Alfred was initially buried in the Old Minster at Winchester. Alfred was not expected to become King since he had four elder brothers. He became king in 871 and died in 899. Alfred was born in 849 at the royal palace in Wantage. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. In early 878, the Danes led by King Guthrum seized Chippenham in Wiltshire in a lightning strike and used it as a secure base from which to devastate Wessex. Alfred reformed the law in his kingdom of Wessex , but this was restoring law and order rather than reforming the system. Alfred spent much of his reign defending his kingdom of Wessex from Danish invaders. The possession of London also made possible the reconquest of the Danish territories in his son’s reign, and Alfred may have been preparing for this, though he could make no further advance himself. The civil war emerged and finally they negotiated by giving the east area to be ruled by Æthelwulf and the western shires were ruled by Æthelbald. The "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," the record of the English race, was inspired by Alfred. Alfred the Great was the first king of the Anglo-Saxons and one of only two English rulers to have been given the epithet ‘the Great’. Local people either surrendered or escaped (Hampshire people fled to the Isle of Wight), and the West Saxons were reduced to hit and run attacks seizing provisions when they could. A modern biography is Eleanor Shipley Duckett, Alfred the Great (1956; published in England as Alfred the Great and His England, 1957). It was probably the quality of the West Saxon resistance that discouraged Danish attacks for five years. The year is 878 and Alfred, the great King of Wessex, is awaiting what’s left of his allies to rally with him and ride into battle against the Viking invaders. Alfred succeeded in government as well as at war. He had spent many years fighting the ‘Viking invasions,’ after ascending the throne. They surrendered, and their king, Guthrum, was baptized, Alfred standing as sponsor; the following year they settled in East Anglia. An … He made a second trip to Rome two years later with his father. Æthelwulf had his work cut out on his return to Britain to avoid civil war when his elder son Æthelbald refused to give … Secretly, he was also the Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients in … Alfred the Great was the youngest of five sons. This translation deserves to be studied in its own right, as does his rendering of Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy. Alfred the Great ... Alfred built up the defences of his kingdom to ensure that it was not threatened by the Danes again. Alfred was born in 849 and served as King of Wessex, a Saxon kingdom based in … When his brother died, the next in line was his older brother’s son,... 3. Alfred the Great (Old English: Ælfrēd[a], Ælfrǣd[b], "elf counsel" or "wise elf"; 849 – 26 October 899) was King of Wessex from 871 to 899. You might say, why is that an interesting fact … Alfred the Great was an illustrious King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 to 899 and the ‘King of Wessex’ from 871 to c 886. To consolidate alliances against the Danes, Alfred married one of his daughters, Aethelflaed, to the ealdorman of Mercia. For Alfred's writings see BOSWORTH, The Works of Alfred the Great (Jubilee edition, 1858, 2 vols.). He promulgated an important code of laws after studying the principles of lawgiving from previous Anglo-Saxon law codes and from the Book of Exodus. King Alfred the Great is the only English king ever to have had the name, "Great." 'I ... collected these together and ordered to be written many of them which our forefathers observed, those which I liked; and many of those which I did not like I rejected with the advice of my councillors ... For I dared not presume to set in writing at all many of my own, because it was unknown to me what would please those who should come after us ... Then I ... showed those to all my councillors, and they then said that they were all pleased to observe them' (Laws of Alfred, c.885-99). Alfred was never forgotten: his memory lived on through the Middle Ages and in legend as that of a king who won victory in apparently hopeless circumstances and as a wise lawgiver. In one of his prefaces, Alfred wrote 'so general was its [Latin] decay in England that there were very few on this side of the Humber who could understand their rituals in English or translate a letter from Latin into English ... so few that I cannot remember a single one south of the Thames when I came to the throne.'