{{for|the 10th century [[Bishop of Sherborne]]|Alfred (bishop)}}
{{for|the comic by [[Al Columbia]]|Alfred the Great (comic)}}
{{Infobox British Royalty|majesty
| name =Alfred the Great
| title =King of the [[Anglo-Saxons]]
| image =KingAlfredStatueWantage.jpg
| caption =Statue of Alfred the Great, [[Wantage]], [[Oxfordshire]]
| reign =[[23 April]] [[871]] — [[26 October]] [[899]]
| predecessor =[[Æthelred of Wessex]]
| successor =[[Edward the Elder]]
| spouse =[[Ealhswith]]
| issue =[[Ælfthryth, Countess of Flanders|Ælfthryth]]<br />[[Ethelfleda]]<br />Ethelgiva<br />[[Edward the Elder]]<br />[[Æthelwærd]]
| full name =Ælfrēd of Wessex
| royal house =[[House of Wessex]]
| father =[[Ethelwulf of Wessex]]
| mother =[[Osburga]]
| date of birth =[[Circa|c.]] 849
| place of birth =[[Wantage]], [[Berkshire]]
| date of death ={{death date|899|10|26|df=y}}
| date of burial =[[Circa|c.]] 1100
| place of burial =[[Winchester]], [[Hampshire]], now lost.
|}}
'''Alfred the Great''' (also '''''Ælfred''''' from the [[Old English language|Old English]] ''Ælfrēd,'' {{pronounced|ˈælfreːd}}) (c. 849 – [[26 October]] [[899]]) was king of the southern [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] kingdom of [[Wessex]] from 871 to 899. Alfred is noted for his defence of the kingdom against the [[Danish people|Danish]] [[Vikings]], becoming the only English king to be awarded the [[epithet]] "the Great".<ref>Although not English, [[Canute the Great]] was another king of England given the epithet "the Great" by the Danes.</ref> Alfred was the first [[List of monarchs of Wessex|King of the West Saxons]] to style himself "[[List of British monarchs|King of the Anglo-Saxons]]." Details of his life are discussed in a work by the [[Welsh people|Welsh]] scholar, [[Asser]]. A learned man, Alfred encouraged education and improved the kingdom's law system.
In 2002, he was ranked fourteenth in the [[100 Greatest Britons]] poll.
==Childhood==
{{see|House of Wessex family tree}}
Alfred was born sometime between 847 and 849 at [[Wantage, England|Wantage]] in the present-day [[ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] of [[Oxfordshire]] (then in the [[Historic counties of England|historic county]] of [[Berkshire]]). He was the fifth and youngest son of King [[Aethelwulf of Wessex]], by his first wife, [[Osburga]]. In 868 Alfred married Ealhswith, daughter of Ethelred Mucill, who is called ealdorman of the Gaini, an unidentified district.<ref>[http://www.treasurehunting.tv/king_alfred.htm The Life of King Alfred] </ref>
At five years old, Alfred is said to have been sent to [[Rome]] where, according to the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'', he was confirmed by [[Pope Leo IV]] who "anointed him as king." [[Victorian era|Victorian]] writers interpreted this as an anticipatory [[coronation]] in preparation for his ultimate succession to the throne of Wessex. However, this coronation could not have been foreseen at the time, since Alfred had three living elder brothers. A letter of Leo IV shows that Alfred was made a 'consul' and a misinterpretation of this investiture, deliberate or accidental, could explain later confusion.<ref>Wormald, Patrick, 'Alfred (848/9-899)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004).</ref> It may also be based on Alfred later having accompanied his father on a pilgrimage to Rome and spending some time at the court of [[Charles the Bald]], King of the [[Franks]], around 854-855. On their return from Rome in 856, Ethelwulf was deposed by his son Ethelbald. Ethelwulf died in 858, and Wessex was ruled by three of Alfred's brothers in succession.
Asser tells the story about how as a child Alfred won a prize of a volume of poetry in English, offered by his mother to the first of her children able to memorize it. This story may be true, or it may be a myth designed to illustrate the young Alfred's love of learning.
