Cynewulf

**Cynewulf** (1157 - 1201) - king of the England from 1190 to 1198 son of Wulfgytha, deposed queen of England.

## Biography

Cynewulf was born in 1157 and was the son of Wulfgytha - sister of the Duchess of Bedford, Siffleda, and granddaughter of King Ive II, and Earl of Chester, Elfric. He had an older brother, Elfstan, by which he was completely disinherited from his paternal estate, remaining on the sidelines of the conflicts tearing apart Roderick II since the overthrow of Maldred England.

The figure of Cynewulf unexpectedly quite entered the salons in 1188. At that time, an unheralded knight, such as Cynewulf was at the time, openly stood up for the peasants against a raid by one of the royal troops of Eadwulf the Accursed. He managed to defend the village against the much more numerous - and better equipped and trained - royal troops, drawing on his head the punishment of banishment, but also the sympathy of the simple folk.

In 1189, Queen Eadgytha seized the throne by force, which resulted in considerable dissension among the commoners, who, after the fall of the feared king, were no longer so fearful of central authority. Cynewulf shrewdly exploited this discontent by inciting the people to open rebellion, in which he achieved considerable success - a large army of peasants marched on London. Even the warriors of the royal army, disloyal to the new ruler, supported him. On Christmas Day, despite the winter, the peasants besieged the capital, and on December 29 the assault began. It lasted continuously for two days, until Queen Eadgytha declared herself defeated and abdicated. As the angry mob stormed the castle, Cynewulf himself shielded the queen with his own breast, protecting her with his authority from imminent death.

The next day, New Year's Day, 1190, while praying in Westminster Cathedral, Cynewulf was suddenly surprised by a crowd of people, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Completely baffled, the knight was suddenly crowned king - a career literally from a punter to a millionaire. Soon King Cynewulf began his reign. He was a just person, no doubt, and concerned for the welfare of the poorest - for he knew their plight and knew that it was they who had elevated him to the throne. However, in all disputes he was a bit too partisan. He clearly favored the lower ranked knights over the magnates (the magnates, accustomed to the previous, opposite state of affairs, were not too pleased), thus upsetting the feudal balance. At least for the time being, however, the rich sat quietly, frightened by the possibility of a revolt of their own vassals in defense of the king. The latter, meanwhile, was focused on rebuilding the country from the ruins of nearly 20 years of civil wars and conflict. This caused the rebellious mood among the lower classes to weaken over time until it finally died out.

Here the magnates, led by Philip Hjort of Derby (still proud after all these years), seized the moment. They assembled an army - quite a large one, consisting largely of mercenaries - and marched on London. Cynewulf hoped that the peasant armies and minor knights would support him - to no avail. Despite their love for the king, they were unable to defend him. After minor fighting, the rebels took London in 1198, and Cynewulf met with Philip. The two men quickly established a thread of understanding and even became friends. They soon made a deal - the current king would abdicate in favor of the pretender, while the pretender would leave him alive and provide a decent living. As a result, although Cynewulf lost his crown and lands, he remained in London, well provided for, often attending court and giving advice to the king and supporting him with his authority and gravitas. Sadly, it was not long, for he died of natural causes in 1201.