1. ALFRED THE GREAT: SAVIOUR OF ENGLAND?

2. Alfred’s family : the Cerdicynns
‘Woden born’
Cerdic
Cynric
Ine ( )
Egbert (802-39)
Alfred’s family : the Cerdicynns
Semi-mythical founders of Wessex
Creator of the shire system, first Christian king
Vanquisher of Mercia, conqueror of Cornwall, Berkshire, Kent, Sussex and Essex
Osburh of Wight (1) Aethelwulf (839-58) Judith of the Carolingians (2)
Deposed by Athelbald
Literate patron of the arts
Athelstan Athelbald (855-60) Aethelberht (860-65) Aethelred (865-71) Alfred (871-99)
‘King of the English’
Athelwold the Pretender (killed 903)
m. Ealswith of Mercia
Aethelflaed
‘Lady of the Mercians’
Edward the Elder
Aethelgifu
Abbess of Shaftesbury
Aelfthryth
m. Baldwin II
Count of Flanders
Aethelweard
(dies 920)
King of the English
Athelstan the Glorious
Edmund the Magnficent
King of the English 924 – 27 King of England
King of England

3. 871-878: Guthrum and the unquiet peace

4. : SLEEPWALKING?
ALFRED’S SOLE ACHIEVEMENT DURING THIS PERIOD APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE REBASEMENT OF THE WEST SAXON PENNY. HE APPARENTLY MADE NO ATTEMPT TO RENEW WESSEX’S DEFENCES.
POLLARD BELIEVES THE CAKES PARABLE RELATES TOP THIS PERIOD – ARGUING THAT WESSEX, LIKE THE CAKES, WAS BEING CATASTROPHICALLY NEGLECTED BY ALFRED.
THIS NEARLY LED TO CATASTROPHE IN 876 WHEN GUTHRUM WAS TRAPPED AT WAREHAM. ALFRED NAIVELY LET HIM GO AFTER SWEARING A SACRED OATH ON A PAGAN ‘HOLY BRACELET’. THE VIKINGS RENEGED ON THIS ‘TREATY OF WAREHAM’, SEIZING EXETER WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN USED AS A PLATFORM FOR AN INVASION OF WESSEX HAD GUTHRUM’S FLEET NOT BEEN WRECKED OFF SWANAGE BY A STORM.
AS IT WAS GUTHRUM RETIRED FROM WESSEX UNHINDERED AND WINTERED IN GLOUCESTER.
GLOUCESTER
READING
WINCHESTER
EXETER
WAREHAM

5. CHRISTMAS 878: COUP OR AMBUSH?
IN EARLY JANUARY 878 ALFRED AND HIS FMAILY NARROWLY BEING CAPTURED BY GUTHRUM AT THE WILTSHIRE PALACE OF CHIPPENHAM. ONLY PRECIPITOUS FLIGHT TO SOMERSET SAVED THEM AT THE COST OF MOST OF HIS GESITH.
POLLARD BELIEVES THIS HAPPENED OWING TO THE BETRAYAL OF WULFERE, EARLDOMAN OF WILTSHIRE WHO, WITH AETHELRED, ARCHIBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, ACTIVELY CONNIVED WITH GUTHRUM WITH A VIEW TO RETAINING HIS POSITION, OR POSSIBLY BECOMING PUPPET KING, UNDER A VIKING WESSEX.

6. 878: SURVIVING THE STORM

7. THE VIKING CHRISTMAS OFFENSIVE OF 878
ALFRED

8. ATHELNEY – THE LEGEND BEGINS

10. THE KING AT BAY

11. THE ATHELNEY MOMENT
ALFRED’S POSITION WAS SERIOUS BUT NOT IMMEDIATELY DESPERATE. HE WAS SAFE IN ATHELNEY AND GUTHRUM LACKED THE MEN TO FULLY OVERRUN WESSEX – OTHER THAN CHIPPENHAM AND WINCHESTER WHICH HE CAPTURED, MOST WEST SAXON TOWNS RESISTED PROMPTING A SERIES OF SIEGES.
MOREOVER DEPSITE THE TREASON OF WULFERE, THE EARLDOMEN OF SOMERSET AND DOREST, AELFERE AND ODDA REMAINED LOYAL. AELFERE PROVIDED ALFRED WITH THE NCUELAUS OF A NEW ARMY WHILST ODDA USED THE FYRD OF DEVON TO DEFEAT THE WESTERN ARM OF THE VIKING OFFENSIVE WHEN IT LANDED AT COUNTISBURY.
TIME WAS AGAINST ALFRED HOWEVER. BY SUMMER 878 MORE VIKINGS WOULD ARRIVE TO OCNOLIDATE GUTHRUM’S FRAGILE HOLD ON WESSEX. IF ALFRED AND THE LAST ENGLISH KINGDOM WAS TO SURVIVE HE HAD TO GATHER A SIZEABLE ARMY AND WIN A DECISIVE VICTORY OVER GUTHRUM BFORE THE END OF SPRING.
ACCORDINGLY HE DESPATCHED MESSNAGERS ALL OVER WESSEX SUMMONING SURVIVING FORCES TO EGBERT’S STONE, THE FOLKMOOT SITE ON THE SOMERSET/WILTSHIRE BORDER.
ACCORDING TO ASSER, ALFRED DISGUISED HIMSELF AS A BARD AND RECONNOITRED THE VIKING BASE AT CHIPPENHAM HIMSELF.

