- Ælla of Deira
Ælla (Ella, Ille) (died 588), is the first known king of Deira. One of his sons was
Edwin of Northumbria and his daughter Acha marriedÆthelfrith of Bernicia .According to the "
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ", he became king the same year asCeawlin of Wessex (560) on the death ofIda of Bernicia , and ruled 30 years. However, the "Chronicle" records in the year 588 that Ælla died, and was succeeded by Aethelric. Possibly this is the reasonFlorence of Worcester offered the date Ælla came to the throne as 559, which would harmonize with a reign of thirty years.The manuscripts of
Matthew Parker , and their dependent copies, preserve the followinggenealogy of Ælla:Ælla was the son of Yffe, the son of Uxfrea, the son of Wilgisl, the son of Westerfalca, the son of Sæfugl, the son of Sæbald, the son of Segegeat, the son of Swebdæg, the son of Sigegar, the son of Wædæg, the son of
Woden .Nothing more is known of Ælla, but he appears to be mentioned in the
legendary saga "Gautreks saga ", where he is visited by theGeatish king Gautrekr .
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