Talk:Wihtwara

Stuf and Wihtgar
Although I find the similarity between Cerdic's "nephew" Wihtgar and the fortress Wihtwaraburg very striking I do not think we should disregard Wihtgar and call him fictional. I agree that "white spear" which is what Wihtgar mean, is an unusual name for a warrior and princeling of the Anglo-Saxons. However, Wihtwaraburg is an Anglo-Saxon name and someone had to have named it. Since we have no record recording the first Anglo-Saxons(probably the Jutes)in this island, why not call him Wihtgar, and his brother Stuf. Jross audrey (talk) 23:44, 25 March 2008

Whitwara and Raedwald
The name given to the "Men of Wight" was "wihtwara"- wara meaning men as in weregild, werewolf (who was one of Alfred the Great's scribes !)and "Cantwara"- men of Kent, Meonwara etc. Hence there is no need to posit a single eponymous founder. THe name Porstsmouth was also attributed to someone called "Port" even though the Romans called it Portus (meaning a port). We only have the passage from Bede to account for this period so you pays yer money and makes your choice whether you believe it or not. Between this date and the death of the last King Arwald in 686 there were seven kngs in Wessex and this is about average for the English Monarchy (long reigns tend to average out being followed by short) so there are a number of kings whose identity we will never know. I have found a reference to a King Redwald from a series of Churchills cigarette cards, but I cannot find any other reference, although one could include Wulfhere from 661 - Streona

A source for King Redwald can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles for 617 "Redwald, King of the East-Angles" (Reverend J Ingram, pg32, The Saxon Chronicle AD1 to AD1154). As for Wulfhere, a king of the Mercian by that name was king during 661 (Ingram, pg 47), but there are others by that name. I don't think any of those where kings.76.251.243.242 (talk) 04:30, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

Different King Redwald who is also said to be the king buried at Sutton Hoo. The familiarity of the name may have appealed to the instigators of the cigarette card myth. Wulfhere conquered the Island but left shortly after to go back to Mercia. Streona (talk) 16:11, 14 May 2008 (UTC)