muhammad and transfer of authority in Islam to first caliph. ... Centuries: 6th century 7th century 8th century Decades: 590s - 600s _ 610s - 620s - 630s - 640s - 650s - 660s - 670s - 680s - 690s Years: 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 Events 640 - Egypt and Syria by followers of Mohammed 642 - Occupation of Persia by followers of Mohammed which... Edwin (alternately Eadwine or Æduini) ( 584–October 12, 632/633) was the King of Northumbria from about 616 until his death. ... The Battle of Hatfield Chase was fought in Anglo-Saxon England between the Northumbrians under Edwin and the allied Welsh of Gwynedd under Cadwallon ap Cadfan and Mercians under Penda. ... Events Oswald of Bernicia becomes Bretwalda. ... Cadwallon ap Cadfan (c. ... Oswald (c. ... The Battle of Maserfield (or Maserfeld) was fought on August 5, 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswalds defeat, death, and dismemberment. ... Events August 5 - In the Battle of Maserfield, Penda king of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald, king of Bernicia. ... Bernicia (Brythonic, Brynaich) was a kingdom of the Angles in northern England during the 6th and 7th centuries AD. It later merged with the kingdom of Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria. ... looking east from the village green. ... Northumbria is primarily the name of an Anglian or Anglo-Saxon kingdom which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, and of the earldom which succeeded the kingdom. ... Deira (from Brythonic Deifr, meaning waters) was a kingdom in England during the 6th century AD. It later merged with the kingdom of Bernicia (Brythonic, Brynaich) to the north to form the kingdom of Northumbria. ...

Penda, after gathering allies from East Anglia and Wales, marched with a force "thirty legions strong". Oswiu, who was Oswald's brother but had only succeeded him in Bernicia, the northern part of Northumbria, was besieged by them at a place called Iudeu (identified with Stirling) in the north of his kingdom by Penda. Apparently Oswiu was desperate enough to offer a great deal of treasure to Penda in exchange for peace. Although the sources are unclear, it is likely that some sort of agreement was reached at Iudeu: although Bede says that Oswiu's offers of treasure were rejected by Penda, who Bede says was determined to destroy Oswiu's people "from the highest to the lowest", he does mention that Oswiu's young son Ecgfrith was being held hostage by the Mercians, perhaps as part of a deal. The Historia Brittonum contradicts Bede regarding the treasure, saying that Penda distributed it among his British allies, which would presumably mean that he accepted it. The recorded events may be interpreted to mean that Penda and his army then began marching home, but for some reason the two armies met and fought at a place called the River Winwaed, which may be identified with the Went—this could mean that Oswiu pursued the Mercians and their allies and took advantage of a vulnerability on Penda's part; Breeze (2004) argues that Penda and his army were in a difficult strategic location along the Went during their withdrawal, giving Oswiu a good opportunity to attack. It is almost certain that the Northumbrians were considerably outnumbered by the Mercians and their allies. According to Bede, before the battle Oswiu prayed to God and promised to make his daughter a nun and grant twelve estates for the construction of monasteries if he was victorious. Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English and Welsh Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff First Minister Rhodri Morgan Area  - Total Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/km² NUTS... Broad St at the heart of Stirlings Old Town on a rare snowy day This article is about the Scottish city. ... Depiction of Bede from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493 Bede ( Latin Beda), also known as Saint Bede or, more commonly, the Venerable Bede (c. ... Ecgfrith (645–May 20, 685) was the King of Northumbria from 670 until his death. ... Prayer is an effort to communicate with God, or to some deity or deities, either to offer praise to the deity, to make a request of the deity, or simply to express ones thoughts and emotions to the deity. ... The term God is ordinarily used to designate a singular, universal Supreme Being. ... In general, a nun is a female ascetic who chooses to voluntarily leave the world and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent. ... Buddhist monastery near Tibet A monastery is the habitation of monks. ...

Penda army was apparently weakened by desertions. According to the Historia Brittonum, Penda's ally Cadfael ap Cynfeddw of Gwynedd (thereafter remembered as "battle-shirker") abandoned him, along with his army, and Bede says that Aethelwald of Deira withdrew from the battle to await the outcome from a place of safety. Penda was soundly defeated, and both he and the East Anglian king Aethelhere were killed. The battle was fought by the river in the midst of heavy rains, and Bede says that "many more were drowned in the flight than destroyed by the sword". Penda's body is said to have been decapitated. The Historia Britonum, or The History of the Britons, is a historical work that was first written sometime shortly after AD 820, and exists in several recensions of varying difference. ... Cadfael ap Cynfeddw (reigned 634– 655), also known as Cadfael Cadomedd (Battle-Shirker), was a king of Gwynedd. ... This article is about the medieval kingdom of Gwynedd. ... Aethelwald (d. ... Aethelhere (died November 15, 655) was a King of East Anglia (653/654–655). ...

After the battle, Oswiu took northern Mercia for himself, leaving the southern portion to Penda's son Peada. Peada (died Easter 656) was King of southern Mercia from 654 or 655 until his death. ...

External links

• Bede's account of the battle (http://www.winwaed.com/history/winwaed/bede.shtml)

Further reading

• Andrew Breeze, "The Battle of the Uinued and the River Went, Yorkshire", in Northern History, Vol. 41, Issue 2, September 2004, pages 377–83.