Who were the Gyrwas?
Q: Who were the Gyrwas?
A: The Gyrwas were an early Anglo-Saxon people who lived mainly on the western edge of the Fens in eastern England.
Q: What did the name Gyrwe mean?
A: The name Gyrwe means 'fen-dweller'.
Q: Where was their territory located?
A: Their territory included Lindisfarne, Hatfield, Nottinghamshire, Northern Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, and as far south as Peterborough in Northamptonshire. The area around Jarrow was also in their territory.
Q: How did they sustain themselves?
A: They sustained themselves by fishing and hunting gamebirds from the Fens and living on drier lands and islands nearby.
Q: Who was Tondbert?
A: Tondbert was a priceps (leader) of the South Gyrwas recorded in the Tribal Hidage. He asked for Etheldreda's hand in marriage but died shortly after their wedding.
Q: How did they relate to other tribes?
A: For a time, their territory formed a buffer state between Mercians and East Anglians before being absorbed into Middle Anglia.
Q: Did they claim descent from ancient Germanic gods like other kings of heptarchy did?
A: No, Underkings and leaders of tribes like the Gyrwas probably did not claim descent from ancient Germanic gods like many kings of heptarchy did.
