King Alfred 871-886 (19)

1. Why did Alfred hide in Somerset?

He was on the run from invading Danes

2 How did he learn the plans of the Danes?

He disguised himself as  aminstrel in order to get near to them. The Danes loved music.

3 What great things did King Alfred do?

Alfred did many great things including

• Decisively defeating the Danes at Edington (878).
• He created a Standing Army. He reorganised the fyrd (militia) into a rotating system, ensuring part of the army was always ready to fight while the other half managed farms.
• He built a network of Burhs. He constructed a system of 33 fortified, garrisoned towns (burhs) throughout Wessex, ensuring no part of the kingdom was more than 20 miles from safety.
• He established the "Navy". He commissioned the building of new, faster, larger ships to combat Viking raiders at sea, laying the foundation for a permanent English navy.
• He reclaimed London (886): He reoccupied and restored it, establishing it as a crucial strategic hub against the Vikings.
• He promoted literacy. He insisted that all free-born men of adequate means learn to read English, encouraging a revival of education.
• He translated Latin Texts. He personally translated or commissioned the translation of important Latin books into Old English, including Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy and St. Augustine’s Soliloquies.
• He established a Court School. He set up a school at his court to educate his own children, as well as the children of nobles and commoners.
• He commissioned the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. He initiated this monumental historical record, which began the tracking of English history in the vernacular.
• He codified a Law Code (The Doom Book). He compiled a new code of laws, blending existing Anglo-Saxon traditions with Mosaic law and Christian ethics, aimed at providing fair justice.
• He reformed the coinage. He stabilised the economy by reforming the currency, ensuring high-purity silver, which allowed for better trade.
• He promoted unity. While not king of all England, he styled himself "King of the Anglo-Saxons" after taking London, fostering a common identity that led to the unification of England under his descendants.
• He invented or adopted candle clocks to manage his time for study, prayer and royal duties. He used six specially crafted candles, each 12 inches tall, which burned for 4 hours each, totalling 24 hours to monitor day and night.