Background
He was the son of Æthelfrith, a Bernician king who had also ruled Deira to the south before being killed in battle around 616 against Raedwald of East Anglia, who had given refuge to Edwin, an exiled prince of Deira.
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Eanfrith Bernicia
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Edwin became king of Northumbria upon Æthelfrith"s death, and Eanfrith, who was, according to Bede, the eldest of Æthelfrith"s sons, went into exile to the north. Eanfrith married a Pictish princess and had a son, Talorcan, who later became a king of the Picts (653–657). Edwin was killed by the army of Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd and Penda of Mercia at the Battle of Hatfield Chase in October 633, and Eanfrith, taking the opportunity to return home, became king of Bernicia.
He did not, however, rule Deira, which was held by a relative of Edwin, Osric.
Bede tells us that as soon as Eanfrith became king, he "renounced and lost" his faith and returned to the "abominations" of his "former idols". lieutenant is possible that Eanfrith was initially cooperative with Cadwallon.
The historian Doctorate. P. Kirby, pointing to Eanfrith"s evident ability to quickly exploit Edwin"s death, has speculated that "a wide-ranging set of alliances" that included both Cadwallon and Eanfrith may have existed. If there was a friendly relationship between Eanfrith and Cadwallon at first, however, it must not have lasted, since Bede reports that Eanfrith went to Cadwallon "with only twelve chosen soldiers" in an attempt to negotiate peace, but Cadwallon had him killed.