Other sources indicate that Alfred was the youngest of five sons.[http://www.royal.gov.uk/OutPut/Page25.asp]
== Under Ethelred ==
During the short reigns of his two eldest brothers, [[Ethelbald of Wessex|Ethelbald]] and [[Ethelbert of Wessex|Ethelbert]], Alfred is not mentioned. However with the accession of the third brother, [[Ethelred I]], in 866, the public life of Alfred began. It is during this period that Asser applies to him the unique title of 'secundarius,' which may indicate a position akin to that of the [[Celt]]ic ''tanist'', a recognized successor closely associated with the reigning monarch. It is possible that this arrangement was sanctioned by the [[Witenagemot]], to guard against the danger of a disputed succession should Ethelred fall in battle. The arrangement of crowning a successor as Royal prince and military commander is well-known among [[Germanic monarchy|Germanic]] [[Germanic tribes|tribes]], such as the [[Swedes]] and [[Franks]], with whom the Anglo-Saxons had close ties.
In 868, Alfred, fighting beside his brother Ethelred, unsuccessfully attempted to keep the invading Danes out of the adjoining kingdom of [[Mercia]]. For nearly two years, Wessex was spared attacks because Alfred paid the Vikings to leave him alone. However, at the end of 870, the Danes arrived in his homeland. The year that followed has been called "Alfred's year of battles". Nine martial engagements were fought with varying fortunes, though the place and date of two of the battles have not been recorded. In Berkshire, a successful skirmish at the [[Battle of Englefield]], on [[31 December]] [[870]], was followed by a severe defeat at the [[Battle of Reading (871)|Siege and Battle of Reading]], on [[5 January]] [[871]], and then, four days later, a brilliant victory at the [[Battle of Ashdown]] on the [[North Wessex Downs AONB|Berkshire Downs]], possibly near [[Compton, Berkshire|Compton]] or [[Aldworth]]. Alfred is particularly credited with the success of this latter conflict. However, later that month, on [[22 January]], the English were again defeated at [[Basing]] and, on the following [[22 March]] at the [[Battle of Merton]] (perhaps [[Marden, Wiltshire|Marden]] in [[Wiltshire]] or [[Martin, Dorset|Martin]] in [[Dorset]]). The two unidentified battles may also have occurred in between.
==King at war==
In April 871, King Ethelred died, and Alfred succeeded to the throne of Wessex and the burden of its defence, despite the fact that Ethelred left two young sons. Although contemporary turmoil meant the accession of Alfred — an adult with military experience and patronage resources — over his nephews went unchallenged, he remained obliged to secure their property rights. While he was busy with the burial ceremonies for his brother, the Danes defeated the English in his absence at an unnamed spot, and then again in his presence at [[Wilton, Wiltshire|Wilton]] in May. Following this, peace was made and, for the next five years, the Danes occupied other parts of England. However, in 876, under their new leader, [[Guthrum the Old|Guthrum]], the enemy slipped past the English army and attacked [[Wareham, Dorset|Wareham]] in Dorset. From there, early in 877, and under the pretext of talks, they moved westwards and took [[Exeter, England|Exeter]] in [[Devon]]. There, Alfred blockaded them, and with a relief fleet having been scattered by a storm, the Danes were forced to submit. They withdrew to Mercia but, in January 878, made a sudden attack on [[Chippenham, Wiltshire|Chippenham]], a royal stronghold in which Alfred had been staying over Christmas, "and most of the people they reduced, except the King Alfred, and he with a little band made his way by wood and swamp, and after Easter he made a fort at [[Athelney]], and from that fort kept fighting against the foe" (''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'').
[[Image:Statue d'Alfred le Grand à Winchester.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Statue of Alfred the Great at Winchester]]
A popular legend tells how, when he first fled to the [[Somerset Levels]], Alfred was given shelter by a peasant woman who, unaware of his identity, left him to watch some cakes she had left cooking on the fire. Preoccupied with the problems of his kingdom, Alfred accidentally let the cakes burn and was taken to task by the woman upon her return. Upon realizing the king's identity, the woman apologised profusely, but Alfred insisted that he was the one who needed to apologise. From his fort at Athelney, a marshy island near [[North Petherton]], Alfred was able to mount an effective resistance movement while rallying the local militia from [[Somerset]], [[Wiltshire]] and [[Hampshire]].
Another story relates how Alfred disguised himself as a [[minstrel]] in order to gain entry to Guthrum's camp and discover his plans. This supposedly led to the [[Battle of Edington]], near [[Westbury, Wiltshire|Westbury in Wiltshire]]. The result was a decisive victory for Alfred. The Danes submitted and, according to Asser, Guthrum and twenty-nine of his chief men received [[baptism]] when they signed the [[Treaty of Wedmore]]. As a result, [[England]] became split in two: the southwestern half was kept by the [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxons]], and the northeastern half including [[London]], thence known as the [[Danelaw]], was kept by the Vikings. By the following year (879), both Wessex and Mercia, west of [[Watling Street]], were cleared of the invaders.