12. ALFRED’S ROUTE CHIPPENHAM GUTHRUM’S VIKING CAMP EGBERT’S STONE
ATHELNEY
ALFRED’S ROUTE

13. ‘The light of a benighted age’
‘THEY RECEIVED HIM, AS HE DESERVED, WITH JOYFUL SHOUTS AND ACCLAMATIONS’
ALFRED LEFT ATHELNEY ON OR AROUND 1 MAY 878 WITH A SMALL FOLLOWING AND NO SUPPLY TRAIN TO RENDEZ VOUS WITH OTHER WEST SAXON FORCES AT EGBERT’S STONE.
THE FYRDS OF SOMERSET, WILTSHIRE AND HAMPSHIRE RALLIED TO HIM AND MOST LIKELY REFUGEES FROM OTHER ENGLISH KINGDOMS TOO, MAKING A TOTAL OF BETWEEN 2,500 AND 4,000.
ALFRED’S RALLYING SPEECH MAY WELL HAVE INCLUDED THE FIRST USE OF THE TERM ‘ENGLAND’, A CONCEPT HE SEEMS TO HAVE EVOLVED AT ATHELNEY.
FROM ATHELNEY THE LAST ARMY OF WESSEX MARCHED NORTH TOWARDS CHIPPENHAM SEEKING A DECISIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH GUTHRUM.
GUTHRUM HAD EQUAL INCENTIVE TO COMMIT TO BATTLE AND OBLIGED BY MARHCING SOUTH TOWARDS THEM.
THE TWO SIDES MET AT EDINGTON ON 5-7 MAY 878.
‘The light of a benighted age’

14. CHIPPENHAM
GUTHRUM’S VIKING CAMP
THE BATTLE OF EDINGTON
EGBERT’S STONE
ATHELNEY
ALFRED’S ROUTE

15. THE BATTLEFIELD OF EDINGTON 6-12 MAY 878 AD
ALFRED THE GREAT (WESSEX)
ROYAL HEARTH WARRIORS, FYRDS OF SOMERSET, SUSSEX AND PART OF WILTSHIRE, REFUGEE WARRIORS FROM OTHER KINGDOMS
TOTAL APPROX. 4000
THE BATTLEFIELD OF EDINGTON MAY 878 AD
GUTHRUM (DANES)
VIKING WARRIORS AND BEZERKERS
TOTAL APPROX. 4500
CHIPPENHAM
12 MILES
LOCATION 2
180 M LINE
LOCATION 1
ATHELNEY
42 MILES

16. ‘AT LAST HE GAINED THE VICTORY’
GUTHRUM HAD ARRIVED FIRST AND CHOSEN THE BATTLEFIELD OPTING FOR DEFENCE, MOST LIKELY FOMRING A SHIELD WALL ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF LAND CONECTING SALISBURY PLAIN TO EDINGTON HILL.
PROBABLY OUTNUMBERED, CERTAINLY AT A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND STRATEGIC DISADVANTAGE, ALFRED HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO LOSE AT EDINGTON.
THIS, THE PATRIOTIC FERVOUR HE HAD ENDUCED AT EGBERT’S STONE AND POSSIBLY SOME UNKNOWN TACTCIAL RUSE WON HIM THE VICTORY.
FOR ONCE ALFRED SHOWED NO MERCY, NO PRISONERS WERE TAKEN AND THE FLEEING VIKINGS WERE UNCERMONIOUSLY SLAUGHTERED.
GUTHRUM AND THE SURVIVORS SOUGHT SANCTUARY AT CHIPPENHAM, CLEARLY BEATEN AND AT THE MERCY OF AN ENRAGED WEST SAXON POPULACE HE HAD NO CHOCE BUT TO SEEK TERMS WITH ALFRED AT ANY COST.

