King Alfred: Underworld

While King Alfred was hiding, he must have had periods of doubt and disillusionment. He must have felt all was lost. At times in our lives, we might have felt similar. When the relentless waves of life knock us off our feet and we struggle to stand up again. I call these times, underworld moments.

The Anglo-Saxons had a similar understanding of the Underworld to the other pagan cultures. It was a place below them where the dead existed as shadows. Some were tormented, while others simply existed in quiet reflection.

They called this Neorxnawang (field of the dead) or Hel, which is where we get the word Hell. We don’t have any Anglo-Saxon pagan myths (Beowulf is a mix of Christianity and pagan thought) to reliably known what the pre-Christian Saxons thought of the after life.

Though, from the Anglo-Saxon text, Christ and Satan, Hel is described as place of hot and cold weather. There is an abyss where the demons reside, which is full of torment. Punishment might be metered out to the dead who lived a wicked life.

Our Modern understanding of Hell comes from the late Middle Ages, where demons torture non-Christians. The Anglo-Saxons would not have this conception. It is the demons who would receive torment, not be the tormentors.

The Christian Revolution allowed for the dead to avoid the Underworld and live on in Christ, in the Highest Heaven. In the pagan worldview, this was only open to the divine heroes of old, not the commoners. Once the Anglo-Saxons adopted Christianity, this changed their understanding and even the poorest Christian could inhabit Heaven with Christ.

In our Modern World, because of its Christian heritage, it is generally believed that everyone goes to Heaven when they die. But for most of theological history, this was not true.

In contrast, the ancient Christian’s conception of Hell was a holding place until the Judgement Day, when everyone would receive a bodily resurrection and be judged on all their works. Though Scripture gives little information as to what Hell is actually like.

When my life has turned upside down, I feel like the experience is akin to being in the underworld. Living with no real direction. Struggling to focus on the future. And just simply existing.

I expect Alfred felt the same. All his world was crumbling around him. He had lost control. He had lost his kingdom.

But the good news, just as Christ was resurrected from Sheol (the Old Testament underworld), so too was King Alfred freed from his underworld moment. Clinging to Christ means we can escape the underworld. Having hope in the darkest time, is all we need to a better tomorrow.