Mercia

, the flag of Mercia]]

**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'. Their neighbors included other Angles, Saxons and Jutes all from Germany. Mercia bordered on  Northumbria, Wessex, Sussex, Essex and East Anglia. To the west were Britons in Powys and the kingdoms of southern Wales. Its capital was Tamworth, which is today part of Staffordshire.

## Early history 
Archaeological discoveries show the first Anglian settlements were in the Trent river valley. The original kingdom of Mercia had a variety of different kinds of land. Most of it would not have been the first choice of anyone wishing to settle there. Not if better land was available elsewhere. The name 'Mercia' comes from the tribal name *Mierce*, which means 'boundary folk.' It was probably a name already known in the English midlands and was adopted by the Angles who settled there. The invasion of England by the Germanic tribes was relatively quick. By  England was a large collection of small kingdoms each having a warlord or petty king. Within 200 years of their arrival in England, the late seventh century, emerged the Heptarchy: the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England. Several Mercian noblewomen played an important role in Mercian affairs. This is in contrast to Wessex where women rarely had an active role in the government. During the seventh and eighth centuries Mercia struggled mainly with Northumbria. By the ninth century Wessex was the dominant power in the region. The first monks were Irish followed by Northumbrians. By 653 a single bishopric was established and a series of Irish trained bishops followed. He was able to put together a confederacy of a number of smaller kingdoms and from that he created Mercia. He ravaged Kent to prevent them from breaking away from his rule. In 679 he was at war with Northumbria. He was the son of Thingfrith, the brother of Penda. Offa had diplomatic relations with Charlemagne. He was one of the few Anglo-Saxon monarchs to have dealings with continental rulers. Letters and presents were exchanged. But when Offa sought a marriage of his son to one of Charlemagne's daughters, relations were quickly cut off. In 787 he convinced the pope to create the position of archbishop of Lichfield in Mercia. He wanted his own archbishop who was closer at hand than the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 855 Viking bands were recorded as being in Mercia near Wrekin. But the year 865 saw a major change in activity by the Scandinavian invaders. This was a much larger military force than had been seen before. For a time the Danes (Vikings) were more interested in Northumbria. They gained control of York and moved south into Mercia then camped for the winter in Nottingham. The Mercian king Burghred made a peace treaty with the invaders, who then moved north to York. In 874 the heathen army split with Halfdan, one of the leaders taking his band north. In 878 the Vikings in Mercia were attacked and defeated by King Alfred of Wessex. Alfred's daughter, Aethelflaed , married Aethelred (II), of Mercia. When Aethelflaed died in 918, the Mercian nobles now thought themselves free of Wessex rule. Edward stepped in and appointed Aethelflaed's daughter, Aelfwynn, to rule Mercia as his representative. But in 919 Edward brought her back to Wessex.

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