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Step back in time at Three Rivers Festival

COMING SOON: BATTLE FOR WIHTWARA 2027

What's The Story?

King Arwald dutifully reigned over some 300 families spread across the island in small hamlets, devoted to their pagan gods and godesses. But in 686 the Isle of Wight was invaded by a warmonger king, Cædwalla of Wessex who had spent the last few years mercilessly slaughtering across the south coast. Then, supported by Bishop Wilfrid, he turned his gaze across the solent where he attempted to establish Christianity by force - subsequently killing nearly 1200 Wihtwara - and claimed the island for the Church.

During the West Saxon invasion, Arwald’s brothers were forced to flee to the mainland (possibly in an attempt to protect the kings bloodline), but were betrayed and sent to Cædwalla who ordered the brothers executed. It is suggested that the boys were anywhere from 7-14 years old at the time.

However, bishop Cynibert of Hreutford (Redbridge- Southampton) convinced  him to have the boys baptised in an attempt to convert them. Bede (a monk and known writer of the Early Middle Ages) writes that when the executioner came, “they joyfully underwent the temporal death, through which they did not doubt they were to pass to the life of the soul, which is everlasting”. Upon death, the brothers were venerated as saints and collectively known as “St. Arwald” after their elder. Most Isle of Wight pagans still protest the sainthood, and mourn the brothers whose names have been lost to time…

It has since been suggested that the brothers were depicted by Bede as being willingly killed and recounting their faith in order to appease those who sympathised with Arwalds’s family, and preserve the christian ideals, an act comonly used by biased writers of the time.

Despite the insult of having his brothers murdered and thrust into sainthood, King Arwald’s people fought to the end as dedicated Pagans, fighting to keep their culture and their spirituality alive.

King Arwald’s people fought to the end as dedicated Pagans, fighting to keep their culture and their spirituality alive.