18. A VICTORIOUS PEACE – ‘Cyning ealles angelcynnes’
ALFRED’S EXCEPTIONAL DIPLOMACY SUMMARISED BY THE TREATY OF WEDMORE AFTER EDINGTON SEALED THE SURVIVAL OF HIS KINGDOM:
(I) GUTHRUM AND ALL HIS FOLLOWERS WERE REQUIRED TO VACATE WESSEX AND RETURN TO EAST ANGLIA
(II) THE VIKING LEADERSHIP WERE SUBJECT TO MASS BAPTISM WITH ALFRED AS THEIR GODFATER IN A CONSPICIOUS ‘CHRISM’ CEREMONY AT ALLER BINGDING THEM IN THE YES OF THEIR MEN TO THE OATH MAKING CHRISTIAN TRADITION AND FORMALLY SUBORDINATING THEM TO ALFRED.
(III)ALFRED AVOIDS HUMILIATING GUTHRUM – HE ACKNOWLEDGES THE LATTER AS KING OF EAST ANGLIA FEASTS HIM AND GIVES HIM GOLD, BUT THE BYPRODUCT IS BY ACCWEPTING THIS HSOPTIALITY GUTHRUM IS ACKNOWLDEGING HIS SUBORDINATION TO ALFRED – HIS ‘RING GIVER’.
(IV) CRUCIALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ENGLISH HISTORY ALFRED IS REFERRED TO AS ‘KING OF ALL THE ENGLISH’ NOT WESSEX – HE MAKES AN UNCONTESTED CLAIM OF SOVREIGNTY OVER EVERY ENGLISHMAN EITHER SIDE OF THE DANELAW, THE LEGAL BASIS FOR HIS SON AND GRANDSON’S FUTURE CONQUEST.
ENGLAND AS A NATION STATE DATES FROM THIS TREATY AND ALFRED IN FUTURE REFERS TO HIMSELF AS ‘KING OF THE ENGLISH’ NOT KING OF WESSEX.

19. THE WEDMORE LAND SETTLEMENT: THE DANELAW AND ‘AENGLALAND’

20. DEFENDING ‘AENGLALAND’ 878-899

21. OVERVIEW
ALFRED HAD WON A RESPITE WITH THE TREATY OF WEDMORE BUT NO MORE, IF HE WAS TO SECURE PERMANENT PEACE HE WOULD NEED TO MILITARISE WESSEX AGAINST INEVITABLE VIKING INCURSION.
THIS INVOLVED DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM OF DEFENCE AND TAXATION.
ALFRED’S SYSTEM INVOLVED DEFENCE IN DEPTH CENTRED ON APPROXIMATELY THIRTY ‘BURGHS’ AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STANDING ARMY AND NAVY.

22. THE BURGHAL SYSTEM: SPADES V. SPEARS
USING THE EXISTING HUNDRED SYSTEM, EACH BURGH WAS PROVIDED WITH A CERTAIN AREA OF THE KINGDOM TO PROVIDE IT WITH REVENUE IN THE FORM OF TAXATION AND MANPOWER, A SYSTEM KNOWN AS ‘BURGHAL HIDAGE’.
BURGHS WERE EARTH WALLED FORTIFICATIONS BUILT A DAY’S MARCH APART FROM EACH OTHER. WHERE EXISTING FORTIFICATIONS EXISTED E.G. AT PORTCHESTER THEY WERE USED. THEY CONTAINED A MINT, AN ARMOURY AND SUFFICIENT FOOD SUPPLIES FOR THE LOCAL POPULATION TO SEEK REFUGE THERE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
TOGETHER THEY CREATED A SYSTEM OF ‘DEFENCE IN DEPTH’ SLOWING MOBILE VIKING RAIDERS AND ALLOWING TIME TO COUNTERATTACK.
ALFRED CALCULATED THAT 27,000 MEN WOULD BE NEEDED AT ANY ONE TIME TO GARRISON THEM – 25% OF FREEMEN AT ANY ONE TIME REPRESENTING 6% OF WESSEX’S POPULATION OF 450,000.

