Mul of Kent
Mul (Old English: Mūl, literally "mule") (died 687) may have briefly ruled as King of Kent following its conquest by his brother, Caedwalla of Wessex, in 686. Mul's father was Coenberht, making him a member of the House of Wessex (a descendant of Cynric.) The name Mul is very unusual and it has been postulated that it derives from the Latin mulus meaning mule, a word which is known to have entered the Old English vocabulary; presumably it was a nickname which became habitual.[1]
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle relates that in 686, "Caedwalla and Mul, his brother, ravaged Kent and Wight." In 687, however, it reports that "Mul was burned in Kent, and 12 other men with him; and that year Caedwalla again ravaged Kent."
In 694, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the people of Kent came to terms with Ine, Caedwalla's successor, and granted him a sum "because they had burned Mul earlier".
Mul’s reign is mentioned in a charter of Swæfheard.[2]
Footnotes
- ↑ Davis, K. Rutherford. 1982. Britons and Saxons: The Chiltern Region 400-700. London: Phillimore.
- ↑ Swæfheard (Suabhardus)
See also
- House of Wessex family tree
- List of monarchs of Kent
- Chronology of Kentish Kings
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Eadric |
King of Kent 686–687 |
Succeeded by Swæfheard, Swæfberht, Oswine |
| ||||||||||