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Mercia (/ ˈ m ɜːr ʃ i ə,-ʃ ə,-s i ə /, [1] [2] Old English: Miercna rīċe, "kingdom of the border people"; Latin: Merciorum regnum) was one of the three main Anglic kingdoms founded after Sub-Roman Britain was settled by Anglo-Saxons in an era called the Heptarchy.
Mercia, (from Old English Merce, “People of the Marches [or Boundaries]”), one of the most powerful kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England. It held a position of dominance for much of the period from the mid-7th to the early 9th century despite struggles for power within the ruling dynasty.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Early History & Kings
- King Offa of Mercia
- Wessex, Vikings, & Decline
- Wessex Takes Mercia
- Mercia in Vikings & Legacy
Icel established an urban center at Tamworth which would become the capital (later possibly moved to Repton). Although he seems to have been king as early as 515 CE, the date of Mercia's founding is given as 527 CE based on the 13th century CE chronicles known as the Flores Historiarum. Icel was succeeded by his only son Cnebba (r. c. 535 - c. 545 ...
Offa is considered the greatest king of Mercia and the most significant Anglo-Saxon monarch before the rise of Alfred the Great. He reigned for 39 years, during which time he conquered the Kingdom of Kent, took Sussex, and arranged for the marriage of his daughter Eadburh (c. 787-802 CE) to Beorhtric, king of Wessex (r. 786-802 CE) and so easily co...
Unfortunately, this affluence would not last long beyond his reign. Offa was succeeded by his son Ecgfrith (r. 796 CE) who was assassinated after a reign of less than 150 days (most likely in retribution for the various nobles Offa had killed to secure his son's succession). He was succeeded by Coenwulf (r. 796-821 CE), a descendant of Penda. Coenw...
Ceolwulf II was succeeded by Aethelred II (r. 883-911 CE) who refused to submit to the Danes and allied himself with Alfred the Great. Under the terms of this alliance, Aethelred II had to accept Alfred as his overlord and to secure the contract he married Alfred's daughter Aethelflaed(r. 911-918 CE). Alfred had defeated the Vikings in Wessex in 87...
In the TV series Vikings, Mercia is depicted as a chaotic kingdom from whence Queen Kwenthryth escapes to ask Ecbert of Wessex for help in regaining her throne. Ecbert enlists the aid of the Vikings under Ragnar Lothbrokto defeat the forces of Kwenthryth's uncle and brother and, this done, Kwenthryth then poisons her brother Burgred and proclaims h...
- Joshua J. Mark
Feb 21, 2023 · Mercia was one of the most powerful kingdoms in England during the Dark Ages, a time of legendary warriors, cunning rulers, and epic battles. This mighty kingdom rose from the ashes of the Roman Empire and dominated the English Midlands for centuries, leaving behind a rich legacy of monuments, artifacts, and legends.
- Robbie Mitchell
Mar 27, 2024 · The Kingdom of Mercia, one of the most influential Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, thrived between the 6th and 10th centuries. Its story is a vivid tapestry of conquests, diplomacy, cultural achievement, and eventual decline, reflecting the complex dynamics of early medieval England.
Discover the monarchs of the kingdom of Mercia, from King Icel in the early 500’s all the way through to Ælfwynn who annexed the kingdom to Wessex in 918.
Mercia was one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the Heptarchy. It was in the region now known as the English Midlands now East Midlands & West Midlands. Mercia was centered on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries. Settled by Angles, their name is the root of the name 'England'.