23. THE BURGHAL SYSTEM: POWER PROJECTION
IN ADDITION TO THEIR DEFENSIVE FUNCTION, ALFRED INTENDED BURGHS TO ACT AS TOOLS OF ROYAL POWER PROJECTION.
AS SUCH HE TURNED THEM INTO CENTRES OF GOVERNMENT AND TRADE.
NEW BURGHS WERE CREATED TO CEMENT THE RULE OF WESSEX OVER PREVIOUSLY ALIEN TERRITORY E.G. EASHING IN SURREY AND THUS THEY SERVED AS INSTRUMENTS OF IMPERIALISM AS WELL AS SECURITY.
UNDER EDWARD AND ATHELSTAN THE SYSTEM WOULD BE CONTINUED ALL THE WAY TO THE SCOTTISH BORDER.
THEY DEFENDED CENTRES OF GOVERNMENT (E.G. LANGPORT DEFENDED SOMERTON) AND COMMUNICATION (THE THAMES WAS PROTECTED BY NO LESS THAN FIVE).
WHERE ROADS DID NOT EXIST BETWEEN THE BURGHS, THEY WERE CONSTRUCTED – ‘HEREPATHS’.
THE BURGHAL HIDEAGE OF CIRCA 914 AD PRECISELY LINKS THE LAND TAXABLE TO THE BURGH WITH THE LENGTH OF THE WALLS TO BE MAINTAINED AND THE SIZE OF THE GARRISON NEEDED TO MAN IT – 4 MEN EVERY 5 METRES.

25. ALFRED’S BURGH’S WITH THEIR HIDEAGE
8- Winchester 2400 (CAPITAL) 27 - Wallingford Warwick 2400 * 31 - Southwark Wareham Buckingham 1600 * 5 - Chichester Cricklade Wilton Oxford 1400 * 3 - Lewes 1300
24 - Malmesbury Worcester Sashes Bath Bridport Exeter 734 (probably an error, too low) 4 - Burpham Shaftesbury Chisbury Langport Eashing 600
19 - Watchet Hastings Portchester 500 * 12 - Twynam Axbridge Pilton Eorpeburnan Halwell Southampton Lydford Lyng 100

26. BORDERS OF WESSEX DEFINED BY BURGHS ON ALFRED’S DEATH IN 899

27. REFORM OF THE FYRD
THE FYRD WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A STANDING FORCE ON THE LINES OF THE TERRITORIAL ARMY – ALL ELIGIBLE MEN WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO WITH ONE HALF PERMANENTLY ON STANDBY.
FYRDSMEN WERE ALSO REQUIRED TO FURNISH THEMSELVES WITH SIXTY DAYS OF SUPPLIES AND IF POSSIBLE HORSES.
THIS CRERATED A MOBILE STANDING ARMY ABLE TO SWIFTLY MOVE FROM ONE THREATEND AREA OF THE KINGDOM TO ANOTHER.

28. THE ROYAL NAVY
IN 897 ALFRED COMMANDED THE BUILDING OF A SMALL NAVY TO COUNTERACT CONTINUING RAIDS BY THE VIKINGS. IT WAS THE FRIST STATE NAVY IN BRITAIN SINCE THE ROMANS
BASED IN SOUTHAMPTON, IT COMPRISED APPROXIMTAELY 12 VERY LARGE SHIPS BUILT IN THE LONGSHIP STYLE.
ITS PURPOSE, AS WITH THE BURGHS, WAS TO DENY THE VIKINGS MOBILITY.
ON ITS LAUNCH IT WAS IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED IN A SUCESSFUL BATTLE IN THE SOLENT.

29. THE COST
A STANDING ARMY AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BURGH SYSTEM WAS A HUGE FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL BURDEN ON AN ALREADY DEPLETED WESSEX – A TYPICAL BURGH TOOK 120,000 MAN HOURS TO CONSTRUCT (WALLINGFORD).
TO PAY FOR THIS ALFRED HAD TO PERMANENTLY TAX THE CHURCH, KEEP A RESENTFUL NOBILITY ACQUIESCENT AND EXPAND TRADE.
THE MEASURES REQUIRED HAD THE SIDE EFFECT OF CONCENTRATING ROYAL POWER EVEN MORE THAN PREVIOUSLY.

30. FISCAL CONTROL ALFRED’S MILITARY REFORMS REQUIRED ADDITIONAL CURRENCY
TO THIS END HE EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF MINTS FROM TWO TO NINE AND REBASED THE SILVER CONTENT. HE MUST HAVE RADICALLY INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF SILVER IN CIRCULATION.
THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF REBASEMENT IS A REMAKRBALE ACHEIVEMERNT FOR AN EARLY MEDIEVAL KING INVOVLING WITHDRAWING AND REISSUING OVER TEN MILLION COINS, A TESTIMONY TO THE CENTRALISED NATURE OF ALFRED’S STATE.
ALFRED ALSO FOLWIOED THE CAROLINGIANS IN ‘MOENTARY RENNOVATION’ – REISSUING COINS WITH THE ‘PUBLIC FACE’ OF THE KING AS A MEANS OF PWOER PROJECTION. HIS COINS ARE DELIBERAETLY BASED ON ROMAN DESIGNS AND IDENTIFY HIM AS ‘KING OF THE ENGLISH’.