For the next few years there was peace, with the Danes being kept busy in Europe. A landing in Kent in 884 or 885 close to [[Plucks Gutter]], though successfully repelled, encouraged the [[East Anglia]]n Danes to rise up. The measures taken by Alfred to repress this uprising culminated in the taking of London in 885 or 886, and an agreement was reached between Alfred and Guthrum, known as the [[Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum]]. Once more, for a time, there was a lull, but in the autumn of 892 or 893, the Danes attacked again. Finding their position in Europe somewhat precarious, they crossed to England in 330 ships in two divisions. They entrenched themselves, the larger body at [[Appledore, Kent]], and the lesser, under [[Haesten]], at [[Milton, Kent|Milton]] also in Kent. The invaders brought their wives and children with them, indicating a meaningful attempt at conquest and colonisation. Alfred, in 893 or 894, took up a position from whence he could observe both forces. While he was in talks with Haesten, the Danes at Appledore broke out and struck northwestwards. They were overtaken by Alfred's eldest son, [[Edward the Elder|Edward]], and were defeated in a general engagement at [[Farnham]] in [[Surrey]]. They were obliged to take refuge on an island in the [[River Colne, Hertfordshire|Hertfordshire Colne]], where they were blockaded and were ultimately compelled to submit. The force fell back on Essex and, after suffering another defeat at [[Benfleet]], coalesced with Haesten's force at [[Shoebury]].
Alfred had been on his way to relieve his son at Thorney when he heard that the Northumbrian and East Anglian Danes were besieging Exeter and an unnamed stronghold on the [[North Devon]] shore. Alfred at once hurried westward and raised the Siege of Exeter. The fate of the other place is not recorded. Meanwhile the force under Haesten set out to march up the [[Thames Valley]], possibly with the idea of assisting their friends in the west. But they were met by a large force under the three great ealdormen of Mercia, Wiltshire and Somerset, and made to head off to the northwest, being finally overtaken and blockaded at [[Buttington]]. Some identify this with [[Buttington Tump]] at the mouth of the [[River Wye|Wye River]], others with Buttington near [[Welshpool]]. An attempt to break through the English lines was defeated. Those who escaped retreated to Shoebury. Then after collecting reinforcements they made a sudden dash across England and occupied the ruined Roman walls of [[Chester, England|Chester]]. The English did not attempt a winter blockade but contented themselves with destroying all the supplies in the neighbourhood. Early in 894 (or 895), want of food obliged the Danes to retire once more to Essex. At the end of this year and early in 895 (or 896), the Danes drew their ships up the [[Thames]] and [[River Lee|Lea]] and fortified themselves twenty miles (32 km) north of London. A direct attack on the Danish lines failed, but later in the year, Alfred saw a means of obstructing the river so as to prevent the egress of the Danish ships. The Danes realised that they were out-manoeuvred. They struck off northwestwards and wintered at [[Bridgenorth]]. The next year, 896 (or 897), they gave up the struggle. Some retired to Northumbria, some to East Anglia. Those who had no connections in England withdrew to the Continent. The long campaign was over.
==Reorganisation==
After the dispersal of the Danish invaders, Alfred turned his attention to the increase of the royal [[navy]], partly to repress the ravages of the Northumbrian and East Anglian Danes on the coasts of Wessex, and to prevent the landing of fresh invaders. This is not, as often asserted, the beginning of the [[Royal Navy|English navy]]. There had been earlier naval operations under Alfred. One naval engagement was fought under [[Aethelwulf]] in 851, and earlier ones, possibly in 833 and 840. The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', however, does credit Alfred with the construction of a new type of ship, built according to the king's own designs, "swifter, steadier and also higher/more responsive (hierran) than the others". However, these new ships do not seem to have been a great success, as we hear of them grounding in action and foundering in a storm. Nevertheless both the Royal Navy and the [[United States Navy]] claim Alfred as the founder of their traditions. The first vessel ever commissioned into the Continental Navy, precursor to the United States Navy, was named the [[USS Alfred|USS ''Alfred'']].