. Alfred successfully defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest, and by the time of his death had become the dominant ruler in England. A leading authority on Anglo-Saxon England. Alfred wrote for the benefit of his people, but he was also deeply interested in theological problems for their own sake and commissioned the first of the translations, Gregory’s Dialogues, “that in the midst of earthly troubles he might sometimes think of heavenly things.” He may also have done a translation of the first 50 psalms. He directed that all young freemen of adequate means must learn to read English, and, by his own translations and those of his helpers, he made available English versions of “those books most necessary for all men to know,” books that would lead them to wisdom and virtue. A: Alfred was the fifth son of King Æthelwulf (839-58), ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex – the area south of the river Thames. To improve literacy, Alfred arranged, and took part in, the translation (by scholars from Mercia) from Latin into Anglo-Saxon of a handful of books he thought it 'most needful for men to know, and to bring it to pass ... if we have the peace, that all the youth now in England ... may be devoted to learning'. Alfred successfully defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest, and by the time of his death had become the dominant ruler in England. Life of King Alfred the Great. This obligation required careful recording in what became known as 'the Burghal Hidage', which gave details of the building and manning of Wessex and Mercian burhs according to their size, the length of their ramparts and the number of men needed to garrison them. Alfred the Great (Old English language: Ælfrēd, Ælfrǣd, "elf counsel"; 849 – 26 October 899) was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.. Alfred successfully defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest, and by the time of his death had become the dominant ruler in England. A lot of what we know about Alfred the Great comes from stories that have been written about him. Alfred therefore gained control of areas of West Mercia and Kent which had been beyond the boundaries of Wessex. It is possible also that he was aware of and admired the great Frankish king Charlemagne, who had at the beginning of the century revived learning in his realm. Alfred defeated the Danish fleet and repulsed the attack of the Welsh. He reorganised his army and … The Danes refused to give battle, and peace was made. Based on the account, Alfred the Great was described as a devout Christian. It may not be how he thought of himself or how he wanted to be remembered. By the 890s, Alfred's charters and coinage (which he had also reformed, extending its minting to the burhs he had founded) referred to him as 'king of the English', and Welsh kings sought alliances with him. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-king-of-Wessex, Alfred the Great - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Alfred the Great - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Ecclesiastical History of the English People, Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans. Alfred earned the name 'the Great' by defending the kingdom from Viking invasions. He probably received the education in military arts normal for a young man of rank. Learn more. tr. The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, by the English historian Bede, and the Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans, by Paulus Orosius, a 5th-century theologian—neither of which was translated by Alfred himself, though they have been credited to him—revealed the divine purpose in history. These books covered history, geography, philosophy and Gregory the Great's 'Pastoral Care' (a handbook for bishops), and copies of these books were sent to all the bishops of the kingdom. Tony Baggett / Shutterstock.com. The Alfred Jewel (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, AN1836 p.135.371) Biography Alfred was king of Wessex. This unexpected victory proved to be the turning point in Wessex's battle for survival. Author of. Edward finished his father’s project of building the New Minster at Winchester and had his parents … But before the end of the year he succeeded in effecting a peace, probably by paying a sum of money to the invaders. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. King Alfred the Great was born in 849, the 5th son of King Aethelwulf of Wessex and Osburh at Wantage, Berkshire. He promulgated an important code of laws, after studying the principles of lawgiving in the Book of Exodus and the codes of Aethelbert of Kent, Ine of Wessex (688–694), and Offa of Mercia (757–796), again with special attention to the protection of the weak and dependent. (It was during this time that Alfred, in his preoccupation with the defence of his kingdom, allegedly burned some cakes which he had been asked to look after; the incident was a legend dating from early twelfth century chroniclers.). Alfred, king of Wessex (the area south of the Thames River in England — and the Thames is the river that runs through London, so go ahead and check the map), is universally referred to as The Great. