| Event type: | Meeting |
| Date: | 20th March 2025 |
| Time: | 2:40 pm |
| Venue: | Kenilworth Methodist Church |
| Organiser: | |
| Cost: | Entry is free to u3a members. Non-members are welcome for a nominal charge of £1 |
Speaker: Max Keen
Alfred the Great (c. 849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899.
How much did Alfred owe his 'Greatness' to lads luck?
In full costume Max will attempt to answer this and other questions, complete with chain mail, helmet, spear, shield, sword and the most fearsome double handed axe!!
A Review - Paul Weller
Max arrived for his talk duly clad as Alfred the Great complete with chain mail, helmet, a double-edged Viking sword, spear and a ferocious looking double handed axe.
Everyone knows Alfred for his lack of culinary skills, you may recall he was left to look after the flat breads by a peasant’s wife who did not recognise him. Alfred’s mind wandered off to higher pursuits and the bread turned to charcoal. But he subsequently achieved much – he greatly encouraged education, he initiated primary education in English rather than Latin, he improved the legal system and military structure and people’s general quality of life. But his greatest achievements were defeating the Vikings and achieving a unified England. Not bad for a failed chef!!
Alfred was born in 849 to King Ethelwulf and his first wife Osburh. At the age of four he was sent to Rome to prepare him for religious training. He was the younger of six children, three of them elder brothers so it was thought unlikely he would be king. This fairly short visit had a great bearing on the young Alfred, he revelled in Rome’s advanced lifestyle – the buildings, education, etc. However, the three elder brothers reigned in turn before him and eventually it was Alfred’s turn.
After ascending the throne, Alfred spent several years fighting Viking invasions. He won a decisive victory in the Battle of Edington in 878 and made an agreement with the Vikings, dividing England between Anglo-Saxon territory and the Viking ruled Danelaw, composed of Scandinavian York, the north-Midlands and East Anglia. Alfred also oversaw the conversion of the Viking King Guthrum to Christianity. Alfred defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest, becoming the dominant ruler in England. He began styling himself as ‘King of the Anglo-Saxons’ after reoccupying London from the Vikings. Details of Alfred’s life is chronicled by a 9th century Welsh scholar and bishop – Asser. Most of Asser’s work praises Alfred and it is considered that Alfred probably chronicled much of the history himself !!
The foundation of Alfred’s new military defence system was a network of burhs, distributed at tactical points throughout the kingdom. There were thirty-three burhs, about 30km apart, enabling the military to confront attacks anywhere in in the kingdom within days.
Alfred had a reputation as a learned and merciful man of a gracious and level-headed nature who wished to improve the life of his subjects. He was given the epithet ‘the Great’ from as early as the 13th century, though it was only popularised from the 16th century. Alfred is the only native-born English monarch to be labelled as such.
A great historical story told in a very unique style by Max.