The Making of a Saxon King

In the turbulent 9th century, when Viking raids threatened to erase Anglo-Saxon England from history, one remarkable ruler emerged from the marshes of Wessex to change the course of British history forever. Alfred, born in 849 as the youngest son of King Æthelwulf, would become the only English monarch to earn the epithet “the Great” – a title that speaks volumes about his enduring legacy.

The England Alfred inherited was a fractured land, divided into competing kingdoms and constantly under threat from Scandinavian invaders. His grandfather Ecgberht had first established West Saxon dominance, but by Alfred’s childhood, the Viking Great Heathen Army had conquered Northumbria, East Anglia, and most of Mercia. The survival of Anglo-Saxon culture itself hung in the balance when the young prince unexpectedly found himself inheriting the throne in 871 after the deaths of his four older brothers.

Warrior, Scholar, Lawgiver

Alfred’s reign (871-899) represents one of the most remarkable transformations in medieval history. His military genius shone early when, as a 21-year-old prince, he helped defeat the Vikings at Ashdown. After a devastating surprise attack forced him into hiding in the Somerset marshes, Alfred regrouped his forces and delivered a crushing blow to Guthrum’s army at Edington in 878. This victory led to the Treaty of Wedmore, which established the Danelaw while preserving Wessex as an Anglo-Saxon kingdom.

But Alfred’s greatness extended far beyond the battlefield. He established a system of fortified towns (burhs) that became the foundation of England’s first national defense system. Recognizing the importance of literacy and learning, he personally translated Latin works into Old English and established a court school. His law code, blending Christian morality with practical governance, laid the groundwork for England’s common law tradition.

The Cultural Renaissance of Wessex

Alfred’s cultural impact was profound. He gathered scholars from across Europe to his court, including the Welsh bishop Asser who would write his famous biography. The king himself translated works like Pope Gregory’s Pastoral Care, Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy, and Augustine’s Soliloquies, making them accessible to his people in their own language.

Perhaps most significantly, Alfred initiated the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, creating the first continuous national history in vernacular European language. This remarkable document, maintained by monks across England, provides our primary window into early English history. Under Alfred’s patronage, Wessex became a center of learning and artistic achievement during what might otherwise have been England’s cultural Dark Age.

The Disputed Succession and Lost Bones

Alfred’s determination to establish male succession created dynastic tensions that would echo through English history. His wish to pass the crown to “the man with the spear, not the spindle” was fulfilled, but by 1126 his last male descendant, Edgar the Ætheling (who as a child in 1066 couldn’t oppose William the Conqueror), had died without issue.

The physical remains of England’s greatest early king have become one of history’s tantalizing mysteries. Originally buried in Winchester’s Old Minster, his bones were moved to Hyde Abbey by Henry I in the 12th century. When the abbey was destroyed during the Reformation, the site became a prison, scattering the royal remains. Recent archaeological investigations at St. Bartholomew’s Church on the abbey grounds have uncovered bones that may belong to Alfred or his family, but without direct descendants for DNA comparison, definitive identification remains impossible.

The Evolution of a Legend

Alfred’s reputation grew exponentially after his death, particularly during the Tudor period when Archbishop Matthew Parker rediscovered and published Asser’s biography in 1574 (though the original manuscript burned in the 1731 Ashburnham House fire along with priceless Anglo-Saxon texts like Beowulf). By the 18th century, Alfred had become a national icon – the subject of Thomas Arne’s patriotic opera (which included “Rule, Britannia!”) and a symbol of British liberty during the American Revolution.

The Victorians elevated Alfred to near-mythic status, celebrating his millennial anniversary (though mistakenly in 1901 instead of 899) with a Winchester statue and British Museum exhibition. To an empire-building Britain, Alfred represented the ideal Englishman – brave, learned, and just. As Wordsworth wrote, he became “England’s darling,” a contrast to the flawed Hanoverian kings of the Romantic era.

The Enduring Legacy

Beyond the folkloric tales of burnt cakes (likely a Victorian invention), Alfred’s true legacy shaped the modern world. His vision of a united England under law, his blending of Christian and Germanic traditions, and his commitment to education created foundations that would influence parliamentary democracy and common law systems across the globe.

The administrative systems he established helped England survive subsequent Viking invasions and Norman conquest. His emphasis on vernacular literacy preserved Anglo-Saxon culture while making classical learning accessible. Perhaps most remarkably, the kingdom he fortified and the identity he nurtured became the England we know today – making Alfred truly worthy of his singular title in British history.

As archaeological searches for his remains continue, Alfred’s greatest monument remains the English-speaking world itself – a testament to the king who saved a civilization and set it on the path to global influence. From the jury system to the very concept of Englishness, we still live in the world Alfred helped create over a millennium ago.