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King Alfred the Great Facts and Legends

King Alfred the Great Facts and Legends. Wintersemester 2010/11 15/02/2011 Proseminar: Sprache und Kultur der Angelsachsen Dozentin: Ulrike Krischke Referentinnen: Julia Reich, Lina Rohde. Outline. The life of King Alfred the Great Life Reign Did King Alfred write anything?

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King Alfred the Great Facts and Legends

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  1. King Alfred the GreatFacts and Legends Wintersemester 2010/11 15/02/2011 Proseminar: Sprache und Kultur der Angelsachsen Dozentin: Ulrike Krischke Referentinnen: Julia Reich, Lina Rohde

  2. Outline • The life of King Alfred the Great • Life • Reign • Did King Alfred write anything? • Writings • Reason • Facts • Outlook

  3. Life • 849 Birth at Wantage, in Berkshire

  4. Life • 853 Ælfred was sent to Rome • 855 Father took him on a trip to Rome again • 865 Æþelred succeeded on hisbrothers  Ælfredbecame a seasonedwarrior 865 “Great Heathen Army” arrived in East Anglia • 868 Ælfred’s marriage to Ealswiþ • 871 Ælfred lead troops against the Vikings • in the Battle of Ashdown • 871 Death of Æþelred

  5. Reign • 871 Ælfred became King of Wessex 871 Battle at Wilton 871 - 878 Further Invasions • 878 Surprise attack on Ælfred • 878 Battle of Edington

  6. Reign • 878 Treaty of Wedmore: • England is divided •  Period of peace • 899 Ælfred died

  7. Reign Achievements • System of defensive forts • Permanent forces in reserve • Improved ships • New military tactics • Aggressive policy towards Vikings • Offering of overlordship& protection  “King of all the English”

  8. Writings “Did Alfred write anything?” (Godden, M. 2005)

  9. Writings • Regula pastoralisby Gregory the Great • De consolationephilosophiaeby Boethius • Soliloquiaby St. Augustine • First fifty Psalms • (Alfred‘slawcodeandhis will)

  10. Reason ’Ūreieldran, ðāðeðāsstōwaærhīoldon, hīelufodonwīsdōm, ondðurthðonehīebegēatonwelanondūslæfdon. Hērmonmæggīetgesīonhioraswæð, acwēhim ne cunnonæfterspyrigean. Ondforðæmwēhabbaðnūægðerforlætengeðonewelangeðonewīsdōm, forðæmðewēnoldontōðæmsporemidūremōdeonlūtan.‘ (King Alfred to BishopWaerferth. 890) “Our forefathers who before us held these places, loved wisdom, and through it they obtained wisdom, and left it to us. Here may we still see their footprints, but we cannot follow them up and therefore have we lost both wealth and wisdom, since we would not incline our hearts to their example.” (Morning,A. Steele,R.1900. p. 2)

  11. Reason • Forðýmēðyncðbetre, gifīowswæðyncð, ðætwēēacsumebēc, ðāðenīedeðearfostasīeneallummonnumtōwiotonne, ðætwēðā on ðætgeðīode wenden ðewēeallegecnāwanmægen, ondgedōn, swæwēswīðeēaðemagonmidGodesfultume, gifwēðāstilnessehabbað, ðætteeallsīogioguððenūis on Angelcynnefrīoramonna, ðāraðeðāspēdahæbbenðæthīeðæmbefēolanmægen, sīentōliornungaoðfæste, ðāhwīleðehīetōnānreōðerrenote ne mægen, oððonefirstðehīewelcunnenEngliscgewritārædan. Læremonsiððanfurður on Lædengeðīodeðāðemonfurðorlæranwilleondtōhīerranhādedōnwille. • (King Alfred to BishopWaerferth. 890)

  12. Reason • “[…] it seems well to me, if ye think so, for us also to translate the books most needful for all men to know into the speech which all men know, and, as we are well able if we have peace, to make all the youth in England of free men rich enough to devote themselves to it, to learn while they are unfit for other occupation till they are well able to read English writing: and let those be afterwards taught Latin who are to continue learning and be promoted to higher rank.“ • (Morning,A. Steele,R.1900. p. 4)

  13. Facts • written in Alfred’s name and voice •  BUT it was quite common during that time to write • in other people’s name • in all four books there is either a preface or an epilogue • which point to Alfred as the author • “[…] the four books […] share a consistent • vocabulary and syntax” (Busse, W. in Godden. 2001. )

  14. Facts • Asser did not mention the king translating these texts • in the biography • Alfred did not learn Latin until he was 39(!) years old •  the nature of the texts almost requires a good • knowledge of Latin

  15. Outlook • Alfred Jewel • Found in 1693 • Old English inscription: • “Alfred ordered me to be made” • sent to every diocese in Alfred’s • kingdom with his translation of • Regulapastoralis

  16. Bibliography • Bately, J. 2003. “ The Alfredian Canon Revisited”. Alfred the Great Papers from the Eleventh Centebery Conference. Ed. T. Reuter. Aldershot: VT. 107-20 • Frantzen, Allen J. 1986. King Alfred. Boston: Twayne Publishers. • Godden, Malcolm. 2007. “Did King Alfred write anything”. Medium Aevum 76, 1-23 • Keynes, Simon. 1984. Alfred the Great: Asser’s Life of King Alfred the Great and Other Contemporary Sources. New York: Penguin • Lapidge, Michael. 2008. The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford: Blackwell • Steel Robert & Morning Alexander. 1900. Kings’ Letters form the Days of Alfred to the Coming of the Tutors. London: The De La More Press, 1-4

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