Alfred's main fighting force, the ''[[fyrd]]'', was separated into two, "so that there was always half at home and half out" (''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle''). The level of organisation required to mobilise his large army in two shifts, of which one was feeding the other, must have been considerable. The complexity which Alfred's administration had attained by 892 is demonstrated by a reasonably reliable charter whose witness list includes a ''thesaurius'', ''cellararius'' and ''pincerna''—treasurer, food-keeper and butler. Despite the irritation which Alfred must have felt in 893, when one division, which had "completed their call-up (stemn)", gave up the siege of a Danish army just as Alfred was moving to relieve them, this system seems to have worked remarkably well on the whole.
One of the weaknesses of pre-Alfredian defences had been that, in the absence of a standing army, fortresses were largely left unoccupied, making it very possible for a Viking force to quickly secure a strong strategic position. Alfred substantially upgraded the state of the defences of Wessex, by erecting fortified [[burh]]s (or boroughs) throughout the kingdom. During the systematic excavation of at least four of these (at [[Wareham, Dorset|Wareham]], [[Cricklade]], [[Lydford]] and [[Wallingford]]) it has been demonstrated that "in every case the rampart associated by the excavators with the borough of the Alfredian period was the primary defence on the site" (Brooks). The obligations for the upkeep and defence of these and many other sites, with permanent garrisons, are further documented in surviving transcripts of the administrative manuscript known as the [[Burghal Hidage]]. Dating from, at least, within twenty years of Alfred's death, if not actually from his reign, it almost certainly reflects Alfredian policy. Comparison of town plans for Wallingford and Wareham with that of Winchester, shows "that they were laid out in the same scheme" (Wormald), thus supporting the proposition that these newly established burhs were also planned as centres of habitation and trade as well as a place of safety in moments of immediate danger. Thereafter, the English population and its wealth were drawn into such towns where it was not only safer from Viking soldiers, but also taxable by the King.
Alfred is thus credited with a significant degree of civil reorganisation, especially in the districts ravaged by the Danes. Even if one rejects the thesis crediting the 'Burghal Hidage' to Alfred, what is undeniable is that, in the parts of Mercia acquired by Alfred from the Vikings, the [[shire]] system seems now to have been introduced for the first time. This is probably what prompted the legend that Alfred was the inventor of shires, [[Hundred (division)|hundreds]] and [[tithing]]s. Alfred's care for the administration of justice is testified both by history and legend; and he has gained the popular title 'protector of the poor'. Of the actions of the [[Witangemot]], we do not hear very much under Alfred. He was certainly anxious to respect its rights, but both the circumstances of the time and the character of the king would have tended to throw more power into his hands. The legislation of Alfred probably belongs to the later part of the reign, after the pressure of the Danes had relaxed. He also paid attention to the country's finances, though details are lacking.
==Foreign relations==
Asser speaks grandiosely of Alfred's relations with foreign powers, but little definite information is available. His interest in foreign countries is shown by the insertions which he made in his translation of [[Orosius]]. He certainly corresponded with [[Elias III]], the [[Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem|Patriarch of Jerusalem]], and possibly sent a mission to [[India]]. Contact was also made with the [[Caliph]] in [[Baghdad]]. Embassies to Rome conveying the English alms to the [[Pope]] were fairly frequent. Around 890, [[Wulfstan of Haithabu]] undertook a journey from [[Haithabu]] on [[Jutland]] along the [[Baltic Sea]] to the [[Prussia]]n trading town of [[Truso]]. Alfred ensured he reported to him details of his trip.
Alfred's relations with the Celtic princes in the western half of [[Great Britain|Britain]] are clearer. Comparatively early in his reign, according to Asser, the [[South Wales|southern Welsh]] princes, owing to the pressure on them of [[North Wales]] and Mercia, commended themselves to Alfred. Later in the reign the [[North Wales|North Welsh]] followed their example, and the latter cooperated with the English in the campaign of 893 (or 894). That Alfred sent alms to [[Ireland|Irish]] as well as to European monasteries may be taken on Asser's authority. The visit of the three pilgrim 'Scots' (i.e., Irish) to Alfred in 891 is undoubtedly authentic. The story that he himself in his childhood was sent to Ireland to be healed by [[Saint Modwenna]], though mythical, may show Alfred's interest in that island.
