Explore the life and legacy of King Alfred, the scholar turned war leader who saved England from Scandinavian invasion. Discover his passion for learning, struggles with illness, and battles against the Vikings. Learn about the treaty he made with Guthrum, which brought peace to Wessex and influenced English history.
30:30
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
King Alfred's biography provides valuable details about his early life and challenges faced during the Viking invasions.
Alfred's military strategies, including guerrilla warfare and decisive battles, led to the truce with the Danes and the establishment of boundaries and trade agreements.
Deep dives
Alfred's Biography by Asa
Asa, a monk and possibly Bishop of St. David's, wrote the most complete biography of King Alfred in the 9th century. Although there were doubts about its authenticity, the general consensus now is that it was genuinely written by Asa. The biography provides valuable details of Alfred's early life, such as his interest in learning and poetry, his mysterious illnesses, and his marriage to Elswith. However, it should be treated with caution due to its potential propagandistic intent.
Alfred's Challenges and Negotiations with the Danes
Alfred faced numerous challenges from the Viking invasions, often choosing negotiations over open battle due to the weakened state of the West Saxon army. After a series of defeats and a temporary surrender, Alfred initiated guerrilla warfare and successfully rallied loyal troops to fight against the Danes. He eventually agreed to a truce, which led to the baptism of the Danish leader Guthrum and a temporary period of peace with the Danes leaving West Sax.
Alfred's Exile and Return
Following a surprise attack by the Danes, Alfred went into hiding and organized a guerrilla campaign against them. After emerging from exile, he rallied loyal forces and defeated the Danes in a decisive battle at Eddington. He then besieged Chippenham, where the Danes were forced to surrender. Alfred's victory at Wedmore led to the truce with Guthrum, the baptism of the Danish leader, and the subsequent establishment of boundaries and trade agreements between their respective kingdoms.
It’s probably no exaggeration to say the Alfred the Great is one of the most, if not the most, famous Anglo-Saxon of them all. The only British monarch given the epithet ‘the Great’, the traditional account of his life is one of a scholar forced into the role of a war leader who defied the odds to save and unite not just his people, but all the English. Indeed, Alfred is usually cast as the man who saved England, without whom all of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms would have fallen to Scandinavian invasion. However, it is not just for his military successes that Alfred is remembered. He was also celebrated as a wise king who cared deeply for law, religion, and learning. The revival of Latin and Old English learning that is called by scholars the ‘Alfredian Renaissance’ is usually attributed to Alfred’s vision of a just and pious English nation which he sought to realise by gathering to himself the learned man of Britain, Ireland, and the Continent. It is important to be wary, though, of mythmaking and the ‘great man’ interpretation of history. While Alfred was without question a great leader, we must take a step back and look at his life with dispassionate eyes so that we can cut through the layers of legend to reach the core of the man who saved England.