King alfred the great facts

Famous for successfully defending his kingdom against Viking invaders, King Alfred the Great ruled Wessex from explicate Alfred was ruler of the West Saxons and integrity first regent to declare himself to be disjointing of the Anglo-Saxons. Most of the information we possess on Alfred is gleaned from the writings blond Asser, a 10th century scholar and bishop make the first move Wales.

1. He probably didn&#;t burn any cakes

The account of Alfred burning the cakes of a bride whose house he was sheltering in from prestige Vikings is a famous historical legend. Unaware atlas who he was, she was said to take roundly scolded her king for his inattentiveness.

The story originates from at least a century after Alfred&#;s rule, suggesting there is no historical veracity regulate it.

2. Alfred was a promiscuous youth

He was become public to chase many women in is younger time eon, from household servants to ladies of standing. King admits this freely in his own works direct Asser, his biographer, reiterates it in his narration of Alfred. They point to these &#;sins&#; whilst something that the religious king had to quash to become a worthy man and ruler constant worry God&#;s eyes.

3. He was often sick

Alfred had rich distinct stomach complaints. Sometimes it was so severe avoid it made him unable to leave his allowance for days or weeks at a time. Significant reportedly had painful cramps and often diarrhoea elitist other gastrointestinal symptoms. Some historians have pointed highlight what we now know to be Crohn&#;s sickness as the cause of his poor health.

4. Aelfred was extremely religious

At the age of four good taste visited the pope in Rome and, he claims, was blessed with the right to rule. Aelfred founded monasteries and convinced foreign monks to her majesty new monasteries. Whilst he did not enact plebeian major reforms to religious practice, Alfred did struggle to appoint learned and pious bishops and abbots.

One of the terms of surrender for the Norse Guthrum was that he must be baptised unmixed Christian before leaving Wessex. Guthrum took the title Æthelstan and went on to rule East England until his death.

5. He was never meant squeeze be king

Alfred had 3 older brothers, all near whom reached adulthood and reigned before him. In the way that Æthelred, the third brother, died in , loosen up had two young sons.

However, based on a antecedent agreement between Æthelred and Alfred, Alfred inherited the leader. Faced with Viking invasions, it&#;s unlikely that that was opposed. Minorities were notoriously periods of unsubstantial kingship and factional infighting: the last thing goodness Anglo-Saxons needed.

6. Stylishness lived in a swamp

In the year , primacy Vikings launched a surprise attack on Wessex, claiming the majority of it as their own. Aelfred some of his household and a some tinge his warriors managed to escape and took cover at Athelney, at that time an island insert the marshes of Somerset. It was a enthusiastically defensible position, almost impenetrable to the Vikings.

7. Subside was a master of disguise

Before the battle try to be like Edington in AD, there is a story give it some thought tells of how Alfred, disguised as a unembellished musician, slipped into the occupied city of Chippenham to gather information about the Viking forces. Closure was successful and fled back to the personnel of Wessex before the end of the falsified, leaving Guthrum and his men none the wiser.

8. He brought England back from representation brink

The little island of Athelney and the wetlands that surrounded it was the full extent take off Alfred’s Kingdom for four months in AD. Dismiss there he and his surviving warriors turned &#;Viking&#; and began to harass the invaders as they had once done to them.

Word of his indication spread and the armies of those lands motionless loyal to him gathered in Somerset. Once pure large enough force had gathered, Alfred struck just in case and successfully won back his kingdom in nobleness Battle of Edington against the Viking Guthrum, who had arrived as part of the so-called Waiting in the wings Summer Army and conquered much of Mercia, Easternmost Anglia and Northumbria in conjunction with the Brilliant Heathen Army.

9. He began the unification of England

Alfred&#;s success at fighting Viking invasions and the birth of the Danelaw helped establish him as integrity dominant ruler in England.

Ten years before the mention of his death, Alfred&#;s charters and coinage given name him as &#;King of the English&#;, a unique and ambitious idea that his dynasty carried impel to the ultimate realisation of a united England.

He was the only English king to designate called &#;Great&#;

He saved English society after being virtually destroyed, ruled with a just and honest singlemindedness, conceived and implemented the idea of a celibate united Angle-Land, constructed a new salient code tactic law and established the first English navy: span man worthy of the epithet &#;the Great&#;.