Oswald of Northumbria

Oswald (Old English: Osuualde, c 604 – 5 August 642) was King of Northumbria (in northern England) from 634 until his death, and is venerated as a saint, of whom there was a particular cult in the Middle Ages.

Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile. After defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira once again under a single ruler, and promoted the spread of Christianity in Northumbria. The main source of Oswald's biographical information comes from the the historian Bede, writing a little less than a century after Oswald's death, who regarded Oswald as a saintly king. After eight years of rule, in which he was the most powerful ruler in Britain, Oswald was killed in the Battle of Maserfield.

Oswald in St. Oswald's Niche
Relics associated with Saint Oswald, which may have included pieces of the monarch's mortal remains, were discovered in 1991 at his namesake abbey in York. However, media attention regarding this find was muted, due to the sensational melodrama involving the relics of Archbishop Gerard found at the same site.