WUFFACYNN
About our Name
The Wuffingas dynasty were the family who founded the kingdom of East Anglia. They took their dynastic name not from Wehha, the First King on this royal line but from his son and successor Wuffa (which in the Saxon tongue translates as “Little Wolf). Our chosen name Wuffacynn translates literally as People or Kindred of the Wolf.
Today what we perceive as Norfolk and Suffolk roughly equate to what was once the Kingdom of East Anglia, Suffolk where we are today, being the southern province of the Kingdom. It is believed that the Kingdom was founded by the Saxon Wehha in the early 6th Century Common Era, certainly the Kingdom was well established prior to 550 CE. The dynasty originated from what today would be considered to be part of the German low country and Denmark.
There is some confusion as to when the Wuffing dynasty ended. Some academics believe that it spanned just over two hundred years, from Wehha in the early 500's CE through to Aelfwald who died in 749. There is ambiguity as to whether the heirs of Aelfwald were, “of the line” so to speak. He is succeeded by Beorna, Hun, and Alberht whose relationship to Aelfwald is unknown so we cannot assume with certainty that they were Wuffings. It is believed that initially Beorna ruled, with Hun and Alberht as sub Kings, if you do believe that they were Wuffings then the line continues.
The death of Aethelweard in 855 with no direct heir presents another dilemma to the dynasty. On this occasion a distant cousin proved to be a suitable heir. It is believed that Edmund as that distant cousin and successor was bought over from Angeln, the old homeland, and installed on the Anglian Throne.
Edmund negotiated and presided over several years of uneasy truce with the Danish invaders. During 869/870 the truce brokedown and hostilities resumed, resulting in battle and as legend has it Edmund was captured and killed by Princes Ivarr and Ubbi of Sjaelland and Uppsala. If you believe the dynasty lasted this long the death of Edmund was most certainly the end of the Dynasty.
The Wuffing dynasty presided over one of the momentous periods in our history it saw the commencement of the time of Conversion from the old Pagan Heathen Faith to the new Faith, I say commencement as it was not by any stretch of the imagination straightforward. For many years, the various kingdoms of central and eastern England would see Christian King, followed by Pagan King, followed by Christian King - you get the idea. So the transition was certainly not a cut and dry process.
When we consider the Wuffing Dynasty, Raedwald is the King most people would call to mind, he was a great grandson of Wehha and was the first Anglian King to convert to Christianity. Following his death he is believed to have been interred in the great mound or Mound One at Sutton Hoo, quite possibly one of the richest graves to be unearthed during the 20th century in this country. He reigned from 593CE until his death in 625CE, and received his baptism into Christianity at the court of King Aethelbert of Kent in 604CE. Aethelbert at the time was High King /Bretwalda of all of the English Kingdoms, with the exception of Northumbria (Bernicia and Diera).
Upon return to his Kingdom of Anglia, Bede advises us, that Raedwald was persuaded by his wife not to totally dismiss the old ways and faith of his people; as a result he maintained two altars in his hall, one to his new God and one to the Gods of his wife and his ancestors. It is interesting to note that both altars were kept in his hall for a considerable period following his death (there are reports that they were still there in situ 60 years after his demise). By 616CE Raedwald was High King/Bretwalda a title he held until his death. Indeed by bringing Northumbria in from its independance he was the first English King to unite the whole of what we now know as England under the one High Kingship.
Northumbria-Bernicia and Diera were two Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the north, they enjoyed an uneasy alliance. Following one such skirmish between these two kingdoms Edwin of Diera was routed and sought refuge with his old friend Raedwald, Sanctuary was granted. During his time of exile envoys from Aethelfrith, the victorious Bernician King visited Raedwald's court on three occasions to offer Raedwald financial inducement to hand Edwin over. According to Bede Raedwald would have ceded except for the counsel of his wife strengthening his resolve to support his friend. The resulting battle in support of Edwin cost Raedwald the life of one of his sons. It firmly put Edwin on the Throne of Northumbria and the fealty earned from Edwin to Raedwald bought Northumbria under the protection of the High kingship of England for the first time. Therefore Raedwald's historical importance speaks for itself.
Edmund was possibly the last of the Wuffing Kings, he died around 869/870. As stated earlier it is believed he was bought over from Angeln in Low Land Germany, as there was no heir apparent within the Kingdom. He was King for approx 15 years. From 855 to 869/870. It is commonly believed that Edmund’s tact and diplomacy prevented his kingdom succumbing to a full scale invasion by the Danes for at least five years, in the long term this only delayed the inevitable. Diplomacy finally failed and Edmund was forced into battle. The legend goes that he was captured, tortured and killed at the hands of the aggressors. The Last of the Wuffing Kings or the last of the Kings of the People of the Wolf had his head guarded by a Wolf until it was found and re-united with his body and initially laid to rest in a small wooden chapel that was built nearby. Later his body was moved and laid to rest at what was then a small monastery at Beodricsworth. Following internment a cult grew surrounding this martyred King. The monastery grew wealthy and a great abbey complex was developed on the site. Beodricsworth became St Edmunds Bury. Today the ruins of the abbey can be visited at the town we know as Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
Many ancient tribes maintained mystical bonds with animals, and two wolves may be seen on the famous Sutton Hoo purse, standing either side of a figure believed to be the God Woden. Woden was served by two magical wolves called Freki and Geri.