Cissa is the name of a (possibly) mythical King of Sussex. The town of Chichester is supposedly named after him.

In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Cissa is listed as one of the three sons of Ælle, who in the year 477 arrived in Britain in three ships with his three sons, and fought three battles. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles were a series of documents that charted Anglo-Saxon history from the mid-fifth century till 1066 although one version extends till 1154.^[1]. The Chronicles were commissioned during the reign of Alfred the Great over 400 years after Cissa, and their accuracy particularly for the early dates are regarded as questionable.^{[1] [2]}There has been no archaelogical evidence to support the existence of Ælle and his three son's in the Chichester or Selsey area.^[3]The absence of early Anglo-Saxon burial grounds in the Chichester area suggests that they did not arrive there until more than a hundred years after Ælle’s time;^[3][4] Some have suggested that Chichester had an independent region of Britons (known as Sub-Roman ) in the late fifth century, however there is also no archaeology to support that hypothesis either.^[5][6] Also the corresponding lack of Celtic derived place names in West Sussex. The names are all Saxon, except for the Arun and Chithurst; perhaps Cissbury from Sidh, compare Sidown in Hampshire. In respect of Bede and Roger of Wendover (we cannot rule out that Roger had access to manuscripts now lost), perhaps a subjugated sub-Roman enclave survived under Saxon aldermen during the time of Ælle and his son Cissa. Chichester is not called Elchester from Ælle, but bears the name of one of his three ‘sons’; Morris suggests that Cissa was more probably Ælle’s remote heir rather than his son.^[7] The earliest Anglo-Saxon object in the area is a brooch found in the Roman cemetery, in the St. Pancras area of Chichester, that dates to the time of Ælle’s grandchildren.^[7] Its isolation suggests a Saxon woman who lived and died in a British community rather than a Saxon settlement^[7]. None of this excludes the possibility of Saxon overlords. According to John Davies it is very likely that large numbers of the Romano-British population welcomed the new Germanic culture as a release from an outmoded Roman world.

Contents 1 Historical attestation 2 Evidence from place names 3 Notes 4 References 5 External Links

[edit] Historical attestation

The reign of Cissa is not mentioned by any source earlier than Henry of Huntingdon, who wrote between 1130 to 1154, and clearly used his imagination to fill out gaps in the historical record: "Both Henry of Huntingdon and Roger of Wendover provide extended versions of the three ASC [Anglo-Saxon Chronicle] entries relating to Ælle. These appear to represent nothing more than the addition of embroidery^[why?] ... it is assumed by both authors that Ælle was succeeded by his 'son' Cissa, but this claim seems to be pure supposition^[why?], as is the alleged date of this 'succession'.^{[8][but why alleged?]}

Roger of Wendover even went so far as to provide a death date for Cissa, that had previously been absent. The date he gave was 590, which, given that Cissa is supposed to have arrived in Britain in 477, means that he must have been 123 when he died.). As Kirby & Williams observed "It seems very unlikely that these annals in later medieval chronicles will provide a certain basis for historical reconstruction".^[9] No account is taken for possble manuscripts that have since been lost, dating from before the Wendover text, which might have been available to Roger. An emendation from 'died in 590, to 'died aged 90' would resolve this inconsistency.

[edit] Evidence from place names

"The name Chichester has been taken to suggest that it may have been named after Cissa, one of Ælle's 'sons', just as Lancing has been thought to derive from Wlencing".^[3] "All three of Ælle's 'sons' have names which conveniently link to ancient or surviving place-names".^[8] "Conceivably the names of Ælle's sons were derived from the place-names as the legends of the origins of the South Saxons evolved; or perhaps the legends themselves gave rise to the place-names".^[10] Which begs two questions. Either how much later was Lancing founded? or why was the original patronym abandoned?

Another place name potentially associated with Cissa (which in any case is to be pronounced 'Chissa') is the Iron Age hill fort Cissbury Ring, near Cissbury, which William Camden said "plainly bespeaks it the work of king Cissa". Yet its real date precludes any such connexion, and furthermore there is a record from 1663 in which it was called "Cesars Bury".^[11] It seems that ties between Cissbury and Cesars Bury and Cissa are nothing more than back-formations: Cissbury has been identified with a Saxon mint, “the implied Sith(m)esteburh of Saxon coinage, ‘the last built burh’." Indeed, "[e]very association of the original name with Cissa son of Ælle is fanciful.”^[12]

[edit] Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Alfred the Great. Asser.(2004) pp.275 - 281. - Discussion of sources, authors, dates and accuracy
2. ^ Garmonsway. (1953). Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.
3. ^ ^{a b c} Welch.(1978) Early Anglo-Saxons - discussion of the Anglo-Saxons in 5th century Sussex.
4. ^ D J Freke. (1980) Excavations in the Parish Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Pagham, SAC 118 pp245-56 - A late 6th c. early 7th c. cremation urn was found near the church in Pagham Harbour
5. ^ Bell.(1978) p.64. - This has led some writers to suggest that an area centred on Chichester remained in sub-Roman hands, throughout the 5th century and perhaps longer. Equally, however, there is no archaeological evidence from Chichester or its surroundings of a sub-Roman population.
6. ^ Slaughter.(2009) in his Rulers of the South Saxons before 825, raises the point of negative evidence in terms of any possible sub-Roman presence and is aware of a dearth of fifth century archaeology in and around Chichester, although he claims that Birdham, earlier Bridenham, might derive from Britwend + ham. during this period.
7. ^ ^{a b c} Morris. (1973.)The Age of Arthur p.94 - Morris cross references British sources and Anglo-Saxon Archaeology as well as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles to produce his conclusions.
8. ^ ^{a b} Welch.(1983). Early Anglo-Saxon Sussex
9. ^ Kirkby-Williams (1976).Review of The Age of Arthur. pp.454–486
10. ^ S.E.Kelly (1998). Anglo-Saxon Charters VI
11. ^ Hudson. (1982).The place-name '‘Cissbury. p.231
12. ^ Coates.(1980). Studies and Observations on Sussex Place-Names. pp.309–329

[edit] References

• Asser Tr. Keyne Lapidge (2004). Alfred the Great. Penguin Classic. ISBN 978-0-14-044409-4. 
• Garmonsway, G.N. (1953). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 
• Martin Welch ed. Peter Brandon (1978). The South Saxons:Early Anglo-Saxons.. Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 0850332400. 
• Welch, M.G. (1983). Early Anglo-Saxon Sussex. BAR British Series 112. 
• Kelly, Susan E., ed (1998). Charters of Selsey. Anglo-Saxon Charters 6. 
• Hudson, T.P. (1982). "The place-name ‘Cissbury’". Sussex Archaeological Collections (120). 
• Morris, J. (1973). The Age of Arthur. London: Phoenix. ISBN 1-84212-477-3. 
• Kirby, D.P.; Williams, J.E.C. (1976). "Review of The Age of Arthur, a History of the British Isles from 350 to 650 by John Morris". Studica Celtica (10-11). 
• Coates, R. (1980). "Studies and Observations on Sussex Place-Names". Sussex Archaeological Collections (118). 
• Freke, D.J. (1980). "Excavations in the Parish Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Pagham". SAC 118. 
• Bell, Martin (1978). Saxon Sussex. In Drewett, P. L. (ed.), Archaeology in Sussex to AD 1500 : essays for Eric Holden. 
• Slaughter (2009). Rulers of the South Saxons before 825. 

[edit] External Links

• St Thomas a Becket - Parish Church at the East end of Pagham Harbour Various AS artefacts found in the area including a cremation urn restored and dated by British museum.

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