Divine intervention or Hild?

Yesterday I saw this tweet marking the anniversary of the death of Oswald, king of the Northumbrians (now Saint Oswald—5 August is his feast day):

Oswald died fighting Penda of Mercia in the Battle of Maserfield (on 641, or 642, or 644 depending on source and interpretation), which is usually identified as present-day Oswestry in Shropshire. This identification makes no sense to me and never has—but that’s not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about something that makes even less sense: how, eight years earlier, Oswald became king in the first place by killing Cadwallon. (Who in turn, earlier, had killed Edwin at Hatfield Chase then stormed north, burning, slaughtering, and torturing indiscriminately for over a year.)

According to Bede1, Oswald “mustered an army small in numbers but strong in the faith of Christ; and despite Cadwalla’s vast forces, which he boasted of as irresistible, the infamous British leader was killed at a place known by the English as Deniseburn, that is, the Brook of Dennis.”

What isn’t clear here is the context. Oswald was an ætheling in exile in Dál Riata, whose capital, Dunadd, lies at least two hundred miles from Deniseburna (not far from Hexham) if travelling overland—200 miles of enemy territory.

Based on an image from

So how did Oswald surprise Cadwallon’s vast, well-armed, well-supplied, confident army on their home turf and overcome them?2 He could of course have travelled by boat—in fact I assume he did. But then it’s still a distance inland, and still through enemy territory. And where did he get the horses? And then look at that careful wording: Cadwallon ‘was killed’. Not ‘Oswald killed him,’ or ‘Oswald’s army was victorious that day’ or even ‘God killed him for his wickedness’.

So the whole thing is full of holes. Bede—and other commentators such as Adomnán3—attribute the unlikely victory to God. Bede spends much more time talking about Oswald’s faith and spiritual preparation—such as erecting a monumental wooden cross at the place later known as Heavenfield—than he does the military aspects of the campaign.4 But, well, I’m not a fan of ascribing military victories to divine intervention. So at the risk of making Menewood sound like a Secret History, let me tell you I’ve come up with a much simpler, much more satisfying explanation. And I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself. In fact I’m positively chortling with glee at the thought of you reading it!

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[1] Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (III.ii)—I’m quoting from my old Leo Sherley-Price translation, revised by R.E. Latham. There are better ones, but this is the one I’ve had for twenty years and can find what I want almost by touch.

[2] Cadwallon’s men had been plundering the north for over a year: after they killed Edwin and the cream of Northumbrian gesiths they killed Osric and his army, and then Eanfrid and his followers.

[3] Life of Columba

[4] But here’s an interesting tidbit: Archaeologists specialising in the era, such as Rosemary Cramp, don’t buy that nonsense of Oswald raising a massive cross at such an early date. No, they say, there’s evidence that the first Northumbrian monumental cross might have been at :: drumroll :: Whitby Abbey! And you know who built and ran that foundation…