==Legal reform==
{{Main|Doom book}}
Alfred the Great’s most enduring work was his [[legal code]], called '''Deemings''', or Book of '''Dooms''' (Book of Laws). Sir [[Winston Churchill]] observed that Alfred blended the [[Mosaic Law]], [[Celtic Law]], and old customs of the pagan [[Anglo-Saxons]].<ref>Churchill, Sir Winston: The Island Race, Corgi, London, 1964, II, p. 219.</ref> [http://www.dr-fnlee.org/ Lee, F. N.] traced the parallels between Alfred’s Code and the Mosaic Code.<ref>Lee, F. N., [http://www.dr-fnlee.org/docs6/alfred/alfred.html King Alfred the Great and our Common Law] Department of Church History, Queensland Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Brisbane, Australia, August 2000</ref> However, as [[Thomas Jefferson]] concluded after tracing the history of English common law: "The [[common law]] existed while the Anglo-Saxons were yet pagans, at a time when they had never yet heard the name of Christ pronounced or that such a character existed".<ref>Reports of Cases Determined in the General Court, appendix. Thomas Jefferson.</ref> Churchill stated that Alfred’s Code was amplified by his successors and grew into the body of Customary Law administered by the Shire and The Hundred Courts. This led to the [[Charter of Liberties]], granted by [[Henry I of England]], AD 1100.
==Religion and culture==
Knowledge of the [[Roman Catholic Church|Church]] under Alfred is patchy; the Danish attacks had affected the church, with monasteries being especial points of attack, and though Alfred founded two or three monasteries and brought foreign monks to England, there was no general revival of monasticism under him. To the ruin of learning and education wrought by the Danes, and the practical extinction of the knowledge of Latin even among the clergy, the preface to Alfred's translation into [[Old English language|Old English]] of [[Pope Gregory I|Pope Gregory's]] ''[[Pastoral Care]]'' bears eloquent if not impartial witness. It was to remedy these evils that he established a court school, after the example of [[Charlemagne]]; for this he imported scholars like [[Grimbald]] and [[John the Saxon]] from Europe and Asser from South Wales; for this, above all, he put himself to school, and made the series of translations for the instruction of his clergy and people, most of which yet survive. These belong unquestionably to the later part of his reign, likely to the last four years, during which the chronicles are almost silent.
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:alfred jewel.JPG|thumb|left|The [[Alfred Jewel]], found at [[North Petherton]] in 1693]] -->
Apart from the lost ''Handboc'' or ''[[Encheiridion]],'' which seems to have been merely a commonplace book kept by the king, the earliest work to be translated was the ''Dialogues of Gregory,'' a book greatly popular in the [[Middle Ages]]. In this case the translation was made by Alfred's great friend [[Werferth]], [[Bishop of Worcester]], the king merely furnishing a foreword. The next work to be undertaken was Gregory's ''Pastoral Care,'' especially for the good of the parish clergy. In this Alfred keeps very close to his original; but the introduction which he prefixed to it is one of the most interesting documents of the reign, or indeed of English history. The next two works taken in hand were historical, the ''Universal History'' of [[Orosius]] and [[Bede|Bede's]] ''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum|Ecclesiastical History of the English People]]''. The priority should likely be given to the Orosius, but the point has been much debated. In the Orosius, by omissions and additions, Alfred so remodels his original as to produce an almost new work; in the Bede the author's text is closely stuck to, no additions being made, though most of the documents and some other less interesting matters are omitted. Of late years doubts have been raised as to Alfred's authorship of the Bede translation. But the sceptics cannot be regarded as having proved their point.
Alfred's translation of ''[[Consolation of Philosophy|The Consolation of Philosophy]]'' of [[Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius|Boethius]] was the most popular philosophical handbook of the Middle Ages. Here again Alfred deals very freely with his original and though the late Dr. G. Schepss showed that many of the additions to the text are to be traced not to Alfred himself, but to the glosses and commentaries which he used, still there is much in the work which is solely Alfred's and highly characteristic of his genius. It is in the Boethius that the oft-quoted sentence occurs: "My will was to live worthily as long as I lived, and after my life to leave to them that should come after, my memory in good works." The book has come down to us in two manuscripts only. In one of these<ref>Oxford Bodleian Library MS Bodley 180</ref> the writing is prose, in the other<ref>British Library Cotton MS Otho A. vi</ref> a combination of prose and alliterating verse. The latter manuscript was severely damaged in the 18th and 19th centuries,<ref>Kiernan, Kevin S., "[http://www.uky.edu/~kiernan/iconic/iconic.htm Alfred the Great's Burnt ''Boethius'']". In Bornstein, George and Theresa Tinkle, eds., ''The Iconic Page in Manuscript, Print, and Digital Culture'' (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1998).</ref> and the authorship of the verse has been much disputed; but likely it also is by Alfred. In fact, he writes in the prelude that he first created a prose work and then used it as the basis for his poem, the [[Lays of Boethius]], his crowning literary achievement. He spent a great deal of time working on these books, which he tells us he gradually wrote through the many stressful times of his reign to refresh his mind. Of the authenticity of the work as a whole there has never been any doubt.
