October 26: Death of Alfred the Great (899)
Prayer Idea
Pray for leaders to think about the welfare of their citizens and even their enemies.
History Note
The Angles and Saxons were Germanic peoples who started moving into Great Britain in the 400s. They pushed the native Britons into the western part of the island and established competing kingdoms and dynasties. Among these were Wessex (West Saxons), Sussex (South Saxons), Essex (East Saxons), Mercia, Northumbria, East Anglia, and Kent. Many of the Anglo-Saxons accepted Christianity, but that did not always stop them from fighting each other.
Alfred was born about 848 into the royal family of Wessex. His father, Æthelwulf, had become king in 839. Alfred was the youngest of five brothers, and his father took him to visit the Pope in Rome when he was a child.
Starting in 793, when Vikings attacked the monastery on the island of Lindisfarne, the Anglo-Saxons had been facing periodic raids from these Norsemen (that is, “north men”). At first the Viking attacks were swift and temporary. However, after Alfred’s birth, the Vikings began to settle in Great Britain.
After the death of his father and all his brothers, Alfred was acknowledged as king of the West Saxons. He sometimes led his people in battle against the Vikings and sometimes agreed to pay danegeld, essentially ransom money for the Vikings to leave the Saxons alone.
In 878 Alfred and the Saxons faced a large Viking force under a leader named Guthrum. The Saxons were eventually victorious and made a treaty with Guthrum, who agreed to be baptized. The Saxons had conflict with other Vikings, but Guthrum and Alfred maintained peace until Guthrum’s death in 890.
Though he spent much time focused on war, Alfred was more interested in promoting education, justice, and religion in his kingdom. He recruited scholars to help translate religious literature from Latin into the English language. He recognized the need to provide justice for the poor, protecting them from powerful men focused on their own profit. Alfred also codified a set of laws for his kingdom that combined biblical principles with traditional Saxon customs.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a record of historical events in English and European history. First compiled during Alfred’s reign, it starts with the invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar before the time of Christ. Scholars were still adding events to the chronicle in the 12th century.
Alfred died in 899. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, he died “six nights before the mass of All Saints”. Since November 1 is All Saints’ Day, Alfred’s date of death is recognized as October 26. He is commemorated in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Church. He is the only English monarch remembered as “the Great.”
This object, called the Alfred Jewel, was discovered in 1693. It has an inscription in Old English around the edge that says, “Alfred had me made.”
Photo by Geni / CC BY-SA 4.0
Learn More
This is a modern song written in Old English and based on details from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle about the life of Alfred.
Please Note: It refers to the violence of battle. The song also puts these words in Alfred's mouth before a battle: "Drive these dogs out of Wessex!" Based on Alfred's treatment of the defeated Vikings, this seems out of character.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
