This could have been an obligation placed on Cuthred by Mercia; earlier kings had similarly assisted Penda and Wulfhere, two strong seventh-century Mercian rulers.
Isto podería ser unha obrigación imposta por Mercia sobre Cuthred, visto que os reis anteriores axudaran de forma similar a Penda e Wulfhere, dous poderosos gobernantes mercios do século VII.