Page "Wulfhere of Mercia" Paragraph 5

According to Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, a history of the English church, there were seven early Anglo-Saxon rulers who held imperium, or overlordship, over the other kingdoms.

The fifth of these was Edwin of Northumbria, who was killed at the battle of Hatfield Chase by a combined force including Cadwallon, a British king of Gwynedd, and Penda.

At the time of this victory, Penda was probably not yet king of Mercia.

His children included two future kings of Mercia: Wulfhere and Æthelred.