Alfred the Great

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c. 854 Alfred's father sends Alfred and one of his brothers, Æthelred, on a pilgrimage to Rome. The same year, Alfred's mother dies. Memorising and reciting poetry was a very popular activity for the Anglo-Saxons. Books were very rare so there wasn’t much need for people to read. He learned poetry by hearing it recited and then repeating it but could not read it himself until sometime in his teenage years and even then could not read Latin in which the most important works of his time were written. In 865 CE the Great Army of Vikings led by Halfdane and Ivar the Boneless invaded East Anglia and swiftly defeated any force sent against them. In 866 CE they took the city of York, and in 867 CE they killed the Northumbrian kings Osbert and Aelle and consolidated their control of the region. In 868 CE they made constant raids throughout Mercia and by 869 CE had completely overrun East Anglia. In 870 CE reinforcements for the Great Army arrived from Scandinavia and Halfdane led his forces to take Wallingford, ravage Mercia, and drive on into Wessex the next year. After defeating Guthrum the Dane, Alfred made him convert to Christianity and then adopted Guthrum as his foster son.

He copied the Viking tactics and at the Battle of Edington in 878, Alfred and his army defeated Guthrun and his men. One of his greatest innovations was to build walled towns and forts known as burhs.Careful town planning which provided easy access to resources people needed and protection from invasion through the building of burhs paved the way for towns to prosper. Growing wealth A year later, in 886, Alfred reoccupied the city of London and set out to make it habitable again. [63] Alfred entrusted the city to the care of his son-in-law Æthelred, ealdorman of Mercia. Soon afterwards, Alfred restyled himself as "King of the Anglo-Saxons". The restoration of London progressed through the latter half of the 880s and is believed to have revolved around a new street plan; added fortifications in addition to the existing Roman walls; and, some believe, the construction of matching fortifications on the south bank of the River Thames. [64] The text was translated into Latin during the reign of Cnut as the third part of the Instituta Cnuti, and survives in the following manuscripts: [6] :8Alfred instructed Bishop Asser to write his biography. The writing of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles also commenced during his reign. In the spring of the same year, Alfred and his remaining men managed to build a fort in the Somerset marshland at Athelney. Athelney was essentially an island in the marshes, an advantageous position away from the Danes which bought Alfred enough time to rally together the local militia. Men came from nearby towns and villages to form a tight resistance movement: the conflict had begun to take on a guerrilla style of combat. Alfred fortified Anglo-Saxon towns across southern England to better protect them from Viking raids. c. 865 Æthelberht dies and is succeeded by his brother Æthelred. The Great Heathen Army lands in East Anglia. Alfred's relations with the Celtic princes in the western half of Great Britain are clearer. Comparatively early in his reign, according to Asser, the southern Welsh princes, owing to the pressure on them from North Wales and Mercia, commended themselves to Alfred. Later in his reign, the North Welsh followed their example and the latter cooperated with the English in the campaign of 893 (or 894). That Alfred sent alms to Irish and Continental monasteries may be taken on Asser's authority. The visit of three pilgrim " Scots" ( i.e., Irish) to Alfred in 891 is undoubtedly authentic. The story that, in his childhood, he was sent to Ireland to be healed by Saint Modwenna may show Alfred's interest in that island. [70] Religion, education and culture [ edit ] Alfred depicted in a stained-glass window of c. 1905 in Bristol Cathedral

Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, a defender against Viking invasion and a social reformer; just few of the reasons why he is the only English monarch to be known as “the Great”. Alfred is not mentioned during the short reigns of his older brothers Æthelbald and Æthelberht. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle describes the Great Heathen Army of Danes landing in East Anglia with the intent of conquering the four kingdoms which constituted Anglo-Saxon England in 865. [34] Alfred's public life began in 865 at age 16 with the accession of his third brother, 18-year-old Æthelred. During this period, Bishop Asser gave Alfred the unique title of secundarius, which may indicate a position similar to the Celtic tanist, a recognised successor closely associated with the reigning monarch. This arrangement may have been sanctioned by Alfred's father or by the Witan to guard against the danger of a disputed succession should Æthelred fall in battle. It was a well known tradition among other Germanic peoples – such as the Swedes and Franks to whom the Anglo-Saxons were closely related – to crown a successor as royal prince and military commander. [35] Viking invasion [ edit ] Alfred the Great (849-899) was one of the most famous Anglo-Saxon kings. King of Wessex, he defended England from the Vikings and is famous for bringing various reform to England at the time. Why was King Alfred called "the Great"?

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c. 853 Alfred's sister, Æthelswith, marries Burgred, the king of Mercia (one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy). Alfred died in 899 when he was 50 years old. He was buried in Winchester, the capital of Wessex. King Alfred the Great Timeline The title Doom Book (Old English dōm-bōc) comes from the Old English word dōm meaning judgment or law – as in Alfred's admonishment to "Doom very evenly! Do not doom one doom to the rich; another to the poor! Nor doom one doom to your friend; another to your foe!" [1] This reflects Mosaic Law, which says "You shall do no injustice in judgment! You shall not be partial to the poor; nor defer to the great! But you are to judge your neighbour fairly!" [2] is reviewed between 08.30 to 16.30 Monday to Friday. We're experiencing a high volume of enquiries so it may take us The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. Volume I. From the Beginnings to the Cycles of Romance.year=1907–21. VI. Alfred and the Old English Prose of his Reign. § 4. Codes of Law.