31. NATION BUILDING

32. THE LANGUAGE OF NATIONHOOD
ALFRED’S LANGUAGE OF KINGSHIP IS DELIBERATE, REVOLUTIONARY AND MAKES MASSIVE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT HIS POSITION.
AT WEDMORE HE NEGOTIATES WITH GUTHRUM AS KING ‘EALLES ANGELCYNNES’ ‘OF ALL THE ENGLISH NATION’, CLAIMING THAT HE AND HIS WITAN REPRESENTED THE ENTIRE ENGLISH PEOPLE, PRESUMPTIVE TO SAY THE LEAST GIVEN HE WAS ONLY KING OF WESSEX AND ENGLAND DIDN’T EVEN EXIST.
IT IS ALSO THE FIRST REFERENCE TO A NATION STATE – A PEOPLE BOUND BY SHARED CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS TO A PARTICULAR PLACE.
HE FOLLOWS THIS UP IN HIS COINAGE AND THE BOOKS HE COMMISSIONS IN ENGLISH – ASSER REPEATEDLY REFERS TO HIM BY THE SAME TITLE.
A FACADE OF REGIONAL INDEPENDENCE WAS PRESERVED – EARLDOMAN AETHELRED WAS FORMALLY RULER OF MERCIA (UNCLEAR WHETHER HE WAS EVER NAMED KING),AND BOTH HE AND HIS WIFE, ALFRED’S DAUGHTER ATHELFLEAD, GRANT CHARTERS IN THEIR OWN NAMES UP TO 918. MOREOVER WHEN LONDON IS RECAPTURED BY ALFRED IN 886 IT IS RETURNED TO MERCIA. HOWEVER THEIR TRUE INDEPENDENCE IS OPEN TO DOUBT – AUTONOMY MIGHT BE A BETTER WORD FOR THEIR POWERS.

33. KULTURKAMPF
ALFRED GENUINELY BELIEVED IN THE TRANSFORMATIVE EFFECT OF READING AND WRITING UPON HIS PEOPLE AND EQUATES AN EDUCATED SOCIETY WITH AN OBEDIENT, PROSPEROUS ONE. HE ALSO RECONGISED THAT A LITERATE CULTURE COULD BE USED FOR HIS NATION BUILDING AGENDA.
TO THIS END HE PERSONALLY TRANSLATED TREATISES ON GOVERNMENT (E.G. GREGORY’S PASTORAL CARE) INTO ENGLISH CAREFULLY SELECTED TO EMPHASISE LOYALTY TO ONE’S KING.
HE ALSO PRESIDED OVER AN EDUCATION DRIVE ; ALL HIS EARLDOMEN HAD TO BE LITERATE; AND SCHOOL WERE SET UP BY HIMSELF AND HIS SUCESSORS (INCLUDING WELLS)
CRUCIALLY THE VERNACULAR, ENGLISH, WAS TO BE USED, NOT LATIN, AGAIN A DEPARTURE FROM PREVIOUS INTELLECTUAL TRADITIONS AND A REFLECTION OF THE CENTRAL ROLE READING HAD IN ALFRED’S VISION OF ENGLAND
FINALLY HE ISSUED THREE HISTORIES THAT ESTABLISHED A SUBJECTIVE NATIONAL STORY.

34. RE-WRITING HISTORY
ALFRED HAD BEDE’S ECCLESIATICAL HISTORY TRANSLATED AND USED IT AS THE BEDROCK OF HIS NATIONAL MYTH.
HE FOLLOWED THIS UP BY COMMISSIONING THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE WHICH EDITS OUT THE MERCIAN SUPREMACY OF THE 8TH CENTURY AND PASSES AUTHORITY OVER THE ENGLISH STRAIGHT TO WESSEX VIA HIS GRANDFATHER ECHBERHT WHOM HE HAS NAMED THE EIGHT BRETWALDA.
HE FINISHES USIDNG ASSER’S LIFE OF KING ALFRED WHICH WEAVES HIMSELF AND HIS RECENT DEEDS IN HEROIC TERMS INTO THE NATIONAL STORY.
THIS WAS SUPPLEMENTED BY TRANSLATIONS OF CLASSICAL WORKS ‘MOST USEFUL FOR ALL MEN TO KNOW’, SOME OF WHICH SUCH AS BOETHIUS WERE BY ALFRED HIMSELF. HE USES THE PROLOGUES OF THESE TRANSLATIONS TO PRESENT HIS IMAGE OF AN IDEAL SOCIETY.
THE SUMMATIVE EFFECT IS TO SEE ALFRED’S RULE OVER ALL ENGLAND AS PART OF AN INEVITABLE, RIGHTEOUS AND DESIRABLE PROCESS RATHER THAN OPPORTUNISM.

