Gyrwas

The term "Gyrwas" (also sometimes seen as "Gyrwe") refers to one of the lesser-known peoples or tribes that inhabited the Fenlands of East Anglia, England, during the Anglo-Saxon period. Their territory likely encompassed parts of what are now Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk.

Historical information about the Gyrwas is scarce and largely derived from the Tribal Hidage, an Old English document listing various Anglo-Saxon tribes and their assessed hideage (a unit of land assessment used for taxation or military obligations). The Tribal Hidage ascribes 600 hides to the North Gyrwas and 600 hides to the South Gyrwas, suggesting a division into two distinct groups.

The name "Gyrwas" is thought to be related to the Old English word "gor," meaning mud or fen, which accurately describes the landscape they inhabited. Therefore, "Gyrwas" could be interpreted as "fen dwellers" or "people of the fens." Their existence demonstrates the adaptability of Anglo-Saxon communities to diverse geographical environments within England. The history of the Gyrwas, like many smaller Anglo-Saxon groups, remains shrouded in some mystery due to the limited surviving historical sources.