What does bretwalda mean?
Definitions for bretwalda
bret·wal·da
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word bretwalda.
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Webster Dictionary
Bretwaldanoun
the official title applied to that one of the Anglo-Saxon chieftains who was chosen by the other chiefs to lead them in their warfare against the British tribes
Wikidata
Bretwalda
Bretwalda is an Old English word, the first record of which comes from the late 9th century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. It is given to some of the rulers of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms from the 5th century onwards who had achieved overlordship of some or all of the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. It is unclear whether the word dates back to the 5th century and was used by the kings themselves, or whether it is a later, 9th-century, invention. The term bretwalda also appears in a charter of Æthelstan. The rulers of Mercia were generally the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kings from the mid-7th to the early 9th centuries, but are not accorded the title of bretwalda by the Chronicle, which is generally thought to be because of the anti-Mercian bias of the Chroniclers. The Annals of Wales continued to recognize the kings of Northumbria as 'Kings of the Saxons' until the death of Osred I of Northumbria in 716.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Bretwalda
bret-wal′da, n. a title of supremacy applied by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to Egbert and seven earlier kings, whose superiority was more or less acknowledged by other kings. [Lit. 'Lord of the Britons,' or 'of Britain.']
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
Bretwalda
a title apparently of some kind of acknowledged supremacy among the Anglo-Saxon kings, and the leader in war.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of bretwalda in Chaldean Numerology is: 1
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of bretwalda in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5
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"bretwalda." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 12 Mar. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/bretwalda>.
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