King Alfred: Easter in the Marshes
In 878 AD, King Alfred celebrated Easter amongst the reed marshes of Somerset. This must have been a low point for the king, as the Anglo-Saxons saw Easter as a time of celebration. As the Lenten fast was broken, communities organised fairs and events. Storytelling, music and games would have been common place.
Even amongst the royal court, there would have been regal ceremonies and church attendance to celebrate the Resurrection. But this time, hiding in the marshes meant these celebrations would not happen.
That Eastertide would likely have been a more meaningful time for Alfred than any other time in his life. The story of Easter features betrayal, death and new life.
King Alfred must have felt this connection with Christ’s story. The Anglo-Saxons had repeatedly been betrayed by the Danes. Even though they kept paying them to leave, they always returned for more. And this time, they were not only staying, but taking over.
As Christ journeyed to the Cross, King Alfred must have resonated with the suffering in the story. The time in the marshes would not have been easy, especially upon receiving news of the demise of the kingdom.
After Good Friday comes Easter Saturday. This is when the Harrowing of Hell is remembered. In the Anglo Saxon understanding, this was where Christ entered the Underworld and rescued Adam and Eve at first, and then the rest of the Faithful. Drawing them to the Heavens with Him.
Alfred was metaphorically stuck in the Underworld. He needed to find a way through the darkness and take back his kingdom. The task ahead of him would have felt beyond anyone’s ability. But, as with the Faithful in the Underworld, all he could do was to have hope that God would save him and the kingdom.
Easter Sunday is when Christ resurrects from the Garden Tomb. The first amongst many to experience New Life. This is the eternal hope for all Christians, that they will be bodily resurrected like Christ, and be saved.
This hope of salvation must have been an influence on the king. After losing almost everything, knowing that Christ did not stay in grave, but conquered death itself, he must have believed he could also return and take back the kingdom.
Easter is a central part of Christian praxis and religious ceremony. It shows that even when all things appear lost, with the Divine, there is always hope. No matter how dark the night becomes, the dawn of Christ’s salvation is always at hand.
For Alfred, without this, I doubt he could have had the courage to fight back. Instead, he might have fled to Rome and lived out his days as an academic. But with this hope, he knew he could alter the seemingly inevitable course of history.
In our own lives, we can be in situations where the darkness weighs thickly upon us and hope drains from souls. But in Christ, there is always hope. Alfred’s story teaches us, we should never give up. Even in the face of what appears insurmountable odds.
With Easter in his heart, like all Christians, his eyes were set upon Pentecost. The time when the disciples began to carry out the Great Commission. And likewise, it was the time for King Alfred to leave the swamp.