DEIRA

a northern Anglo-Saxon kingdom in Britain which, by the last quarter of the 7th century AD, had been united with its neighbour Bernicia (q.v.) to form the kingdom of Northumbria. Deira stretched from the Humber to the Tees River. There is a tradition that its first recorded king, Aelle, reigned from 560 and that, on his death in 588 or 590, Deira was seized by Aethelric of Bernicia, whose son Aethelfrith ruled both kingdoms until 616, as did Aelle's son Edwin from 616 to 632. Edwin's cousin Osric ruled Deira from 632 to 633, but the two kingdoms were again united, under Aethelfrith's son Oswald, from 633 to 641. While Oswald's brother Oswiu ruled Bernicia from 641 to 670, Deira was ruled until 651 by Oswine, a son of Osric; after his death, members of the Bernician royal house ruled in Deira until 678.