Alfred the Great
849–899
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Alfred was the fifth and favorite son of Ethelwulf, the Saxon king of Wessex and Kent. In addition to the military training that was expected of a prince, he also learned to read and write and from a young age was very interested in books and learning. This was at an age when fighting skills were considered far more important prerequisites for rule than 'book-learning'. Each of his elder brothers reigned before him, and all of their reigns were plagued with attacks by the Danish Vikings. In many cases small fleets of Danish pirates landed, pillaged, and retreated before the Saxons could raise an army against them, but in 866 a large Army of Danes under the sons of the famous Ragnar Lodbrok arrived in England, proceeded to attack and pillage Northumberland, and seemed to take up permanent residence. It was this "Great Heathen Army" that began attacking Wessex during the reign of Ethelred, one of the older brothers of Alfred.
It was the reign of Ethelred, when Alfred was still a very young man, that his great martial and leadership skills were first recognized. In 871 a great series of battles were fought with an army of Danes who had taken over a Saxon fortress at Reading, and in these fights, Alfred was the leading general. After several skirmishes at Englefield and Reading, the great Battle of Ashdown was fought and the Saxons won a great victory. This famous battle did much to establish Alfred's reputation as the greatest military leader of the Saxons, and made him greatly feared and respected among the Danes.
Ethelred died shortly after Ashdown, and although the late king had several sons, the need for a strong military leader was so obvious, the Saxon nobles unanimously selected Alfred as king in favor of his nephews. The first five years of Alfred's reign were not particularly notable. Early on, he made a somewhat inglorious treaty with the Danes by which they promised to leave his domains unmolested if Alfred would promise not to make alliances with the other Saxon kingdoms against the Danes. This brought several years of relative, peace, but this only served to make the Wessex Saxons unprepared, when another band of Norsemen, this time under Guthrum, attacked the realm. Knowing that Alfred was their greatest threat, the new army of Danes made a surprised attack on his stronghold in mid-winter. Alfred barely escaped, but his army was scattered, and he was driven into exile at Athelney. From this position of extreme disadvantage he managed to secretly pull together another army. After planning his attack, reconnoitering the Danish camp, and carefully waiting for the right opportunity, he made a very successful attack against the Danes at the Battle of Edington. With Guthrum and his officers at his mercy, instead of killing them, he made a radical proposal. If they Danes would convert to Christianity, accept Alfred as their overlord, and help defend the coast of England from further attacks, Alfred would allow them to retain possession of certain lands in England to the north of Wessex. Guthrum agreed to this proposal and signed the Treaty of Wedmore, which created a Christian Danish region in England, independently governed but subject to the King of Wessex.
Alfred's trouble with the Danes was far from over, but the treaty with Guthrum gave a great respite, and the Danes who settled on the coast of England helped prevent further Viking pirate attacks in the area, since it was their own villages in greatest risk of being plundered. Arthur also improved him navy to help combat pirate raids of the Saxon Shore. The Danish threat somewhat relieved Arthur turned his attentions to the devastated communities of Saxon England. He rebuilt churches and schools, and brought teachers and learned men from the continent. He tried to restored the Saxon Christian culture that had been wrecked by two generation of depredations, and he established a code of laws that later became the basis of English Common Law. His conduct during the last twenty years of his reign was in every manner laudable, as a ruler, a soldier, an administrator, a Christian, and a scholar. He is the only English monarch in history to be awarded the appellation "the Great."
Key events during the life of Alfred the Great:
| Born the fifth son of Ethelwulf of Wessex. | |
| Alfred accompanies his father on a pilgrimage to Rome. | |
| Alfred's father Ethelwulf divides his kingdom and gives Wessex to his son Ethelbald. | |
| Ethelred, an older brother of Alfred ascends to the throne. | |
| Series of battles are fought with the object of driving the Danes out of their stronghold at Reading (Battles of Englefield, Reading, Ashdown, and Merton.) | |
| Ethelred dies of wounds inflicted in battle. Alfred ascends to the throne. | |
| Alfred negotiates a separate peace with the Danes, and they retire from Wessex to the Northern Saxon Kingdoms. | |
| A new army of Danes under Guthrum returns to Wessex. | |
| The Danes attack Alfred's court at Chippenham and drive him into exile at Athelney. | |
| Arthur raises another army while in hiding, and attacks the Danes at the Battle of Edington. | |
| At the Treaty of Wedmore Guthrum agrees to be baptized and settle down in his own territory. | |
| Alfred rebuilds schools and churchs, reforms the military, builds a navy. | |
| Landing of another Danish army is repelled by Arthur's navy. | |
| Final Danish assault of Arthur's resulted in the invaders fleeing from the Thames to Danish strongholds in the north. | |
| Alfred promulgates the 'Code of Alfred' that eventually became the basis for English common law. | |
| Death of Alfred. |
Other Resources
| Book Links |
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Image Links | ||
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 King Alfred and the Cakes in Fifty Famous Stories Retold |
 Alfred wins the beautiful book in Fifty Famous People |
 Statue of King Alfred in Winchester in Cambridge Historical Reader—Primary |
 King Alfred the Great in A Child's Book of Warriors |
 He looked long and earnestly into the face bent above his own. in Our Little Saxon Cousin of Long Ago |
 King Alfred in the Herdsman's Cottage in The Story of the English |
 Alfred the Great in the Danish camp in Famous Men of the Middle Ages |
Alfred learning poetry from his mother in Back Matter |
King Alfred Visitng a Monastery School in Back Matter |
 Alfred the Great in the Danish Camp in Barbarian and Noble |
 Alfred the Great in Barbarian and Noble |
Alfred found much pleasure in reading. in Our Island Story |
 Statue of Alfred at Winchester in History of the Church: Early Middle Ages |
 Alfred and the Herdsman's Wife in Great Englishmen |
 Alfred the Great in European Hero Stories |
 Alfred the Great Letting the Cakes Burn in European Hero Stories |
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| Guthrum | Danish king defeated by Alfred the Great. Agreed to become Christian and settle in England. |
| Ethelred of Wessex | Brother of Alfred the Great who reigned immediately before him. Fought with Alfred at Ashdown, but died fighting the Danes. |
| Ethelwulf of Wessex | Father of Alfred the Great. Very religious king who accompanied his son on a pilgrimage to Rome. |
| Halfdene | Danish chief who led the Danes at Ashdown, and afterward. |
| Rollo the Viking | Viking Leader who was granted the Dukedom of Normandy if he became Christian. |