Bretwalda

9th-century Anglo-Saxon title for a powerful king who exercised authority over England south of the Humber. The term was initially used in Bede's list of hegemonic rulers, but also extended to include more recent kings, such as Egbert of Wessex. Other powerful kings holding much the same sway, such as Offa of Mercia, were not included. The existence of the title provides important evidence for the early concept of an English ‘nation’.