Hun of East Anglia
Encyclopedia
Hun is the name of a supposed 8th century ruler of the Anglo-Saxon
kingdom of East Anglia, who may have begun ruling with Beorna
and Alberht
at the division of the kingdom in 749.
, in material which it is suggested may derive from the work of Byrhtnoth
of Ramsey
, written in about 1000. The annal states that in 749, after the death of Ælfwald, "cujus regnum Hunbeanna et Albertus inter se diviserunt" - 'Hunbeanna and Alberht divided the kingdom of East Anglia between themselves'.
In recent years some aspects of this statement have been verified by the discovery of coins of Beorna and of Æthelberht. The recognition of Beorna's reality as a historical figure leaves the Hun element in the annal word Hunbeanna detached, because Beanna (or Beorna) is itself a hypocoristic
form of a diathematic (two-part) name from which the second part has been reduced to '-a', with a hardening of the preceding consonants (as with the example of Jonathan and Jonny).
for Beorna (as is the case with Beorn's contemporaries Aethelwold Moll or Eadbert Praen), or possibly a third person whose name has been run together with Beonna's by a scribe
. The name Hun is familiar as an element in 8th and 9th century England, though usually as part of a diathematic name. Æthelhun, for instance, was among the West Saxons involved in the turmoil leading to the Battle of Burford Bridge in 752 and during the 9th century there were northern East Anglian bishops of Helmham
named Ælfhun
, Hunferthus
and Hunbeorht: it also occurred as part of a moneyer's name. There are several placenames in East Anglia that contain Hun as a personal name element, such as Hunston
and Hundon
, in Suffolk
, or Hunstanton
, in Norfolk
.
An alternative theory is that this annal, which is written in Latin
, was derived from an Old English source and that the translator scribe misread the opening word Here for part of the name of Beorna. "Her" - 'In this year' - is the usual opening for an Old English annal and the typical form of the letter 'r' might easily be misread for an 'n'. The person of Hun is therefore possible, but not quite substantial.
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
kingdom of East Anglia, who may have begun ruling with Beorna
Beorna of East Anglia
Beorna was a ruler in East Anglia from 749. The end-date of his reign is not known, but may have been around 760 AD. He shared his reign with another ruler called Alberht , and possibly with another named Hun.The primary sources for Beonna are very few...
and Alberht
Alberht of East Anglia
Alberht, Ethælbert or Æthelberht was an eighth century ruler of East Anglia, who shared the kingdom with Beorna and possibly with a ruler named Hun in 749. He may still have been ruling c...
at the division of the kingdom in 749.
Sources
Hun is barely a historical figure, depending upon one's reading of the unique late annal which appears to mention him. This is in the compilation of Roger of WendoverRoger of Wendover
Roger of Wendover , probably a native of Wendover in Buckinghamshire, was an English chronicler of the 13th century.At an uncertain date he became a monk at St Albans Abbey; afterwards he was appointed prior of the cell of Belvoir, but he forfeited this dignity in the early years of Henry III,...
, in material which it is suggested may derive from the work of Byrhtnoth
Byrhtnoth
Byrhtnoth was a 10th century Ealdorman of Essex. His name is composed of Old English beorht and noth ....
of Ramsey
Ramsey, Cambridgeshire
Ramsey is a small Cambridgeshire market town and parish, north of Huntingdon and St Ives. For local government purposes it lies in the district of Huntingdonshire within the local government county of Cambridgeshire....
, written in about 1000. The annal states that in 749, after the death of Ælfwald, "cujus regnum Hunbeanna et Albertus inter se diviserunt" - 'Hunbeanna and Alberht divided the kingdom of East Anglia between themselves'.
In recent years some aspects of this statement have been verified by the discovery of coins of Beorna and of Æthelberht. The recognition of Beorna's reality as a historical figure leaves the Hun element in the annal word Hunbeanna detached, because Beanna (or Beorna) is itself a hypocoristic
Hypocoristic
A hypocorism is a shorter form of a word or given name, for example, when used in more intimate situations as a nickname or term of endearment.- Derivation :Hypocorisms are often generated as:...
form of a diathematic (two-part) name from which the second part has been reduced to '-a', with a hardening of the preceding consonants (as with the example of Jonathan and Jonny).
An East Anglian context for the name
Hun could therefore be an epithetEpithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
for Beorna (as is the case with Beorn's contemporaries Aethelwold Moll or Eadbert Praen), or possibly a third person whose name has been run together with Beonna's by a scribe
Scribe
A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession and helps the city keep track of its records. The profession, previously found in all literate cultures in some form, lost most of its importance and status with the advent of printing...
. The name Hun is familiar as an element in 8th and 9th century England, though usually as part of a diathematic name. Æthelhun, for instance, was among the West Saxons involved in the turmoil leading to the Battle of Burford Bridge in 752 and during the 9th century there were northern East Anglian bishops of Helmham
North Elmham
North Elmham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,428 in 624 households as of the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Breckland....
named Ælfhun
Ælfhun
Ælfhun was a medieval Bishop of Dunwich.He was consecrated between 789 and 793 and died about 798.-External links:*...
, Hunferthus
Hunferthus
Hunferthus was a medieval Bishop of Elmham.He was consecrated and died between 816 and 824.-External links:*...
and Hunbeorht: it also occurred as part of a moneyer's name. There are several placenames in East Anglia that contain Hun as a personal name element, such as Hunston
Hunston, Suffolk
Hunston is a small Suffolk hamlet and civil parish set in a conservation area of Mid-Suffolk and liesbetween Stowlangtoft and Badwell Ash off the A1088, nearly eight miles east of the centre of Bury St Edmunds...
and Hundon
Hundon
Hundon is a village and civil parish in the Borough of St Edmundsbury in the English county of Suffolk. It has a primary school, post office, pub and two places of worship. The village is about north west of the small town of Clare, and from the larger town of Haverhill.-External links:* * * *...
, in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, or Hunstanton
Hunstanton
Hunstanton, often pronounced by locals as and known colloquially as 'Sunny Hunny', is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, facing The Wash....
, in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.
An alternative theory is that this annal, which is written in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, was derived from an Old English source and that the translator scribe misread the opening word Here for part of the name of Beorna. "Her" - 'In this year' - is the usual opening for an Old English annal and the typical form of the letter 'r' might easily be misread for an 'n'. The person of Hun is therefore possible, but not quite substantial.
Sources
- M.M. Archibald, 1985, The coinage of Beonna in the light of the Middle Harling hoard, British Numismatic Journal 55, 10-54.
- M.M. Archibald, V.H. Fenwick and M.R. Cowell, 1996, A sceat of Ethelbert I of East Anglia and recent finds of coins of Beonna, British Numismatic Journal 65, 1-19.
- J. Campbell (Ed.), The Anglo-Saxons (Oxford 1982).
- V.H. Fenwick, 1984, Insula de Burgh: Excavations at Burrow Hill, Butley, Suffolk 1978-1981, Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History 3, 35-54.
- J.A. Giles, Roger of Wendover's Flowers of History (Translation - 2 Vols.) (London 1849).
- D.P. Kirby, The Earliest English Kings (London 1991).
- S.J. Plunkett, Suffolk in Anglo-Saxon Times (Tempus, Stroud 2005).
- B. Yorke, Kings and kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England (London 1990).