ABSTRACT
TheEnglishwerealreadyconsciousofthemselvesasapeople, especiallyasapeopleidentifiedbychurchorganisationandlanguage (cf.§196),buttheydidnotyetconstituteapoliticalunity.Thechief EnglishkingdomswerethoseofNorthandSouthNorthumbria(Bernicia andDeirarespectively),runningfromwhereverthefrontiercurrently wasinthenorthandwesttotheHumberonthesouth;Mercia,extending overthewholeoftheMidlands;KentandWessexinthesouth.At varioustimesonepoweroranotherhadestablishedsupremacyoverthe others,andwhenourperiodbeginsthelongestandmosteffective dominionyetknownwasinforce,thesupremacyofMerciaestablished duringtwosuccessivereignslastingeightyyears,andendingwiththe deathofKingOffain796.
