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The First King Northumbria in the time of Oswald was a complex kingdom in a class of its own brutal and barbaric on the one hand, yet humble on the other, steeped in traditions based on Mother Earth beliefs carried on since the Stone Age. They had a love of life and lived life to the full. Brought about by the Celtic church, with their love of their God, who taught all who came in contact with them, peace and understanding. Holy men of the time who gave their life to the spirit of their God to make their world a better spiritual place in preparation for their continuation of their eternal spiritual life.

We learn about early Northumbria from many different sources – from the Romans when they arrived in the first century, the writings of the Celtic monks of Ireland, England and Scotland as they travelled throughout Europe with their verbal and letter form. Another main source was the writings of Bede - one of the leading scholars of his time. The Vaults of the Vatican in Rome would have been overflowing with letters and information gathered over two thousand years and it is through the spread of monasticism from which we can piece together the truths of this bygone age of the Celts in Northumbria. We need to be cautious about certain events in history as some of what is written is biased according to politics of the time nonetheless the spread of monasticism shaped the history of Northumbria.

The First King Northumbria changed inwardly and outwardly as it grew larger and smaller and went on like that for two hundred years depending on what battles were won and lost Oswald, his brother Oswy and Oswy’s son Egfrith, were Anglo Saxon Kings. They not only ruled Northumbria but also it seemed to be the rest of England and Scotland, showing a truly different boundary to modern day Northumbria. It is through these Kings that the monastic priests were able to spread monasticism back into Europe after the establishment of the Celtic Church in the north of England.

Oswald was the first Christian Celtic King followed by his brother King Oswy them Oswy’s son King Egfrith.

According to The Venerable Bede Oswald hoped for a Kingdom in Heaven but also gained a greater earthly kingdom than any of his predecessors. In fact he brought under his control all the peoples and kingdoms of Britain speaking between them in four different languages.

Oswald was desperate to win back his father’s land which had cruelly been taken from his father by Edwin a heathen king of Deira and fulfill his fathers wish. Oswald wanted to recreate a land of peace and prosperity free of evil and barbarism. In AD633 Oswald fought at the Battle of Heavenfield. His victory made him king of Northumbria.

Oswald’s legacy

The First King If it was not for Oswald “The Golden Age of Northumbria would have never arisen. Northumbria became one of the main education centres of the known world. A period of wealth and prosperity followed and the establishment of the Celtic Church in Northern England.

He was known for being a kind man, who treated everybody equally. He wanted to stop all the division that had been created in the land by heathen kings and had a vision of a United Kingdom where the people could live peacefully off the land.

He has captured the imagination of many scholars over the years. There are lots of stories in existence of his acts of kindness and miracles associated with Oswald.

Such stories may well explain why Oswald became a Saint. There are thirteen countries in the world with St Oswald’s Churches and people believe to this day he was one of the greatest Saints of England.

The Venerable Bede records many stories of kindness and miracles associated with Oswald before and after his death e.g. his act of kindness was noted on Easter Day by Bishop Aiden when Oswald offered food to the poor and there are many stories about miraculous cures of sick people and animals which occurred on the spot where he died. The soil from the place he died was rumored to have healing properties. So much soil was taken away it left a big hole in the ground in which a grown man could stand. As word spread of the miracles many people came to visit this place with family and friends to be healed. One man laid his dying horse on the ground where Oswald died and the horse was miraculously healed. From all acounts Oswald died an heroic death. He put others before himself, and was later regarded as a martyr for his faith through the writings of Bede.

The cause of the battle

Nine years after the start of Oswald's reign King Pende, a heathen king from the Midlands, regarded the Christian alliance of East Anglia with Northumbria as a threat. Hence he went to war with them and defeated them cutting them off from Northumbria. Oswald hearing of this then realised he had to act and ordered his army southward to help his fellow Christians. On the south west corner of Mercia at Masterfield King Oswald and his army met Mercia on the 5th of August at a place known to this day as Oswald's tree.

The battle

The fighting started and at first everything seemed evenly matched. Oswald became separated from a large part of his army. He became surrounded by Pendas soldiers. The Mercian soldiers fired their arrows into him as if he were a pin cushion. Oswald fell to his knees realising he was going to die and cried out "O Lord have mercy on the souls of my people." As he finished saying this a soldier cut off his head with a battle axe and later his body parts were put on spikes for all to see. Later some of his followers removed them and kept them safe until his brother Oswy, who became the new King Of Northumbria, defeated Pende in battle and then he brought his remains home. When Oswy built a chapel to St Peter at Bamburgh he buried the remains of his brother's arm there. He kept his head on Lindisfarne. It was later removed to where it still is today at the right hand side of St Cuthbert's grave in Durham Cathedral.

After the death of Oswald, his brother Oswy became King. Several changes occured, the major change being that the Celtic Christian religion followed by Oswald diminished. Oswy, influenced by his upbringing in Iona (modern day West Of Scotland ), preferred to follow the Roman Catholic religion. It was Oswy that changed the dates of The Easter calendar that we know today. The Celtic clergy started to leave parts of the north of England, and went to Iona. When Oswy died his son Egfrith, became King. He donated a substantial amout of land to the church and monastries were built throughout Northumbria. One of these was in Wearmouth, the other in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear. The latter became a leading cultural centre in the Western World.