New Books Network Max Adams and Colm O’Brien, "Northumbria AD 367-867: Earth Hall, Ring Gift and Heaven’s Field" (Birlinn, 2025)
Nov 18, 2025
Max Adams, a field archaeologist and author, teams up with Colm O'Brien, a retired archaeologist, to delve into the rich history of Early Medieval Northumbria. They discuss the significance of starting their narrative in AD 367, highlighting the decline of Roman control and the emergence of territorial lordship. The duo explores how Christianity reshaped Northumbrian kingship and its vibrant intellectual culture. They challenge the notion of a decline post-7th century, linking coinage and trade continuity to Northumbria's enduring influence, even in the face of Viking raids.
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Territorial Lordship Replaced Roman State
- Power in post-Roman Northumbria concentrated as territorial lordship, not a centralized state.
- Warlords ruled by controlling lands, extracting tribute, and moving between estate centers to sustain followers.
Northumbria Was A People, Not A Place
- 'Northumbria' originated as a people-based identity in Bede's writings, not a fixed territory.
- Bernicia and Deira remained distinct identities long after Bede's time and influenced regional politics.
Oswald's Iona Education Shaped Lindisfarne
- Oswald spent youth in exile with Iona's abbots and returned influenced by their model of Christian kingship.
- He founded Lindisfarne and established a lasting Irish-derived Christian strand in Northumbria.
