Bede. 15 Nov 655. He then vowed, that if he should win the victory, he would dedicate his daughter (age 1) to the Lord in holy virginity, and give twelve pieces of land whereon to build monasteries. After this he gave battle with a very small army: indeed, it is reported that the pagans had thirty times the number of men; for they had thirty legions, drawn up under most noted commanders.⁴³² King Oswy (age 43) and his son Alchfrid met them with a very small army, as has been said, but trusting in Christ as their Leader; his other son, Egfrid (age 10)⁴³³, was then kept as a hostage at the court of Queen Cynwise⁴³⁴, in the province of the Mercians. King Oswald's son Oidilwald⁴³⁵, who ought to have supported them, was on the enemy's side, and led them on to fight against his country and his uncle; though, during the battle, he withdrew, and awaited the event in a place of safety. The engagement began, the pagans were put to flight or killed, the thirty royal commanders, who had come to Penda's assistance, were almost all of them slain; among whom was Ethelhere⁴³⁶, brother and successor to Anna, king of the East Angles. He had been the occasion of the war, and was now killed, having lost his army and auxiliaries. The battle was fought near the river Winwaed⁴³⁷, which then, owing to the great rains, was in flood, and had overflowed its banks, so that many more were drowned in the flight than destroyed in battle by the sword.

Note 431. Oswald; v.s. c. 9.

Note 432. "Ealdormen," Green, "Making of England," p. 301. But they probably included many British chiefs (v. Nennius, and cf. infra "duces regii").

Note 433. Oswy's younger son. He succeeded his father in 670 or 671 (v. IV, 5, and for the events of his reign, IV, V, passim).

Note 434. The wife of Penda.

Note 435. Cc. 14 and 23. The reason for his conduct is not explained. Probably he had hoped to establish his claims on Northumbria through Penda's assistance, but shrank from actually fighting against his country.

Note 436. Cf. c. 22, ad fin., note. How he gave occasion for the war is not known.

Note 437. The river has not been identified, and there is great uncertainty even with regard to the district. Below, Bede says that Oswy concluded the war in the district of "Loidis," by which he must mean Leeds, as in II, 14, and most commentators adopt this view. In this case, the river may be the Aire, or more probably the Went, a tributary of the Don. Others believe the district to be the Lothians, following the account in Nennius, who describes Oswy as taking refuge before the battle in a city called Iudeu, supposed to be either Edinburgh or Carriden (cf. I, 12, note), and the river has been supposed to be the Avon in Linlithgow.