Outbreak of War
The cause of the war that led to Maserfield is unknown. The historian Bede, writing in the next century, portrayed Oswald as a saintly figure in his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum; his desire to portray Oswald in a positive light may have led him to omit mention of Oswald's aggressive warfare. He says only that Oswald died fighting for his country at Maserfield, giving the impression that the battle was part of a "just war". The location of the battle is traditionally identified as Oswestry (etymology: "Oswald's Tree") in Shropshire, which at that time is thought to have probably still been in the territory of Powys. If this location is correct, it would mean Oswald was in the territory of his enemies, which would suggest he was on the offensive.
Penda's Welsh allies would have included Cynddylan ap Cyndrwyn of Powys; the Marwnad Cynddylan says of him that "when the son of Pyd requested, how ready he was". This may be a reference to Penda, the son of Pybba, meaning that Cynddylan was eager to fight in battle alongside him. Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon is also thought to have donated reinforcements to Penda from the Kingdom of Gwynedd.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Maserfield
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