35. AN ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT OF THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE (PARKER COLLECTION, CORPUS CHRISTI, CAMBRIDGE)

36. THE MYTH OF THE SAVIOUR?
EVEN BY THE STANDARDS OF THE AGE, ALFRED WAS A CONSPICIOUSLY PIOUS KING.
SUCH PIETY HAD A POLITICAL EDGE HOWEVER, HE WON TACIT SUPPORT FROM THE CHURCH FOR HIS ENGLISH PROJECT BY ENDOWING IT GENEROUSLY AND CONSISTENTLY EMPHASISING THE CHRISTIAN ORIGINS OF HIS POWER – THE PREFACES TO HIS TRANSLATIONS OF THE PSALMS BEAR WITNESS TO THIS.
THERE IS ALSO AN UNSPOKEN PARALLEL WITH CHRIST - CHRIST IS THE SAVIOUR OF ENGLISHMEN’S SOULS, ALFRED THE SAVIOUR OF THEIR BODIES AND THEIR LAND. CERTAINLY THE THEME OF SALVATION CONTINUOUSLY APPEARS IN ALFRED’S TRANSLATIONS.

37. POLITICAL UNITY
ASIDE FROM HIS QUIET ABSORPTION OF SOUTHERN MERCIA, ALFRED UNDERTOOK SEVERAL STEPS TO CEMENT HIS AUTHORITY POST OF 12 EARLDOMEN ON THE WITAN ARE PURGED AND REPLACED BY ALFRED LOYALISTS AND AT A MEETING AT LANGDENE IN THE 880S THEY AGREE TO SURRENDER THE POWER TO CHOOSE A SUCCESSOR TO HIM. IN PLEGMUND (CANTERBURY) AND ASSER (SHERBORNE) HE ALSO HAS TWO POWERFUL STATESMAN AND LOYALISTS IN THE CHURCH.
THE AGGRESSION OF RHODRI MAWR KING OF WALES HELPED HIM – IT FORCED THE PRINCES OF SOUTH WALES AND CORNWALL TO PLEDGE THEIR ALLEIGANCE TO ALFRED (IT MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN THE CAPITULATION OF MERCIA).
SUSSEX, SURREY AND KENT SEEM TO HAVE BEEN SEAMLESSLY ABSORBED INTO ALFRED’S KINGDOM – THEY FORM PART OF THE BURGH SYSTEM AND THEIR ARISTOCRACY WAS MERGED INTO THAT OF WESSEX.

38. NATIONAL CURRENCY AND LAW
ALFRED STANDARDISED THE TWO INSISTUTIONS OF STATE THAT MOST COMMONLY TOUCHED HIS SUBJECTS THROUGHOUT HIS REALM.
IN THE LATE 1890S HIS ‘DOOM BOOK’ WAS ISSUED SETTING A COMMON LAW CODE SENSTIVELY DRAWING UPON PRECEDENT FROM WESSEX, MERCIA AND KENT. IT IS PRESENTED AS A RATIONALISATION BUT IN TRUTH IT IS STANDARDISATION BUILT ON ALFRED’S NOTIONS, AS HE HIMSELF ADMITS ‘MANY OF THE LAWS THAT DISPLEASED ME I REJECTED’.
COINAGE WAS MORE GRADUAL AS MINT CAPACITY WAS LIMITED, ALTHOUGH FOLLOWING ITS RECAPTURE IN 886 THE FORMER MERCIAN MINT OF LONDON STARTS TO PRODUCE COINS WITH ALFRED’S HEAD ON THEM. MOREOVER THE SUPERIOR SILVER CONTENT OF WESSEX STYLE COINAGE CAUSED IT TO PROGRESSIVELY EDGE OUT OTHER PENNIES OVER TIME AS THE TRADING DENOMINATION OF CHOICE.

