Creoda of Wessex

The name Creoda appears in the Anglian king-list and the (possibly derived) West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List, where he is stated to have been the son of Cerdic and father to Cynric.^[1][2] However, the main annalistic section of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle omits any mention of Creoda, and describes Cynric as the son of Cerdic. Similar contradiction occurs in surviving copies of the now-lost The Life of King Alfred, which Asser commenced with a paternal ancestry of Alfred the Great that includes the name Creoda between Cerdic and Cynric,^[3] but the following section relating Alfred's maternal ancestry calls Cynric the son of Cerdic.

If he existed, Creoda may have ruled Wessex for a short period of time immediately after Cerdic's death.

If the historical existence of Creoda is admitted, there are a number of theories as to his identity and why he appears in some primary sources, but not others:

1. His inclusion in the genealogies was original, and his name was removed from some lists at a late date for dynastic and political reasons.^[4][2]
2. He was a contemporary of Cerdic and Cynric, but ruled the Thames Valley Saxons, while they ruled the Hampshire Saxons. He is seen as the ancestor of the later kings: Ceawlin, Cædwalla and Ine. At some late date, Creoda was inserted into the Cerdicing line as the son of Cerdic, when descent from Cerdic became necessary for any king of Wessex.^[5]
3. Creoda has been confused with Cerdic and some of Cerdic's later activities have been misassigned in the texts, and were originally those of Creoda and Cynric.^[6]