Ask any relatively intelligent man in the street to name an Anglo-Saxon King pre-dating Alfred and you will probably find Offa is the most common answer. I would not be surprised, however, if Raedwald was not the second choice. Despite there being few concrete facts known about him, he is popularly reputed to be the man buried with the Sutton Hoo ship burial and this gives him a fame which his obscurity and early date in Anglo-Saxon history would otherwise make unlikely. This is ironic given that modern research is beginning to doubt that the Sutton Hoo ship burial was in fact that of Raedwald in the first place.

The East Anglian Royal line of which Raedwald was a member was known as the Wuffingas, from his grandfather Wuffa, even though it is reported in one source that his great-grandfather, Wehha, was “the first to reign” in East Anglia. There is some debate as to whether the Wuffingas originated in the East of Sweden or whether indeed they were the Geats of the Beowulf story and so came from the South West of that country. All sources, however, appear to agree that their origin was Swedish and it would also seem likely that the Wuffingas were a Swedish Royal line transferring en masse to England rather than being mere non-royal adventurers in the style of other Anglo-Saxon Royal Houses.

Raedwald himself seems to have been a forceful character. In the years before 616 AD when Aethelbert of Kent was Bretwalda, Raedwald is the only English King recorded as “providing the military leadership for his own people”, implying a degree of independence not enjoyed by other Kings. Raedwald also appears to have resisted Aethelbert’s attempts to spread Christianity. Although he is reported to have allowed a missionary to enter East Anglia, and to have gone through some form of baptism himself, any “conversion” on Raedwald’s part was more than likely inspired by politics rather than commitment. He was criticized by Bede for maintaining two altars, Christian and pagan, side by side and at the time of his death both his sons were still pagan. If the Sutton Hoo burial is indeed his then this provides an additional pointer since it is purely pagan in style and content.

Raedwald became the fourth in the line of Bretwaldas following Aethelbert’s death and held this position, shady and ill-defined as it might be, until his own death in c.625 AD. During his reign it seems likely that there was much commercial and political contact with the Merovingians in Gaul; certainly one of Raedwald’s sons was given the Merovingian name of “Sigeberht”. Many Merovingian coins were found in the Sutton Hoo burial.

Raedwald’s pre-eminence between 616 and 625 AD was probably the major factor in the relapse to paganism during this period in Essex and Kent. It was also demonstrated militarily in dramatic style in 617 AD. In 604 AD Aethelfrith of Bernicia had invaded Deira, killing its King and sending the heir, Edwin, into exile. The then Bretwalda, Aethelbert of Kent, seems to have acquiesced in this aggression, which had effectively made Aethelfrith the first King of Northumbria. Shortly after Aethelbert’s death, however, Edwin is to be found at Raedwald’s court, presumably reflecting his new position as Bretwalda. Aethelfrith sent a message to Raedwald promising great rewards if he killed Edwin and war if he did not. After some initial hesitation Raedwald threw his strength behind Edwin and marched against Aethelfrith, defeating and killing him in a battle fought on the banks of the River Idle. Edwin went on to become the fifth Bretwalda after Raedwald’s death.

Raedwald is in many ways an attractive and heroic figure, leading the resistance of the old, traditional religion against the new import from the Mediterranean and doing so with some success. He appears to have been a person held in considerable awe by his contemporaries and one not willing readily to bow the knee to anyone, whether powerful Northern King or Southern Overlord.