Raedwald
Raedwald was an early 7th-century Anglo-Saxon king of East Anglia. He is known primarily from the writings of the Venerable Bede, who described him as the fourth of the kings who held imperium, or overlordship, over other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Bede states that Raedwald was a pagan who converted to Christianity, but his conversion was a private affair, and he maintained pagan practices alongside Christian ones. This is often interpreted as him practicing a form of religious syncretism.
Raedwald's reign saw significant military activity. He famously intervened in the politics of Northumbria, defeating and
The wealthy ship burial discovered at Sutton Hoo is widely believed to be Raedwald's tomb. The lavish