7th Century Timeline

The majority of the information is historically accurate, though World of Darkness events are marked by italics and events that I have added are marked in red. As Northumbria was formed from two other Kingdoms - Deira and Bernicia and as such was occasionally ruled by two kings, the years in which Northumbria was ruled buy a single king are highlighted blue.

Year	Ruler	Event
603	Northu bria: Aethelfrith Bernicia: Aethelfrith Deira: Edwin (client)	Aethelfrith defeats the King of the Scots (Aedon) at Dagsaston (prob. Dawston) in Liddesdale. Athelfrith’s victories in battle force the kingdoms of Strathclyde in the west, Rheged in Cumbria and Gododdin in the Lothians to recognise Bernician superiority.
604	Bernicia: Aethelfrith Deira: Edwin/Aethelfrith	Athelfrith takes the crown of Deira in the Yorkshire wolds and unites all the Anglo-Saxon territory north of the River Humber into one kingdom which will become Northumbria. Aethelfrith marries Acha of the Deira royal house to strengthen his claim. Acha's brother Edwin refuses to give up the crown easily.
605	Northumbria: Aethelfrith	Aethelfrith conquers Deira and exiles Edwin (son of Aelle), the boy king of Northumbria, and then married Aelle's daughter to secure the throne. Aethelfrith now rules from the Forth to the Humber. Edwin joins the court of Raedwald, King of the East Angles who promises to help him regain his kingdom. Aethelfrith defeats the Britons at Chester
610	Northumbria: Aethelfrith	King Cearl of Mercia (The Midlands) takes Prince Edwin under his protection. Edwin’s presence in the Mercian court is a great threat to Athelfrit.
613	Northumbria: Aethelfrith	King Aethelfrith of Bernicia invades Gwynedd in order to route out his old enemy, King Edwin of Deira. A united British force (Gwynedd, Powys, Pengwern and Dumnonian warriors) clashes with his army at the Battle of Chester. Kings Iago of Gwynedd and Selyf Sarffgadau of Powys and Prince Cadwal Cryshalog of Rhos are all killed but the victor is unclear. The Battle of Bangor-is-Coed follows in quick succession. King Bledric of Dumnonia is killed in the fighting and 1000 monks are massacred by the Northumbrians.
615	Northumbria: Aethelfrith	Din Guyardi is renamed Bebbanburgh (Bamburgh) after Bebba, Aethelfrith's wife. Aethelfrith attacks Cearl of Mercia and kills him taking Mercia and installing a puppet king. Edwin flees to the East Anglian Royal Household. Aethelfrith also seizes Cumbria and adds it to his territories.
616	Northumbria: Aethelfrith/Edwin	Aethelfrith killed by Raedwald at Bawtry on the river Idle. Oswald, Aethelfrith's son flees to Iona. Edwin takes over Northumbria, though with much resistance from rivals to the north..
625	Northumbria: Edwin	Edwin marries Ethelberga, a Christian princess of Kent. This is to form an alliance with Eadbald, the King of Kent and the only Christian King in the country.
626	Northumbria: Edwin	Cwichelm, King of the Welsh, sends Eomer to assassinate edwin. He fails, wounding Edwin and two of his Thanes, Frothhere and Lilla. Edwins daughter Eanflaed is born the same night.
627	Northumbria: Edwin	On easter Day (12th April) Edwin is baptised by Paulinus, Bishop of York, at the Church of St Peter. Edwin also orders the timber church to be rebuilt in stone. Paulinus returns with Edwin to Odgefrin (Yeavering) and spends 36 days baptising the local Saxons.
632	Bernicia: Edwin/Eanfrid/Cadwallon Deira: Edwin/Osric/Cadwallon	Edwin is killed by Penda (Pagan Mercian King) and Cadwallon (Welsh King) at the battle of Hatfield Chase. Edwin's head is taken to York. Northumbria is then split, Osric son of Elfric takes Deira and Eanfrid son of Ethelfrid takes Bernicia. Cadwallon attacks and defeats them.,
633	Northumbria: Cadwallon/Oswald	Oswald defeats Cadwallon at Heavenfield, near Hexham. Oswald rebuilds the ruined palace at Odgefrin.
