Bretwalda

E456492

Bretwalda is an Old English term used in early medieval England to denote an overlord or high king who held supremacy over other Anglo-Saxon rulers.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Bretwalda canonical 7
Bretwalda (overlord of Britain) 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Anglo-Saxon political concept ⓘ
Old English term ⓘ
historical title ⓘ
appliedToRuler Aelle of Sussex ⓘ
Aethelbert of Kent ⓘ
linked to: Æthelberht of Kent

Ceawlin of Wessex ⓘ
Edwin of Northumbria ⓘ
Egbert of Wessex ⓘ
Oswald of Northumbria ⓘ
Oswiu of Northumbria ⓘ
Raedwald of East Anglia ⓘ
appliesTo Anglo-Saxon ruler ⓘ
high king ⓘ
overlord ⓘ
associatedWith Anglo-Saxon hegemony ⓘ
Anglo-Saxon kingdoms ⓘ
linked to: Heptarchy
culturalContext Germanic kingship traditions ⓘ
denotes supreme ruler over other Anglo-Saxon kings ⓘ
domain Anglo-Saxon England ⓘ
firstAttestedIn Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, late 9th century ⓘ
frequencyOfUse rare in surviving sources ⓘ
hasVariantSpelling Bretenanwealda ⓘ
Brytenwalda ⓘ
Brytenwealda ⓘ
linked to: Brytenwalda
historicalStatus semi-legendary title ⓘ
language Old English ⓘ
meaningEtymology possibly "wide-ruler" or "Britain-ruler" ⓘ
mentionedIn Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ⓘ
notEquivalentTo formal legal office ⓘ
regionOfAuthority multiple Anglo-Saxon kingdoms ⓘ
southern Britain ⓘ
relatedConcept hegemony ⓘ
imperium ⓘ
overkingship ⓘ
role military leadership over multiple kingdoms ⓘ
political supremacy among Anglo-Saxon kings ⓘ
scholarlyDebate extent of actual power implied ⓘ
whether title was contemporary or retrospective ⓘ
sourceType chronicle terminology ⓘ
timePeriod 7th century ⓘ
8th century ⓘ
9th century ⓘ
early Middle Ages ⓘ
usedIn early medieval England ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Edgar the Peaceful → title → Bretwalda (overlord of Britain) ⓘ
linked to: Bretwalda
Egbert of Wessex → title → Bretwalda ⓘ
King Edwin of Northumbria → title → Bretwalda ⓘ
Æthelberht of Kent → title → Bretwalda ⓘ
Edwin of Northumbria → title → Bretwalda ⓘ
Eadwine → title → Bretwalda ⓘ
Ceaulin → describedAs → Bretwalda ⓘ