King Alfred the Great

        Alfred the Great, considered as the first king of England, reigned from 871-901. He was just 22 when he first took the crown. At the age of four, Alfred’s father, King Aethelwulf, sent him to study with Pope Leo IV. But it was not until after he became king that Alfred learned to read and write. Alfred was presumably taught to read and write by Asser, whom he had called to serve in his court.
        Asser taught Alfred to read and write by copying passages of the bible for him to translate into English. During his reign as king, Alfred was able to translate several works from Latin to English on his own, including Pope Gregory the Great's Pastoral Care, Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy and St. Augustine's Soliloquies.
        With his gained ability to read and write, Alfred began to demand the same qualities from the nobles of his lands. In his own writings, Asser quoted him as saying that his nobles had to “either to relinquish immediately [their] offices of worldly power . . . or else to apply [them]selves much more attentively to the pursuit of wisdom.”
        It has been said the teaching reforms of King Alfred the Great are the basis of the Anglo-Saxon prose and poetry that we have to study today. These Reforms started around the year 890 A.D. King Alfred began to devote more attention to expanding education throughout his kingdom. He ordered the translation of many texts, most of them originally written in Latin, into Anglo-Saxon. Alfred himself translated many of the texts himself in part. These included:
  • Dialogues of St. Gregory: These dialogues between St. Gregory and his disciple Peter were primarily stories describing the lives and miracles of Italian saints, as well as the rewards of good behavior and the punishments of bad behavior.
  • Pastoral Care: The professional handbook for bishops. Describes the ideal life and actions that bishops should aspire to along with methods for handling his flock of churchgoers.
  • Seven Books of Histories Against the Pagans: Chronicles the history of the world from its creation to 407 A.D. and studies the concepts of geography.
  • The Consolations of Philosophy: Written around 500 A.D. by the Spanish philosopher Boethius, it provided the only real record of Greek philosophy, including Aristotle, and its links to the dark ages.
  • Soliloquies: Written by St. Augustine in 387 A.D. and contained his writings on wisdom of life and God.
  • Bede’s Ecclesiastical History: Contains many stories of England’s conversion from paganism. Provides a very thorough history dating back to the times of Julius Caesar.
        As a result of these translations in addition to many other stories, proverbs, and poems, that Alfred and his scholars translated, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was born. This manuscript contained the entire known history of England from its beginnings down to King Alfred’s own day. It contained much of the stories, poems, and culture traditions of England, and the King commissioned its continued reproduction and distribution among his lords. So dedicated to the work where Alfred’s scholars, that the Chronicle was regularly maintained and updated for up 250 years after the King’s death. All of this work was the beginning of England’s scholarly traditions and English literature itself.
         King Alfred had five surviving kids. Ethelfled, Edward, Ethelgiva, Ethelswitha, Ethelwerd, and a few which died during infancy. Many records of King Alfred were recorded in his biography by Asser the Bishop of Sherborne. He was King Alfred’s personal advisor. The most noted of King Alfred by Asser was his dedication to God. He would sing psalms and pray both day and night. He prayed at church in the evening in secrecy. King Alfred thanked God for his love for wisdom and felt God was the reason that King Alfred was so found of learning new things.
         He was so eager to learn he sent away for people to enlighten him. Werefrith, a bishop of the Church of Worcester, was known for his knowledge on scripture. Plegmund, a Mercian by birth, and arch bishop of the Church of Cantebury along with Ethelstan and Werewulf both priests, assisted King Alfred in learning the words of the scripture. King Alfred sent away for Grimbald and John in a place called Gaul overseas. They were both monks, priests, and contributed to his learning.

 
Bibliography:
1.  Kirk Appletoft, <http://parallel.park.uga.edu/~abruce/mathi2.html#alfred>.
2.  Wantage, Oxfordshire’s towns, <http://www.oxlink.co.uk/wantage/index.html>
3.  Helm, P.J. Alfred the Great Barnes & Noble, HaperCollins: New York 1963.
4.  <hhtp://sunsite.berkely.edu/OMACL/KingAlfred/>

(Submitted by Jon, Courtney, and Adam)