635	Bernicia: Oswald Deira: Oswald	Monastery founded on Lindisfarne.
638	Bernicia: Oswald Deira: Oswald	Din-Eidyn (Edinburgh) is besieged by the Angles of Northumbria and they almost certainly conquer Gododdin. Probable death of King Rhun of Gododdin. Princess Rhiainfelt, heiress of North Rheged, marries Prince Oswiu of Northumbria. Northumbria embraces North Rheged in a peaceful takeover.
641	Bernicia: Oswald/Oswiu Deira: Oswald/Oswine	Oswald is killed in battle against Penda, the battlefield is Maserfelth (probably Oswestry, which is a corruption of Oswald's Tree as Penda supposedly performed the Blood Eagle on Oswald and pinned him to a tree). Oswald is buried at the abbey at Bardney, though Penda cuts off his arms, hands and head. Later his body parts are recovered and his right arm and hand are preserved in a silver casket at at the church of St Peter in Bebba (Bamburgh) as holy relics (earliuer in his life Bishop Aidan had witnessed Oswald's great kindness and held his right hand and said 'May this hand never perish', and when recovered his right arm and hand were perfect and hadn't decomposed) Odgefrin is burnt down, and Penda marches on Bebba (Bamburgh) as it is the Royal City and attempts to raze it, though he fails. Deira breaks away and is ruled by Oswine, a descendant of Edwin.
644	Bernicia: Oswiu Deira: Oswine	Bishop Paulinus of York dies.
651	Bernicia: Oswiu Deira: Oswine/Aethlwald	Oswiu kills Oswin, but before he can annex Deira, Penda's son Peada takes the throne. Peada wants to marry Oswiu's daughter, Elfleda, and becomes a Christian to do so. He is influenced by Oswiu's son, Alfrid, who is married to his own sister (and Penda's daughter) Cyneburga. He is baptised by Bishop Finan at At-Walls (Wall). Bishop Aidan of Lindisfarne dies at Bamburgh.
654	Bernicia: Oswiu Deira: Aethelwald/Oswiu	Penda forms a coalition of the southern kings to attack Oswiu and take Northumbria. Oswiu defeats them at Winwaed, Penda is killed. Peada is allowed to rule southern Mercia. Oswiu founds an abbey at Whitby
655	Northumbria: Oswiu	Peada is assassinated at Easter by his wife and is succeded by Wulfhere, his brother.
656	Northumbria: Oswiu	King of Oswiu of Northumbria invades Pengwern and kills King Cynddylan in battle. His brother, King Morfael, and the remains of the family flee to Glastening.
663	Northumbria: Oswiu	Oswiu calls for the Synod of Whitby at the Abbey.
670	Northumbria: Oswiu/Ecgfrith
672	Northumbria: Ecgfrith	Construction of Hexham Church (St Andrew) begins
673	Northumbria: Ecgfrith	The venerable Bede is born.
674	Northumbria: Ecgfrith	Benedict Biscop establishes a monastery at Monkwearmouth. Wulfhere (King of Mercia) invades Northumbria, but is defeated.
678	Northumbria: Ecgfrith	Construction of Hexham Church is finished. Bishop Wilfrid driven out and Bishop Bora replaces him at York and Bishop Eata at Hexham or Lindisfarne.
679	Northumbria: Ecgfrith	Aethelred defeats Ecgfrith and regains control of Mercia.
681	Northumbria: Ecgfrith	Manastery founded at Jarrow.
685	Northumbria: Ecgfrith/Aldfrith	Ecgfrith is killed in battle at Nechtanesmere whilst expanding his borders north, Aldfrith succeeds. Wilfrid reconciles with Aldfrith. Odgefrin is abandoned. Benedict Biscop establishes a monastery at Jarrow.
687	Northumbria: Aldfrith	St. Cuthbert dies
692	Northumbria: Aldfrith	Bishop Wilfrid exiled and goes to Mercia.
695	Northumbria: Aldfrith	King Aldfrith marries Princess Cuthburh, daughter of King Ine of Wessex.