Read The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great Online

Authors: Benjamin R. Merkle

Tags: #ebook, #book

The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great (32 page)

————. “The Alfredian Canon Revisited,” in
Alfred the Great: Papers from the Eleventh Centenary Conference
, ed. Timothy Reuter. Ashgate: Burlington, 2003.

————. “The Literary Prose of King Alfred’s Reign: Translation or Transformation?”
Old English Newsletter Subsidia
vol.10, 1984.

Whitelock, Dorothy. “The Prose of Alfred’s Reign,”
Continuations
and Beginnings
, Thomas Nelson and Sons: London, 1966.

For understanding the import of Alfred’s writings, the work of Dorothy Whitelock and Janet Bately are invaluable.

REFORMS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE

 

Fortifications in Wessex c. 800-1066
, Ryan Lavelle, Osprey: Oxford, 2003.

Alfred’s Kingdom: Wessex and the South, 800-1500
, David Hinton, Dent and sons: London, 1977.

Alfred’s contribution to the infrastructure of England is nicely illustrated in these two volumes.

MUSEUMS

 

Sutton Hoo exhibit at the British Museum in London

Anglo-Saxon treasures of the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford (especially the Alfred Jewel)

Winchester museum in Alfred’s capital city

No real study of Alfred the Great or Anglo-Saxon England is complete without a firsthand encounter with the beautiful artefacts of early medieval England. I highly recommend these museums.

Index

Abingdon, abbey of,

,

Ælfric,
Catholic Homilies
,

Ælfthryth,

Ælle, king of Northumbria,

civil war with Osberht,

,



ritual sacrifice by Halfdan,

,

“Æthel”, meaning,

n

Æthelbald,

n
,

attempt at throne takeover,

,

death,

Judith, as wife,

Æthelberht,

n
,

on throne,



Æthelflæd

political power,



,

as wife of Æthelred (ealdorman),

Æthelgifu,

Æthelhelm (ealdorman of Wiltshire),

Æthelnoth (ealdorman of Somerset),



,

Æthelred,

n
,

,

Alcuin’s letter to,



attack at Ashdown,



claim to throne,

death,

difficulty maintaining army,



funeral,

as king,

in Nottingham,

prayers before battle,

wounded in battle,



Æthelred (ealdorman),



,

,

,



Æthelflæd as wife,

as sponsor for Hastein’s son,



Æthelred II, danegeld payment by,

Æthelstan (brother of Alfred),

n
death,

as victor of Brunanburh,

Æthelstan (formerly Guthrum),

actions of noblemen under,

army camp,

arrival of new Vikings,



at baptismal feast,

at Chippenham after baptism,

conversion to Christianity, cynical interpretation,



death,

,

East Anglia rule,

final settlement between Alfred and,

refusal of Viking invitation,



Æthelstan (king, grandson of Alfred),

,

expansion of kingdom,

Æthelswith,

n
,

marriage to king of Mercia,

,

,

Æthelweard (Alfred’s son),

Æthelwulf (ealdorman),



death,

report of victory to Æthelred,

Æthelwulf (king of Wessex AD 839– 858

and Alfred’s pilgrimage to Rome,

children,

death,

focus on mortality,

Judith as new wife,



pilgrimage to Rome,



responsibility for
Schola Saxonum
,

return to Wessex,

Aidan (bishop),



Alcuin,

,

,

Alfred Jewel,



Alfred the Great (king of Wessex),

at Bratton Camp,



claim to throne,

command to form shieldwall at Ashdown,



danegeld payment by,



difficulty maintaining army,



disguised as juggler,



efforts after Ashdown,

final settlement between Æthelstan and,

first combat,



gift-giving,

guerrilla warfare resistance by,

as Guthrum target,

as Guthrum’s godfather,

,

in hiding,



interest in sea exploration,

as king,

as king over Mercia,



knowledge of Viking raids,

leadership at Ashdown,

legends,






meeting with Hastein,



in Nottingham,

partnership with Count of Flanders,

plans in Ashdown battle,



response to Guthrum surrender,



retreat from Chippenham,

and siege of Nottingham,

treatment of Hastein’s family,



Viking deal to end Wessex occupation,



Wessex noblemen betrayal,

Alfred the Great (king of Wessex) personal life,



birth and childhood,



on buildings in Rome,

children,

,

,



death,

devotion to God,

education,

,



entertainments,

marriage,



perseverance,

pilgrimage from Wessex to Rome,



travel with father to Rome,

and white horse,

will,

Alfred the Great (king of Wessex) personal views

belief about baptism,



,



forgiveness by,

Alfred the Great (king of Wessex) reforms,



,



.
See also
domboc (law code)

defenses for cities,



,



,

interest in book learning,



Latin translations into Anglo-Saxon,

military innovations,



planning road and public places inside walls,



professional soldiers,



for Saxon currency,

schools,

,

,–

shire fyrds mobilization problems,

troop calculation method,



All Saints’ Day, Viking attack on York,

,

Aller (village),



Anastasius,

Andred (forest),

Angles, English Channel crossing by,

n

Anglo-Saxon army.
See also
thegns

Alfred’s reform considerations,



attack on York,

awkwardness of structure,

loyalties of national fyrd,



need to press Viking retreat,

Anglo-Saxon boats, Alfred’s design,

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
,

,

Anglo-Saxon church, golden age, decline,



Anglo-Saxon feasting after baptism,



Anglo-Saxon language, Latin translation to,

,



Anglo-Saxon poetry,



n
Alfred and,

Anglo-Saxon society

ideals of,



outcasts of,

Anglo-Saxon tribes, missionaries from Rome to Christianize,

Anglo-Saxons ability of average

ability of average to read Latin,

baptism ceremony,



as Christians,

efforts to restore Christian learning,



faith of,

golden age of culture,

literacy revival,



Anwend,

Appledore,

archery,

armor,



spears vs.,

Arthur (king),

and white horse,

245 Ashburg,

Ashdown, battle of,

,

,



Æthelred’s army arrival,



Alfred and Æthelred’s plans,



Alfred and shieldwall formation,



conflicts prior to,



cost of,



location,



Viking army positions,



,

Asser (Alfred’s biographer),

,

,

,

,

on Alfred’s devotion to God,

on thorn tree,

Assyrians, settlements,

Athelney,

,




Æthelflæd in,



monastery,

Augustine,
Soliloquies
,

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