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Deywr / Deifr
Part of the kingdom of Ebrauc,
Deywr's original territorial boundaries are probably mirrored in the modern county boundaries
of East Yorkshire, and it is likely that the region regarded Petuaria (modern Brough) as its
local capital, until this lost its importance in the mid-fourth century, perhaps because the
harbour had silted up. The main military post moved to Malton. From at least the early fifth century
laeti were hired and settled locally in order to protect the north eastern shoreline of Britain.
The traditional pedigree of the Anglian royal family which later ruled the area
suggests that these laeti settled on the coast under their own leaders on lands allotted to them
by their British paymasters, and often within the structure of existing estates. In one version of
the Anglian pedigree there is a note against the name of one Soemil to the effect that 'he first separated
Deira from Bernicia'. A direct ancestor of Edwin (612-632), Soemil could have been a prominent figure
among the Yorkshire laeti in the fifth century. It looks as if he was remembered for the
leading part he played in making his people independent (at least nominally) from the regional British
authority.
In 559 or 560, the long-lived king of Ebrauc died, and the Angles under their leader,
Aelli, seem to have taken total control with very little
 fuss. In their
northern Teutonic tongue, they pronounced Deywr as Deira.
They quickly overwhelmed Ebrauc. |
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