Person:Icel De Mercia (2)

Icel (or Icil) was an early king of Mercia, according to an eighth-century life of St Guthlac. Early genealogies record him as the great-grandfather of Creoda of Mercia and the son of Eomer, last King of the Angles in Angeln. Icel led his people across the North Sea to Britain, and gave his name to the Iclings (or Icelingas), the ruling dynasty of Mercia. He was probably active in the period 510-535, which corresponds to a date given in the Flores Historiarum of Roger of Wendover and Matthew Paris, namely 527, under which is reported, "...pagans came from Germany and occupied East Anglia... some of whom invaded Mercia and fought many battles with the British..." This date, however, should perhaps be amended to 515. Icel's son was Cnebba.