King Eanfrith of Bernicia
ᛉ 590 - 634 ᛦ
King Eanfrith of Bernicia (590-634 CE) was a Saxon king in what is now lowland Scotland, during the initial wave of conversions to Christianity in England.
His father was Æthelfrith, an Ásatrú king of both Bernicia and Deira, the two halves of the Kingdom of Northumbria. He was killed in 616, when Eanfrith was in his mid-twenties. When he was killed, Eanfrith’s uncle Edwin then took the throne of all Northumbria, and Eanfrith was sent north, to live in exile amongst the Scots.
While living in exile with the Scots, he was taught Christianity and made to be bathed in the name of the foreign Christ. He also married a Pictish princess and had a son with her.
However, when his uncle Edwin was killed in battle by another Saxon king, the Ásatrúar Penda of Mercia, Eanfrith seized the opportunity to reclaim both of his birthrights: the throne of Bernicia and his relationship with the Æsir. The Venerable Bede specifically states that King Eanfrith immediately “renounced and lost” his faith in the foreign Christ.
After returning to his throne and picking up the torch of Ásatrú, King Eanfrith sought peace negotiations with Cadwallon, the Christian Celtic king who had assisted in defeating Edwin. Cadwallon agreed to meet King Eanfrith for peace negotiations, so King Eanfrith took a small retinue of only a dozen soldiers. When they arrived to meet Cadwallon, he had them trapped and killed almost immediately, even though King Eanfrith arrived with the honorable intent of keeping the Frith and working towards peace.
Even when approached nobly and with the best intentions, the Christian snakes ambushed and killed at least 13 Ásatrú men simply for keeping their loyalty to the Æsir intact. This unfortunately ended Ásatrú in northern England until the start of the Viking Age, but for a brief moment, King Eanfrith of Bernicia restored the Saxons’ native faith of Ásatrú. He cared not for the material or social consequences. He cared only to do what was right by his Folk and by his Gods.
Let us all follow his example by marching onward boldly, nobly, and honorably towards Victory with the Æsir in our hearts!
We honor King Eanfrith of Bernicia for his fidelity to the Æsir!
We honor King Eanfrith of Bernicia for his perseverance while in exile!
We honor King Eanfrith of Bernicia for his courage to fight for his rightful inheritance and restore the honor of his father!
Hail King Eanfrith!
Hail the Asatru Folk Assembly!