The last of Alfred's works is one to which he gave the name ''Blostman'', i.e., "Blooms" or Anthology. The first half is based mainly on the ''Soliloquies'' of St [[Augustine of Hippo]], the remainder is drawn from various sources, and contains much that is Alfred's own and highly characteristic of him. The last words of it may be quoted; they form a fitting epitaph for the noblest of English kings. "Therefore he seems to me a very foolish man, and truly wretched, who will not increase his understanding while he is in the world, and ever wish and long to reach that endless life where all shall be made clear."
Beside these works of Alfred's, the Saxon Chronicle almost certainly, and a Saxon Martyrology, of which fragments only exist, probably owe their inspiration to him. A prose version of the first fifty [[Psalms]] has been attributed to him; and the attribution, though not proved, is perfectly possible. Additionally, Alfred appears as a character in ''[[The Owl and the Nightingale]],'' where his wisdom and skill with proverbs is attested. Additionally, ''[[The Proverbs of Alfred]]'', which exists for us in a thirteenth century manuscript contains sayings that very likely have their origins partly with the king.
{{Main|Alfred Jewel}}
The [[Alfred jewel]], discovered in [[Somerset]] in 1693, has long been associated with King Alfred because of its [[Old English]] inscription "AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN" (''Alfred Ordered Me To Be Made''). This relic, of unknown use, certainly dates from Alfred's reign but it is possibly just one of several that once existed. The inscription does little to clarify the identity of the central figure which has long been believed to depict God or Christ.
==Family==
In 868, Alfred married [[Ealhswith]], daughter of [[Aethelred Mucill]], who is called [[Ealdorman]] of the [[Gaini]], the people from the [[Gainsborough, England|Gainsborough]] region of [[Lincolnshire]]. She appears to have been the maternal granddaughter of a King of [[Mercia]]. They had five or six children together, including [[Edward the Elder]], who succeeded his father as King of Wessex; [[Ethelfleda]], who would become Queen of [[Mercia]] in her own right, and [[Ælfthryth, Countess of Flanders|Ælfthryth]] (alias Elfrida) who married [[Baldwin II, Count of Flanders]].
{| border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse;"
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
!width="16%"|Name!! width="14%"|Birth!! width="14%"|Death!! width="64%"|Notes
|-
|[[Ælfthryth, Countess of Flanders|Ælfthryth]]||||929||Married [[Baldwin II, Count of Flanders|Baldwin, Count of Flanders]]; had issue
|-
|[[Ethelfleda]]||||918||Married 889, [[Æthelred of Mercia|Earl Aethelred of Mercia]]; had issue.
|-
|Ethelgiva||||||Abbess of Shaftesbury
|-
|[[Edward the Elder|Edward]]||||[[17 July]] [[924]]||Married (1) Ecgwynn, (2) Ælfflæd, (3) 919 [[Edgiva of Kent|Edgiva]]
|-
|[[Æthelwærd]]||||[[16 October]] [[922]]|| Married and had issue
|-
|}
==Death and burial==
Alfred died on [[26 October]]. The actual year is not certain, but it was not necessarily 901 as stated in the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.'' How he died is unknown. He was originally buried temporarily in the [[Old Minster, Winchester|Old Minster]] in [[Winchester]], then moved to the [[New Minster, Winchester|New Minster]] (perhaps built especially to receive his body). When the New Minster moved to Hyde, a little north of the city, in 1110, the monks transferred to [[Hyde Abbey]] along with Alfred's body. His grave was apparently excavated during the building of a new prison in 1788 and the bones scattered. However, bones found on a similar site in the 1860s were also declared to be Alfred's and later buried in Hyde churchyard. Extensive excavations in 1999 revealed what is believed to be his grave-cut, that of his wife Eahlswith, and that of their son Edward the Elder but barely any human remains.<ref>{{cite book | last = Dodson | first = Aidan | title = The Royal Tombs of Great Britain | publisher = Duckworth |date= 2004 | location = London}}</ref>
==Veneration==
Alfred is regarded as a [[Saints in Anglicanism|hero of the Christian Church]] in the [[Anglican Communion]], with a [[feast day]] of [[26 October]],<ref>{{cite book | last = Gross | first = Ernie | title = This Day In Religion | publisher = Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. |date= 1990 | location = New York}}</ref> and may often be found depicted in [[stained glass]] in [[Church of England parish church]]es. Also, [[Alfred University]] was named after him; a large statue of his likeness is in the center of campus.