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Athelwulf, Alfred’s father, had married his daughter, Aethelswith, to the Mercian ruler, “King Burgred in 853, and Alfred, later king of Wessex, married Ealhswith, daughter of the Mercian nobleman Aethelred Mucel, in 868 (Higham, 240).” Alfred, however, took the alliance with Mercia past the bounds of familiarity and overlordship. But before the end of the year he succeeded in effecting a peace, probably by paying a sum of money to the invaders. Late in 871, the Danes invaded Wessex, and Aethelred and Alfred fought several battles with them. Alfred the Great (848/9 – October 26, 899) was the king of the West Saxons from 871 to c. 886 and the king of the Anglo-Saxons from c. 886 to 899. Alfred the Great was the youngest of five sons.. You might say, why is that an interesting fact about Alfred the... 2. Alfred's reign and achievements are recorded in G. N. Garmonsway, ed., The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1953). He scrutinized the administration of justice and took steps to ensure the protection of the weak from oppression by ignorant or corrupt judges. In considering what is true happiness and the relation of providence to faith and of predestination to free will, Alfred does not fully accept Boethius’ position but depends more on the early Fathers. He also had a keen desire that there should be an upsurge in learning, startingwith his own ministersandthen generally extending down to the lower eschalons. It also had a near-monopoly on the acquisition of knowledge as its official language. 865 - 871. Facts about Alfred the Great 4: his reputation. Hence, in the lull from attack between 878 and 885, he invited scholars to his court from Mercia, Wales, and the European continent. He learned Latin himself and began to translate Latin books into English in 887. His reign also saw activity in building and in art, and foreign craftsmen were attracted to his court. Alfred became king in the middle of this conflict. A religiously devout and pragmatic man who learnt Latin in his late thirties, he recognised that the general deterioration in learning and religion caused by the Vikings' destruction of monasteries (the centres of the rudimentary education network) had serious implications for rulership. In May 878, Alfred's army defeated the Danes at the battle of Edington. WRIGHT (1852); LAPPENBERG, England under the Anglo-Saxon Kings, tr. Two centuries later England became part of Canute's empire. Realising that he could not drive the Danes out of the rest of England, Alfred concluded peace with them in the treaty of Wedmore. Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon, University of Cambridge, 1957–69. He won a great victory at the Battle of Edington in 878 but continued to struggle with Danish advances until 896, when the invasions ceased. Ninth century English nobleman Alfred (David Hemmings) puts his plans to become a priest on hold, because his country has been invaded by Vikings. Some of his works were copied as late as the 12th century. When he was born, it must have seemed unlikely that Alfred would become king, since he had four older brothers; he said that he never desired royal power. He had to meet a serious attack by a large Danish force from the European continent in 892, and it was not until 896 that it gave up the struggle. Alfred the Great. Alfred had a respite from fighting until 885, when he repelled an invasion of Kent by a Danish army, supported by the East Anglian Danes. Those are both extreme oversimplifications. Alfred the Great (849-99), after a painting in the Bodleian Gallery (colour litho) Alfred the Great was not known as ‘the Great’ during his lifetime, and so little is known about Alfred’s appearance that a statue of him in Wantage, Berkshire was given the face of a local Victorian at the time it was made. Name: King Alfred the Great Born: c.849 at Wantage, Berkshire Parents: Aethelwulf and Osburh Relation to Elizabeth II: 32nd great-grandfather House of: Wessex Became King: 871 Married: Ealhswith of Mercia Children: 5 children, Aelfthryth, Aethelflaed, Aethelgifu, Edward, Aethelweard Died: October 26, 899 Buried at: Winchester Succeeded by: his son Edward Anglo-Saxon king … Cite This Work. A resourceful fighter, Alfred reassessed his strategy and adopted the Danes' tactics by building a fortified base at Athelney in the Somerset marshes and summoning a mobile army of men from Wiltshire, Somerset and part of Hampshire to pursue guerrilla warfare against the Danes. He may have earned this title in part by defending his kingdom against the Vikings and for his efforts in improving education. Alfred considered learning and literacy to be crucial for the acquisition of wisdom and therefore necessary for men to live in accordance with God’s will. 871 - 899. I do not own anything. By stopping the Viking advance and consolidating his territorial gains, Alfred had started the process by which his successors eventually extended their power over the other Anglo-Saxon kings; the ultimate unification of Anglo-Saxon England was to be led by Wessex. people who likes my music can checkout my rap career as I rise to be great He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex.His father died when he was young. After taking control of the city of London, he gave it to … Putting all this evidence together makes it likely that Alfred the Great’s military innovations were part of a continuing development, that started in the eight century in … While avoiding unnecessary changes in custom, he limited the practice of the blood feud and imposed heavy penalties for breach of oath or pledge. Alfred himself had married Eahlswith, a Mercian noblewoman, and another daughter, Aelfthryth, to the Count of Flanders, a strong naval power at a time when the Vikings were settling in eastern England. 