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
,
♣