==Cultural references==
[[Image:Alfred the Great.jpg|right|200px]]
===Literature and drama===
*[[Thomas Augustine Arne]]'s ''[[Masque of Alfred]]'' (first public performance: 1745) is a [[masque]] about the king. It incorporates the song "[[Rule Britannia]]".
*[[G. K. Chesterton]]'s poetical epic ''[[The Ballad of the White Horse]]'' depicts Alfred uniting the fragmented Kingdoms of Britain to chase the northern invaders away from the island. It depicts Alfred as a divinely oriented leader waging holy war, in a similar way to Shakespeare's ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]''.
*In [[C. Walter Hodges]]' juvenile novels ''The Namesake'' and ''The Marsh King'', Alfred is an important character.
*[[G. A. Henty]] wrote an [[historical novel]] ''[[The Dragon and the Raven, or The Days of King Alfred]]''.
*[[Joan Wolf]]'s [[historical fiction|historical novel]] ''[[The Edge of Light]]'' (1990) is about life and times of Alfred the Great.
*The [[historical fantasy]] author [[Guy Gavriel Kay]] features Alfred in his novel ''[[The Last Light of the Sun]]'' (2004) thinly disguised under the name King Aeldred.
*[[Bernard Cornwell]]'s series of books ''[[The Saxon Stories]]'' (2004-, currently consisting of ''[[The Last Kingdom]]'', ''[[The Pale Horseman]]'', ''[[The Lords of the North]]'' and the newly released ''[[Sword Song]]'') depicts Alfred's life and his struggle against the [[Vikings]] from the perspective of a Saxon raised by Danes, [[Uhtred Ragnarson]].
*A new biography of Alfred the Great by [[Justin Pollard]] was published by John Murray in 2005.
*[[Alfred Duggan]] wrote an Historical Novel biography of Alfred, entitled "The King of Athelny". It is a mixture of uncontested facts, as well as some stories of less certain authenticity such as the burning of the cakes.
===Film and Television===
*Alfred was played by [[David Hemmings]] in the 1969 film ''[[Alfred the Great (film)|Alfred the Great]]'', co-starring [[Michael York (actor)|Michael York]] as Guthrum.
*In 2006 a film, "The Saxon Chronicles", a biopic on Alfred the Great, was produced by director [[Jeshua De Horta]]
*In episode six of the British comedy show [[At Last the 1948 Show]], the sketch "Let's Speak English" references the popular legend of King Alfred and the cakes. In the middle of the sketch, John Cleese's character (trying to sabotage an English lesson) points to some cakes on a tea trolley and says to the camera, "King Alfred burnt the surgical trusses!"
===Educational establishments===
*The [[University of Winchester]] was named 'King Alfred's College, Winchester' between 1840 and 2004, whereupon it was re-named 'University College Winchester'.
*Alfred University, as well as [[Alfred State College]] located in [[Alfred (village), New York|Alfred, NY]], are both named after the king.
*In honour of Alfred, the [[University of Liverpool]] created a [[King Alfred Chair of English Literature]].
*[[University College, Oxford]] is erroneously said to have been founded by King Alfred.
*[[King Alfred's Community and Sports College]], a secondary school in Wantage, Oxfordshire. The Birthplace of Alfred.
*[http://www.kingslodgeschool.net/ King's Lodge School], in [[Chippenham, Wiltshire]] is so named because King Alfred's hunting lodge is reputed to have stood on or near the site of the school.
==See also==
* [[British military history]]
* [[Kingdom of England]]
* [[Lays of Boethius]]
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
==References==
* {{1911|article=Alfred|url=http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Alfred_the_Great}}
*{{A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature}}
* N.P. Brooks. (1971). ''The Development of Military Obligations in Eighth and Ninth Century England''.
* Sir [[Francis Palgrave]]. (1876). ''History of the Anglo-Saxons''.
*Gross, Ernie (1990). This Day In Religion. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.. ISBN 1-55570-045-4.
* P. Wormald in J. Campbell (ed.). (1982). ''The Anglo-Saxons''.
