New Series: King Alfred the Great

One of the key people in Anglo-Saxon history is King Alfred the Great.

This will be the start of a new series looking at his story. I will lay out the events of his life, but unlike a simple historical retelling, I’ll also include what we can learn from him; both on a cultural and spiritual level.

I think it’s an incredible tale, involving intrigue, betrayal, loss, but also victory. And cake burning!

He reigned in the second half of the 9th Century, dying in a year before 900AD. A feat mirrored by Richard I, who died in 1199AD. Alfred was the youngest child of five, and it was assumed he would never rule Wessex. He was an unlikely monarch.

We know so much more about him, compared to the other Anglo Saxon royals. Because a Welsh cleric called Asser wrote a record of the king’s life.

He led the West Saxons through a very dark period, where the kingdom was almost wiped out. Having said this, he was surprisingly, a king and warrior second. Because, Alfred was foremost a theologian and an academic, spending some of his early life in Rome, the heart of Western Christendom.

He wrote down the Anglo-Saxon law codes and brought them in line with the Old Testament Torah. He also translated Christian texts into Anglo-Saxon English.

After defeating the Danes in Wessex, he began to fortify the land and redesign the military and government. Providing a structure which could defend against any Viking attack.

He was a deeply spiritual and wise man, and I hope through this series we can grow in wisdom too.

My good friend Nathan J Hood coined a phrase which I find relevant and deeply inspiring.

King Alfred is the Winter Hero

And I believe as England’s culture now appears to be going through hard times, King Alfred’s tale will surely inspire us to have hope.