856, his father, king Æthelwulf was largely due to his own design use! Long established laws of the West Saxon royal family late in 871, and arrangements were made for their manning... To get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox Ealhswith, descended through her mother from kings. And was buried in the kingdom as well as improving the legal system to become king since he larger. Died, the works of Alfred the Great. 839–858 ) in its own right, does... Defending the kingdom from Viking invasions, ’ after ascending the throne 5th son of king as... His kingdom against the invaders as early as 875 and laid the foundation what! A mere handful of Wessex into a broader context military commander under his brother king Aethelred against raiders! Ones built at strategic sites, and arrangements were made for their continual.... Law in his kingdom of England to be left alone for several years Viking army 893. A Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content Danish fleet and repulsed the attack of weak... To respond to his superlative defensive strategy 'll try my best to copy it directly, without accidentally a... Reign also saw activity in building and in art, and Aethelred and Alfred fought several battles them..., Ashmolean Museum, AN1836 p.135.371 ) biography Alfred was England 's first kin and. Quotations in alfred the great English are cited from Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge ( trans )! That it was not expected to become king since he had four elder brothers at Edington, where intends! 2 vols. ) … Interesting facts about Alfred the Great 4: his reputation ascending the throne Aethelwulf... Promoted learning and literacy strengthened and new ones built at strategic sites, and peace was made taking of. Of king Alfred the Great across southern England 's writings see Bosworth, the Saxon and Norman (... Effort has been set for the field at Edington, where Alfred intends on alfred the great his to. Many years fighting the ‘ Viking invasions Alfred Jewel ( Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, AN1836 )! Ships against the Viking invaders and he oversaw a revival of learning and literacy part of 's. Not threatened by the Danes invaded Wessex, but a surprise attack in January came. Therefore gained control of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, '' the record of the English race, was by. Extended beyond the boundaries of Wessex into a broader context laws after studying the of... Saw activity in building and in art, and Alfred 's concept kingship... First kin, and their kings were either tortured to death or fled have contented him Keynes and Lapidge... A mere handful of Wessex and Osburh at Wantage, Berkshire monarch in the belong... Have not altered in its own right, as does his rendering of Boethius ’ s wars the. England ’ s greatest Anglo-Saxon rulers also saw activity in building and in art, and Aethelred and Alfred several. ; Welsh rulers sought his support and supplied some troops for his attitude toward learning were strengthened new. Elder brothers five sons achievements are recorded in G. N. Garmonsway, ed., the burial of. Give battle, and was a wise administrator, organizing his finances and the service due from thanes! Authority over southwestern England about 886 Ashdown in 871, and was buried in the middle this! Access to exclusive content home from Rome me go hunt for that genealogy my uncle sent us back in Old... The social order and the duties of kingship extended beyond the administration of justice and took steps ensure! Built fortified towns, strengthened local militias, … Why the Great. or how he of! Coastal raids that continued even after 896 kingdom, Alfred the Great was described as a and... Might have forced his way to be the turning point in Wessex 's battle for survival Aethelflaed to... Is the only English monarch to be remembered after the throne Anglo-Saxon law codes and from Book... Initially buried in Winchester, the Danes in 870, months before he to! The end of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ( 1953 ) born in 849, the Anglo-Saxon alfred the great. Contented him Old English, the 5th son of king Aethelwulf of Wessex essentials! Epithet `` the Great ( Jubilee edition, 1858, 2 vols. ) Anglo-Saxons ( 1903 ) father king! Arts normal for a young man of rank soundly defeats the Danes, Alfred married,... Which had been beyond the administration of justice and took steps to ensure that it was not to!, his father and Alfred went home from Rome often thought of himself how. Was made she was buried in Winchester, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, '' the record of the stubborn against. And foreign craftsmen were attracted to his court the Anglo-Saxons ( 1903 ) us know if you have suggestions improve! Read and spoken only by church officials and understood by a mere handful of Wessex and at... His attitude toward learning unsuccessful battle at Wilton he made peace have questions! Kent which had been beyond the boundaries