* {{cite book|author=Justin Pollard |title=Alfred the Great: the man who made England|year=2005|publisher=John Murray|id=ISBN 0-7195-6665-7}}
* {{cite book|title=The Medieval Life of King Alfred the Great: A Translation and Commentary on the Text Attributed to Asser|author= Alfred P. Smyth|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2002|id=ISBN 0-333-69917-3}}
==Further reading==
*Pratt, David: ''The political thought of King Alfred the Great'' (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series, 2007) ISBN
9780521803502
*Parker, Joanne: ''England's Darling The Victorian Cult of Alfred the Great'', 2007, ISBN 9780719073564
*Pollard, Justin: ''Alfred the Great : the man who made England'', 2006, ISBN 0719566665
*Fry, Fred: ''Patterns of Power: The Military Campaigns of Alfred the Great'', 2006, ISBN 9781905226931
*''Ancestral roots of sixty colonists who came to New England between 1623 and 1650 : the lineage of Alfred the Great, Charlemagne, Malcolm of Scotland, Robert the Strong, and some of their descendants'', 1976, ISBN 806303735
*Giles, J. A. (ed.): ''The Whole Works of King Alfred the Great'' (Jubilee Edition, 3 vols, Oxford and Cambridge, 1858)
*''The whole works of King Alfred the Great, with preliminary essays, illustrative of the history, arts, and manners, of the ninth century'', 1969, OCLC 28387
==External links==
*[http://www.treasurehunting.tv/king_alfred.htm The Life of King Alfred translated by Dr. J.A. Giles (London, 1847).]
*Britannia History [http://britannia.com/history/docs/asser.html Bishop Asser's Life of King Alfred]
*[http://www2.meridiantv.com/itvlocal/index.htm?channel=Documentaries&void=29337 Documentary - The Making of England: King Alfred]
*[http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/saxon_6.htm An Illustrated Biography of Alfred the Great]
*[http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page25.asp Alfred the Great] from the [http://www.royal.gov.uk/ official website of the British Monarchy]
*[http://www.mirror.org/ken.roberts/king.alfred.html King Alfred the Great] and [http://www.mirror.org/ken.roberts/alfred.jewel.html Alfred Jewel] by Ken Roberts
*[http://rsparlourtricks.blogspot.com/2005/10/alfred-great.html Ron Schuler's Parlour Tricks: Alfred the Great]
*[[s:Lays of Boethius|Lays of Boethius]]
*[http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/alfred.html Royal Berkshire History: King Alfred the Great]
*[http://www.wantage.com/museum/Local_History/Alfred's%20Palace_amended_.pdf Alfred's Palace]
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title=[[List of monarchs of Wessex|King of Wessex]]|
before=[[Ethelred of Wessex|Ethelred]]|
years=871 – 899|
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{{succession box|
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years=878 – 899|
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{{end}}
{{English Monarchs}}
[[Category:849 births]]
[[Category:899 deaths]]
[[Category:Patrons of literature]]
[[Category:People from Wantage]]
[[Category:Vikings]]
[[Category:West Saxon monarchs]]
[[ang:Ælfrēd se Grēata]]
[[bg:Алфред Велики]]
[[bs:Alfred Veliki]]
[[cs:Alfréd Veliký]]
[[cy:Alfred Fawr]]
[[de:Alfred der Große]]
[[el:Αλφρέδος του Ουέσσεξ]]
[[es:Alfredo el Grande]]
[[eo:Alfredo la Granda]]
[[fr:Alfred le Grand]]
[[hr:Alfred Veliki]]
[[it:Alfredo il Grande]]
[[he:אלפרד הגדול]]
[[ka:ალფრედ დიდი]]
[[la:Alfredus (rex Anglorum)]]
[[lv:Alfreds Lielais]]
[[lb:Alfred de Groussen]]
[[hu:Alfréd angol király]]
[[nl:Alfred de Grote]]
[[ja:アルフレッド大王]]
[[no:Alfred av England]]
[[pl:Alfred Wielki]]
[[pt:Alfredo de Inglaterra]]
[[ro:Alfred cel Mare]]
[[ru:Альфред Великий]]
[[simple:Alfred the Great]]
[[sk:Alfréd Veľký]]
[[sr:Alfred Veliki]]
[[fi:Alfred Suuri]]
[[sv:Alfred den store]]
[[tr:Büyük Alfred]]
[[uk:Альфред І]]
[[ur:الفریڈاعظم]]
[[zh:阿佛列大帝]]