Elmet

It seems likely that this Ceretic of Elmet is the same individual as the Ceretic at whose court Hereric was living.

Archive 2010-03-01 Carla 2010

Alternatively, Ceretic, or someone else in Elmet, might have decided that Hereric was too dangerous to have as a guest and arranged to get rid of him.

Hereric of Deira Carla 2010

I made Aethelric the son of Aelle's brother Aelfric, and made him a client king of Deira (duration currently unspecified), and made Hereric the son of a fictional Eadric (eldest son of Aelle) with a family connection into Elmet to explain the location of his exile.

Hereric of Deira Carla 2010

Elmet was a territory in the area around modern Leeds (see sketch map for approximate location), and the name of the kingdom survives in a few place names such as Sherburn-in-Elmet and Barwick-in-Elmet (see map links).

Hereric of Deira Carla 2010

It seems likely that this Ceretic of Elmet is the same individual as the Ceretic at whose court Hereric was living.

Hereric of Deira Carla 2010

Bede mentions Elmet and the region around Leeds elsewhere, so he evidently expected his readers to be familiar with it, and there was very likely a whole stratum of saga and story that his audience would have known that's now lost to us.

Hereric of Deira Carla 2010

He may have been living there in exile ever since Aethelferth annexed Deira, perhaps reflecting personal or family connections with Elmet, or he may have only recently arrived in Elmet, perhaps in the hope of gaining support for an attempt to reclaim Deira, or any number of other possibilities.

Hereric of Deira Carla 2010

Elmet was a territory in the area around modern Leeds (see sketch map for approximate location), and the name of the kingdom survives in a few place names such as Sherburn-in-Elmet and Barwick-in-Elmet (see map links).

Archive 2010-03-01 Carla 2010

It makes the point of how sketchy our information is, and how much detective work is needed to make a story, that only now have I realised that we don't actually know that Hereric was in Elmet!

Hereric of Deira Carla 2010

Doug - I think it's a reasonable inference that Hereric was in Elmet, since we know from other sources that there was a Ceretic reigning in Elmet at the time.

Hereric of Deira Carla 2010