Centwine (died after 685) was King of Wessex from c. 676 to 685 or 686, although he was perhaps not the only king of the West Saxons at the time. The ''

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the ninth century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of ...

'' reports that Centwine became king c. 676, succeeding Æscwine.

Bede Bede (; ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, Bede of Jarrow, the Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable (), was an English monk, author and scholar. He was one of the most known writers during the Early Middle Ages, and his most f ...

states that after the death of King Cenwalh: "his under-rulers took upon them the kingdom of the people, and dividing it among themselves, held it ten years". Bede's dismissal of Æscwine and Centwine as merely sub-kings may represent the views of the supporters of the King Ine, whose family ruled Wessex in Bede's time. However, if the West Saxon kingdom did fragment following Cenwalh's death, it appears that it was reunited during Centwine's reign. An entry under 682 in the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' records that "Centwine drove the Britons to the sea". This is the only event recorded in his reign. The ''Carmina Ecclesiastica'' of Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne (died 709), written a generation after Centwine's reign, records that he won three great battles. In addition, it states that he was a

pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

for part of his reign, adopting

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

and becoming a patron of the church. The ''Chronicle's'' version of his ancestry makes Centwine a son of King Cynegils, and thus a brother of King Cenwalh and maybe of Cwichelm, King of the Gewisse, but Aldhelm does not record any such relationship. Chapter 40 of Eddius Stephanus's '' Life of Wilfrid'' records that Centwine was married to a sister of Queen Eormenburg, second wife of King Ecgfrith of Northumbria. Her name is not reliably recorded, and the suggestion that she is to be identified with Dunna, Abbess of Withington, is broadly rejected. Their daughter Bugga was certainly a nun when Aldhelm dedicated verses to her, and was probably an Abbess. Centwine is reported to have abdicated and become a

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

. Aldhelm writes that he "gave up riches and the reins of government and left his own kingdom in the name of Christ".. Retrieved 2007-02-10 The date of his death is unknown. He was succeeded by Caedwalla.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Centwine of Wessex Converts to Christianity from Anglo-Saxon paganism 7th-century English monarchs 7th-century Christian saints Anglo-Saxon warriors West Saxon monarchs West Saxon saints Monarchs who abdicated House of Wessex Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown

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