What is Athelwald of Deira?
'''Athelwald''' (also spelled '''Oethelwald''' or '''Œthelwald''') was a King of [[Deira]]. He was the [[:wikt:nephew|nephew]] of King [[Oswiu of Northumbria]], his [[:wikt:overlord|overlord]], but he turned on his family to support the [[pagan]] [[Penda of Mercia]]. When Penda was killed, Athelwald lost his kingdom. == Early Career == He was the son of King [[Oswald of Northumbria]], who was killed by [[Penda of Mercia]] at the [[Battle of Maserfield]] in 642.<ref>Mike Ashley, ''The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens'' (New York: Carroll & Graf, 1999), p. 281</ref> At Oswald's death [[Northumbria]] was reduced back to the two kingdoms of [[Bernicia]] and Deira. Oswiu was the king of Bernicia and was acknowledge as overlord of Deira. Penda had placed Oswine of Deira{{efn|Bede praised Oswine as a fine example of a [[Christian]] king. He was kind to both [[noblemen]] and [[peasant]]s alike. Bede tells of how Bishop [[Aidan of Lindisfarne]] predicted King Oswine would not live long for he was such a humble king.<ref>Bede, ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People'', trans. Leo Sherley Price, revsd. R. E. Latham (London; New York: Penguin, 1990), pp. 166-67</ref>}} on the throne of Deira.<ref>N. J. Higham, ''The Kingdom of Northumbria AD 350–1100'' (Dover, NH: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1993), p. 128</ref> But Oswine did not get along with his overlord Oswiu. He raised an army against Oswiu but then realized his army wasn't large enough and he sent them home.<ref>Bede, ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People'', trans. Leo Sherley Price, revsd. R. E. Latham (London; New York: Penguin, 1990), p. 165</ref> He was betrayed by one of his nobleman to Oswiu and was murdered in 651.<ref>N. J. Higham, ''The Kingdom of Northumbria AD 350–1100'' (Dover, NH: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1993), p. 130</ref> == King of Deira == After Oswine's death, Athelwald became king. It is uncertain whether Oswiu (who was Athelwald's uncle) installed him as king or whether Athelwald took the kingship in opposition to Oswiu.<re