Summary: Edwin was dead... Eanfrith was dead... Only Osric, Oswald, and Oswiu were left to stand against King Cadwallon and his Welsh army. Everything was coming to a head... and at the Battle of Heavenfield, the future of Northumbria would be decided. ---- The year was 633 or 634, and the tide was turning against Northumbria for the first time in as long as anyone could probably remember. AEthelfrith’s victory at the Battle of Chester was not just a problem for the Welsh, it was also a problem for Mercia because it further established Northumbria domination. And while AEthelfrith was later killed by Raedwald in battle, the balance of power didn’t shift. The North remained dominant, and we can see that evidenced by the fact that Edwin immediately took the throne and attacked Elmet and forced them into submission… and then went on something of a rampage dominating his neighbors, including the Mercians. T And now, that balance was swinging in the other direction. Edwin was dead. Cadwallon was marching through Northumbria with his warbands. The males of Edwin’s line were dwindling fast, with only Eadfrith alive… and only barely, considering he was a prisoner of Penda. Eanfrith (son of AEthelfrith) was dead due to an overestimation of his own importance. All that was really left for the North to rally around was Osric, the son of the old king of Deira. Sure, there were AEthelfrith’s other sons, Oswald and Oswiu, but they were up in the region that would eventually become Scotland. So basically, once Osric and his warriors were dealt with, Northumbria would be entirely dealt with. For the Welsh, who had so long struggled with their Germanic neighbors and watched as more and more of the island slowly came under their control… this moment of success and the chance to seize the initiative must have been an exhilarating moment. But, they weren’t alone in Northumbria, and like I said, Osric was active.
