Battle of Two Rivers

During the 7th century, the Northumbrians gradually extended their territory to the north. The Annals of Tigernach record a siege of "Etain" in 638,{{harvnb|Annals of Tigernach}} T640.1; {{harvnb|Annals of Ulster}} U638.1 which has been interpreted as Northumbria's conquest of Eidyn (Edinburgh) during the reign of Oswald, marking the annexation of Gododdin territories to the south of the River Forth.{{harvnb|Jackson|1959|pp=35–42}}; {{harvnb|Smyth|1984|p=31}}; {{harvnb|Fraser|2009|p=171}}

To the north of the Forth, the Pictish nations consisted at this time of the Kingdom of Fortriu to the north of the Mounth, and a "Southern Pictish Zone" to the south, stretching as far as the Forth.{{harvnb|Woolf|2006}}; {{harvnb|Fraser|2009|p=184}} Evidence from the 8th-century Anglo-Saxon historian Bede points to the Picts also being subjugated by the Northumbrians during Oswald's reign,{{harvnb|Bede}} III: VI (Oswald "brought under his dominion all the nations and provinces of Britain, which are divided into four languages, viz. the Britons, the Picts, the Scots, and the English.") and that this subjugation continued into the reign of his successor, Oswiu.{{harvnb|Bede}} III: XXIV Oswiu "subdued the greater part of the Picts to the dominion of the English" in 658.

Ecgfrith succeeded Oswiu as king of Northumbria in 670. Ecgfrith's kingdom was said to have been 'weak' on his ascent to the throne. In 671, word reached Ecgfrith that the Picts, under the command of the Verturian king Drest mac Donuel, were preparing to rebel and overthrow the Northumbrian hegemony.{{harvnb|Fraser|2009|pp=201–202}}; {{harvnb|Colgrave|1927|p=41}}: "For in his early years, while the kingdom was still weak, the bestial tribes of the Picts had a fierce contempt for subjugation to the Saxon and threatened to throw off from themselves the yoke of slavery; they gathered together innumberable tribes from every nook and corner in the north, and as a swarm of ants in the summer sweeping from their hills heap up a mound to protect their tottering house." Stephen does not provide a date for the rebellion, but it can be inferred from the Irish Annals: {{harvnb|Annals of Ulster}} U672.6; {{harvnb|Annals of Tigernach}} T672.5

{{Location map+|Scotland Perth and Kinross|width=200|alt=Map showing location of Moncreiffe Island, suggested location of the battle, within Perth and Kinross, Scotland|float=right|caption=Locations:

: File:Red pog.svg – Moncreiffe Island, suggested location of battle. |places=

{{Location map~|Scotland Perth and Kinross|lat=56.380323|long=-3.421763|mark=Red pog.svg|link=Arbroath|alt=Arbroath|marksize=6}}

}}

The record and description of the battle is limited entirely to Stephen of Ripon's account in his Vita Sancti Wilfrithi. According to this account, Ecgfrith became aware of the Picts plans to overthrow the Northumbrian suzerainty and he hastily assembled an invasion force of horsemen. He headed north, aided by his sub-king Beornhæth,Colgrave (1927) pp41-43: When King Ecgfrith heard this, lowly as he was among his own people and magnanimous towards his enemies, he forthwith got together a troop of horsemen, for he was no lover of belated operations; and trusting in God like Judas Maccabaeus and assisted by the brave sub-king, Beornhaeth, he attacked with his little band of God's people an enemy host which was vast and moreover concealed. who historian James Fraser suggests may have ruled the southern Pictish kingdom of Niuduera, identified as being located in present-day Fife.Fraser (2009) pp 200-201

The battle location is not recorded. A tentative suggestion of Moncreiffe Island, near Perth has been made.Fraser (2006) p59 However, it is unclear what (if any) impact the subsequent revision of Fortriu's location to northern Scotland has on this suggestion.See for example: Woolf (2006); Fraser (2009) p50.

In the account given in Vita Sancti Wilfrithi, Ecgfrith's cavalry was ambushed by a concealed and much larger Pictish army. Nevertheless, the Northumbrians prevailed, with Pictish casualties being of sufficient number to 'fill two rivers', allowing the Northumbrian cavalry to pursue Pictish survivors without getting their feet wet.

As a work of hagiography, Vita Sancti Wilfrithi is not an ideal historical source and it has been suggested that its partisan treatment of Northumbrian history inspired Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica.Fraser (2009) pp266-267 Various details of Stephen's account of the battle are likely to have been exaggerated, overstating the extent of Ecgfrith's victory.Fraser (2006) p76

Stephen records that, following the battle, the Picts were reduced to slavery and subject to the yoke of captivity for the next 14 years.{{harvnb|Colgrave|1927|p=43}}: [T]he tribes were reduced to slavery and remained under the yoke of captivity until the time when the king was slain. The Irish annals of Ulster and Tigernach record of a 'Drost' being expelled from kingship in 671.{{harvnb|Annals of Ulster}} U672.6; {{harvnb|Annals of Tigernach}} T672.5 It is generally presumed that this was the Pictish king, Drest, and that he was deposed and replaced by Bridei mac Bili as a direct result of the failure of the Pictish rebellion.{{harvnb|Fraser|2009|pp=201–202}}

Bridei was later to defeat and kill Ecgfrith in the Battle of Dun Nechtain in 685.See, for example: {{harvnb|Fraser|2006}}; {{harvnb|Woolf|2006}}

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Two Rivers

Two Rivers 671

Two Rivers 671

Two Rivers 671

Category:History of Perth, Scotland

Category:7th century in Scotland

Category:671