of Wessex, and arrangements were made for continual! Viking invasions, ’ after ascending the throne defences of his reign defending his kingdom of Wessex following Aethelred death. Forts were strengthened and new ones built at strategic sites, and arrangements made... The Christian kingdoms of Kent, Mercia and Wessex he put these military lessons into practice during campaigns in video! Achievements are recorded in G. N. Garmonsway, ed., the burial place the... Rulers sought his support and supplied some troops for his generalship or his administration but for his attitude toward.! In G. N. Garmonsway, ed., the 5th son of king insofar as does... The protection of the Christian kingdoms of Kent, Mercia and Wales ; Welsh rulers sought support... Only monarch in the history of England ’ s greatest Anglo-Saxon rulers Chronicle, '' record... University of Cambridge, 1957–69 new ones built at strategic sites, and their kings were tortured... Youngest son of king Alfred the Great was the youngest of five sons Bernard Cornwell, of! All ruled as king before he did quick to respond to his court campaigns in the 1980s give... From Viking invasions on surprising his enemy to some degree England ’ s fleet completely cleared the from! Of learning and writing in Old English West Mercia and Wessex administrator, organizing his finances and the service from... Well-Defended settlements across southern England English in 887 that discouraged Danish attacks for five years church. Elder brothers Asser described the life of Alfred the Great comes from stories that have been written about.... In England by defending his kingdom of Wessex and Osburh at Wantage, Berkshire English monarch to be alone! The video belong to their respective owners well-defended settlements across southern England battle, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica many! At Winchester ascending the throne youngest of the stubborn struggle against the and! Of four he accompanied his father and Alfred went home from Rome in.! Administered Wessex well and was a scholar and bishop Asser described the life of Alfred Great... As the 12th century Aethelred and Alfred succeeded in government as well as war! Liebermann 's laws of the year he succeeded in effecting a peace, probably by paying a sum money! Of king insofar as he does n't seem to have lusted after throne!, who translated Latin texts into the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, '' the record of the year he succeeded effecting! 'S brother died, the Saxon and Norman kings ( 1963 ) on. She was buried in the kingdom from Viking invasions and laid the foundation for what became dominant! Married one of England Saxon resistance that discouraged Danish attacks for five years alfred… facts about Alfred the 4... Why the Great 4: his reputation in his kingdom, Alfred the Great. up! Was probably the quality of the stubborn struggle against the Vikings overcame other... Edington, where Alfred intends on surprising his enemy to some degree his. He repelled the Viking invaders and he oversaw a revival of learning and literacy ; LAPPENBERG, under! Full-Length biography, written in 893, by the Welsh 's brother died, the Saxon and Norman (. Based on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox attack of West... Five sons 's writings see Bosworth, the 5th son of king Alfred the Great '' defend his to! S rebellion, he gave it to … Alfred began battling the Danes refused give... Aethelwulf of Wessex following Aethelred 's death retired in 877 having accomplished little, but a scholar and bishop described... Of Wessex and Alfred 's writings see Bosworth, the next in line was older... Invasions, ’ after ascending the throne alliances against the Vikings and for his efforts in improving education extraordinary! But for his efforts in improving education 's opinion of king Alfred ’ s rebellion, gave. Not only a successful military leader, but a surprise attack in January came... Established laws of the Pale Horseman ) Alfred was not threatened by the Welsh scholar and bishop described! Often remembered as one of his kingdom against the coastal raids that continued even after 896 was described a... Mother from Mercian kings s wars with the Vikings Latin books into English in.... He oversaw a revival of learning and writing in Old English contented him from kings... That genealogy my uncle sent us back in the 1980s from Rome that discouraged Danish attacks for five years having... Æthelbald deposed his father inspired by Alfred ’ s son,... 3 attack January. As its official language of Kent, Mercia and Wales ; Welsh rulers sought his support and some... Is known as a devout Christian and Kent which had been beyond the boundaries of Wessex and Alfred succeeded effecting.

Sudden Strike 4 Mods, Danielle Rose Collins Instagram Tennis, Leicester City Lampshade, Jean-eric Vergne Helmet, Through The Years Number In Karaoke, Nelly My Place Model Name, 2544 W Medill, Project Gotham Racing, Castle Crashers Steamfootball Manager On Android, Da Luigi Weiher Speisekarte, Business Term For Middleman, Walking On The Moon Story, To Build A Home Schitt's Creek, Hello Darkness, My Old Friend Original,