39. ENGLAND BY 899 – AN EARLY NATION STATE
ALFRED’S KULTURKAMPF ENSURED THAT HIS EXPANSION OF WESSEX INTO THE HEPTARHIC POWER VACUUM WAS NOT OVERLORDSHIP BUT THE CREATION OF A NEW, VIGOROUS POLITICAL ENTITY.
THIS ENTITY WAS NOT SIMPLY AN EMPIRE SINCE ALFRED’S COMBINATION OF STRENGHTENED ROYAL AUTHORITY, NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF A CULTURE THAT SPECIFICALLY ROOTED THE ANGELSC TO THE LAND PRODUCED ONE OF THE FIRST NATION STATES: AENGLA LAND.
IT WAS AN IDEA AS MUCH AS AN ENTITY AND AS SUCH WAS CAPABLE OF EXPANSION, THUS IT SURVIVED ALFRED’S DEATH AND WAS ROOTED IN ITS FINAL GEOGRAPHICAL FORM BY HIS SON AND GRANDSON.
IT PROVED AN IMMENSELY RESILINET CONCEPT – IN THE 200 YEARS AFTER ALFRED’S DEATH AENGLA LAND WOULD BE CONQUERED TWICE, BY THE DANES IN 1017 AND THE NORMANS IN 1066 BUT NEITHER DISRUPTED THE SENSE OF IDENTITY THAT ALFRED HAD FORGED, ON THE CONTRARY THEY MADE USE OF IT THEMSELVES.
THE CHANGING LANGUAGE OF KINGSHIP – THE PENNY ON THE LEFT MINTED IN LONDON IS INSCRIBED ‘KING ALFRED’, THE ONE ON THE RIGHT ‘KING OF THE SAXONS’

40. ALFRED’S FINAL YEARS 885-99 ENGLAND’S DEFENCES TESTED

41. VIKING CONTEXT
ALFRED’S VICTORIES BROKE THE MOMENTUM OF VIKING CONQUEST, GUTHRUM BECAME A PEACEFUL NEIGHBOUR WHILST RAIDS SHIFTED TO CONTINENTAL EUROPE.
HOWEVER AFTER THE SIEGE OF PARIS IN 888 THE VIKINGS WERE REPELLED BY A NEW VIGOROUS DYNASTY OF CAPETIANS WHO REPLACED THE CAROLINGIANS.
THEREFORE IN 892 A COALITION VIKING ARMY UNDER HAESTEN, GUTHRUM’S BELLICOSE SUCCESSOR AND HARALD BLOODHAIR, SURVIVOR OF THE SIEGE OF PARIS, ATTACKED KENT. THEY WERE USPPORTED BY A RAID FROM GUTHFRITH, KING OF YORK.

42. ALFRED’S ACTIVITIES TO 892
ALFRED ONLY HAD TO DEAL WITH MINOR RAIDS IN THIS PERIOD, THE LARGEST ONE IN 885 INVOLVED AN ATTACK ON THE BURGH OF ROCHESTER DEMOSNTRATING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE SYSTEM.
IN 883 HE RECIEVED A FRAGMENT OF THE TRUE CROSS FROM POPE MARINUS IN EFFECT RECOGNISING HIS CLAIM TO BE KING OF ENGLAND.
HE PURSUED AN ACTIVE DEFENCE WITH HIS NEW NAVY DURING THIS PERIOD – RAVAGING REBEL VIKING SUPPLY BASES ON THE EAST COAST.
IN 886 HE STORMED RUINED ROMAN LONDON AND RE-ESTABLISHED IT AS A LARGE BURGH. WITH WESTMINSTER AND SOUTHWARK IT FORMED A TRIPLE DEFENCE OF THE THAMES.

43. HAESTEN’S INVASION
THE DEATH OF GUTHRUM IN 890 ENABLED HAESTEN TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF IN EAST ANGLIA. FROM HERE HE PURSUED A CYNICAL STRATGEY, ARRANGING FOR THE BAPTISM OF HIS TWO SONS WITH ALFRED AND ASTHELRED AS THEIR GODFATHERS WHILST AT THE SAME TIME NEGOTIATING WITH GUTHFRITH OF NORTHUMBRIA FOR A JOINT INVASION OF ENGLAND.
IN 892 ENGLAND WAS SUBJECTED TO A THREE PRONGED INVASION – THE NORTHUMBRIAN VIKINGS ATTACKED EXETER, HAESTEN HIMSELF LED AN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON LONDON WHILST BLOODHAIR LED A RAID ON SURREY.

