On Edwin's death, the ancient divisions of Northumbria again prevailed, and an heptarchy reappeared.  His cousin Osric, the grandson of Ella, succeeded to Deira; and Eanfrid, the long exiled son of Ethelfrith, to Bernicia: both restored paganism, though Osric had been baptised.  The Welsh king Cadwallon, full of projects of revenge against the nation of the Angles, continued his war.  Osric rashly ventured to besiege him in a strong town, but an unexpected sally of Cadwallon destroyed the king of Deira.  For a year the victor desolated Northumbria: his success struck Eanfrid with terror, and his panic hurried him to his fate.  He went with twelve soldiers to sue peace of the Welshman.  Notwithstanding the sacred purpose of his visit, he was put to death.
    The swords of Cadwallon and his army seemed the agents destined to fulfil their cherished prophecy.  The fate of the Anglo-Saxons was now about to arrive; three of their kings had been already offered up to the shades of the injured Cymry; an Arthur had revived in Adwallon.—But the lying prophecies of hope, and human augury, have been the experience and the complaint of ages, and are never more fallacious than in ambition and war. (The History of England, Turner, 1839)