Editing Wulfhere of Mercia (section)

==A convert king==
[[File:Soc Ant microfilm Ms 38 Wulfhere crop.jpg|thumb|alt=detail of an Anglo-Saxon charter in Wulfhere's name|Detail of a 14th-century transcription of an [[Anglo-Saxon charters|Anglo-Saxon charter]] that purports to have been issued by Wulfhere, in favour of the monastery at [[Medeshamstede]]: a depiction of the king appears in the initial capital letter "U".]]
Britain had been Christianised [[Roman Britain|under the Romans]], but the incoming Anglo-Saxons practiced their indigenous religion ([[Anglo-Saxon paganism]]) and the church in Great Britain was limited to the surviving British kingdoms in Scotland and Wales, and the kingdom of [[Dumnonia]] in the southwest of England. Missionaries from Rome began [[Christianization|converting]] the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity at the end of the 6th century, and this process was well under way in Penda's reign, though Penda himself remained pagan throughout his life.<ref name=Campbell_TFCK_45>Campbell, "The First Christian Kings", in Campbell, ''The Anglo-Saxons'', pp. 45–6.</ref>  Records survive of the baptism of other kings at this time—[[Cynegils of Wessex]] was baptised in about 640,<ref name=Kirby_48>Kirby, ''The Earliest English Kings'', pp. 48–50.</ref> for example, and Edwin of Northumbria was converted in the mid 620s.<ref name=Kirby_78>Kirby, ''The Earliest English Kings'', p. 78.</ref>  However, later kings, such as [[Cædwalla of Wessex]], who ruled in the 680s, are recorded as pagan at their accession.<ref name=Kirby_118>Kirby, ''The Earliest English Kings'', p. 118.</ref>

[[Bede]] writes that after Wulfhere became king: "Free under their own king, they [the Mercians] gave willing allegiance to Christ their true king, so that they might win his eternal kingdom in heaven".<ref name="Bede"/> While Wulfhere's father had refused to convert to Christianity, and Peada had apparently converted in order to marry Oswiu's daughter, the date and the circumstances of Wulfhere's conversion are unknown. It has been suggested that he adopted Christianity as part of a settlement with Oswiu.<ref>Higham, ''Convert Kings'', p. 68.</ref> Bede records that two years before Penda's death, his son Peada converted to Christianity, influenced partly by Oswiu's son [[Alchfrith of Deira|Ealhfrith]], who had married Peada's sister Cyneburh. Peada brought a Christian mission into Mercia, and it is possible that this was when Wulfhere became a Christian.<ref>Bede, ''HE'', III, 21, pp. 177–8.</ref> Wulfhere's marriage to Eormenhild of [[Kingdom of Kent|Kent]] would have brought Mercia into close contact with the Christian kingdoms of Kent and [[Merovingian]] [[Gaul]], which were connected by kinship and trade. The political and economic benefits of the marriage may therefore also have been a factor in Wulfhere's Christianisation of his kingdom.<ref name = Kirby_114_1/><ref>Zaluckyj, ''Mercia'', p. 37.</ref>

Wulfhere's relationship with Bishop [[Wilfrid]] is recorded in Stephen of Ripon's ''Life of Wilfrid''. During the years 667–69, while Wilfrid was at [[Ripon]], Wulfhere frequently invited him to come to Mercia when there was need of the services of a bishop. According to Stephen, Wulfhere rewarded Wilfrid with "many tracts of land", in which Wilfrid "soon established minsters for servants of God".<ref name=Blair_92>Blair, ''The Church in Anglo-Saxon Society'', p. 92.</ref>

According to the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', Wulfhere endowed a major monastery at [[Medeshamstede]], in modern Peterborough. The monastery had initially been endowed by Peada; for the dedication of Wulfhere's gift both Archbishop [[Deusdedit of Canterbury|Deusdedit]] (died 664), and Bishop [[Jaruman]] (held office from 663), were present. The endowment was signed by Wulfhere and Oswiu, and by [[Sighere of Essex|Sigehere]] and [[Sebbi of Essex|Sæbbi]], the [[Kings of Essex]].<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', sub anno 656; Zaluckyj, p. 38.</ref>