44. ALFRED’S RESPONSE
ALFRED’S NATIONAL DEFENCE SYSTEM WORKED EXTREMELY WELL.
THE ASSAUALT ON LONDON WAS STOPPED BY MEANS OF BLOCKING BOOMS AND AMBUSH ON THE RIVER LEA.
BLOODHAIR WAS INTERCEPTED AND KILLED WITH MUCH OF HIS ARMY AT THE BATTLE OF FARNHAM BY ALFRED’S MOBILE ARMY UNDER THE AETHLING EDWARD
THE BURGHS OF WESTERN ENGLAND DELAYED GUFRITH’S ASSUALT ON EXETER UNTIL ALFRED’S ARMY COULD CONFRONT THEM.
THE VIKINGS RETREATED NORTHWEST UNTIL THEY WERE TRAPPED BY THE COMBINED AMRIES OF WESSEX AND MERCIA – GUTHFRITH AT BRIDGNORTH AND HAESTEN AT CHESTER. THE FORMER SURRENDERED IN 896 AND WAS ALLOWED TO RETURN TO NORTHUMBRIA, THE LATTER SAILED BACK TO ESSEX WHERE HE HAD HIS POWER BASE.
EDWARD COMPLETED ALFRED’S VICTORY IN 894 BY CAPTURING THE VIKING’S FORWARD OPERATING BASE ON THE THAMES AT BENFLEET THEREBY DENYING THEM A SPRINGBOARD FOR FUTURE INVASIONS.

45. ALFRED’S THIRD VIKING WAR 892-896
Haesten’s attack down the River Lea towards London is defeated by booms that stop his ships which he has to abandon (892).
Eric Bloodhair is intercepted and killed at the Battle of Farnham by the Army of Wessex (892).
Guthfrith’s siege of Exeter is relieved by the Army of Wessex who pursue him northwards (893).
Guthfrith is trapped by the combined forces of Wessex and Mercia at Brignorth and forced to surrender in 896.
Haesten unsuccessfully seizes Chester as a forward operating base before being ejected from Mercia.
Viking base at Benfleet captured by Aethling Edward in 894.
BOUNDARY OF THE DANELAW
WELSH KINGDOMS
VIKING KINGDOM OF EAST ANGLIA 1 6
ALFRED’S ENGLISH KINGDOM 2 3
ALFRED’S THIRD VIKING WAR

46. PEACE
AFTER THE TAKING OF BENFLEET THE VIKINGS LEFT ENGLAND FOR A GENERATION.
ALFRED SEMI-RETIRED LEAVING GOVERNMENT TO HIS CHILDREN – AETHLING EDWARD HAD CHARGE OF WESSEX WHILST HIS DAUGHTER ATHELFLEAD AND HER HUSBAND ATHELRED CONTROLLED MERCIA.
HE SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME A SYMBOLIC, MANDELA-EQSUE ‘FATHER OF THE NATION’ FIGURE AND DEVOTED HIS LAST YEARS TO WRITING AND CORRESPONDING WITH OTHER RULERS AS FAR AWAY AS BAGHDAD.

47. DEATH
ALFRED HAD CAUSE TO BE SATISFIED WITH HIS POLITICAL LEGACY – HE LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE BOTH HIS SON EDWARD AND GRANDSON ATHELSTAN DEVELOP INTO FINE AETHLINGS
HE DIED IN 899 PROBABLY OF THE DIGESTIVE DIESEASE THAT HAD PLAGUED HIS WHOLE LIFE.
ALFRED’S EXISTANT WILL IS TESTAMENT TO THE WEALTH HE HAD BROUGHT TO ENGLAND – HE LEFT £200 FOR MASSES FOR HIS SOUL AND HIS FATHERS AND HE HAD A NEW MINSTER BUILT SPECIFICALLY AT WINCHESTER FOR HIS BODY.
EDWARD’S SUCESSION WAS PEACEFUL AND INITIALLY UNOPPOSED ALTHOUGH HE DID HAVE TO QUELL A VIKING BACKED BID BY HIS COUSIN ATHELWOLD THAT ENDED IN THE LATTER’S DEATH IN BATTLE IN 902. HENCEFORWARD THE PRCEDENT ESTABLISHED BY ALFRED THAT THE KING SHOULD NAME HIS SUCCESSOR ENDURED.

48. THE VICTORIAN STATUE AND INSCRIPTION OF ALFRED IN HIS BIRTHPLACE OF WANTAGE, BERKSHIRE – THEY HAD A VERY DEFINATE IDEA ABOUT HIS PLACE IN ENGLISH HISTORY