Alfred the Great and the Vikings

This episode is going to explore Alfred the Great, an Anglo-Saxon king who fought a legendary war against Europe's most feared foe of the time, the Vikings. Alfred is known to history as Alfred the Great. He lived in England from about 849 to 899 AD. This period is often referred to as the Middle Ages. At the beginning of the 9th century, there were four main Anglo-Saxon powers, Northumbria, East Anglia, Mercia and Wessex. Alfred's kingdom was the Kingdom of Wessex. However, things were changing. It all began in 793 AD in a small village off the coast of Northumbria called Lindisfarne. Three Viking longboats arrived on the island and raided the local monastery. Officially, this was the first contact between Christian Europe and the pagan Viking world of Scandinavia. In Christendom, monasteries, churches and so on were sacred ground and therefore the fear of God and respect for the religion was usually enough to protect them. As a result, they often housed many valuable items and had little to no defences. The Vikings that arrived that day, however, followed a different religion and so brutally raided the monastery with ease. The poor monks that worked there couldn't put up much of a fight and as a result, the Vikings returned to Scandinavia with a fortune. The raid at Lindisfarne, although small, had long-term repercussions. News spread throughout the Viking world of lands to the west which offered great opportunities for wealth, plunder and adventure. And as a result, more and more Vikings ventured west seeking their fortune. The Viking longboats were of a flexible design which allowed them to handle rough and choppy waters, ideal for long sea voyages. As well as this, they were also narrow and slender enough to make their way up rivers, which enabled the Vikings to attack inland as well. Vikings also had a warrior's mindset. They believed that in order to dine with the gods in Valhalla, the afterlife, they had to die in battle with weapons in hand. Due to these attributes, Viking raiders attacked and plundered not just in England, but Europe and beyond. So let's take a look at Alfred and the Kingdom of Wessex. When Alfred's father, King Aethelwulf, came to the throne in 839 AD, the Viking raids in England had already begun. Alfred, however, was never expected to take the throne. King Aethelwulf had six children with his first wife, Queen Osba, one girl, Aethelswith, who was married off to the King of Mercia, and five boys, of which Alfred was the youngest. King Aethelwulf's eldest son, Aethelstan, was the first to be appointed his successor, as well as sub-king of Kent. However, Aethelstan died sometime after 851 AD, so Aethelwulf, not short of spares, replaced him with his next eldest son, Aethelbold. A rift developed between the king and his heir after Aethelwulf married the daughter of the Frankish king, Charles the Bold. It was probably the case that Aethelbold feared that any offspring produced by the marriage would threaten his succession. To prevent a civil war, a compromise was reached, and the kingdom was divided. However, King Aethelwulf died in 858 AD, and King Aethelbold became ruler of all Wessex. But after all that, Aethelbold died just two years later, in 860 AD, without an heir of his own. So the third brother, Aethelbert, took the throne, and he died just five years into his reign. So, in 865 AD, the fourth brother, Aethelred, became king of Wessex. By this time, Alfred was an important figure in the kingdom, acting as the king's right-hand man. However, 865 AD also saw the arrival of the Great Heathen Army. This was a Viking invasion force. The army was led by Hafdan Ragnarsson, Ivar the Boneless, and Ubber, the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok. They arrived in Kent, Wessex territory, but they didn't stay there. Instead, they marched into East Anglia. Edmund, the East Anglian king, immediately sued for peace. It cost him a huge sum of cash, and he also provided them with food, shelter, and horses. The Vikings remained in East Anglia for the next year, while more and more Vikings arrived to join the army. In 866, Ivar the Boneless led a Viking horde into the kingdom of Northumbria. At this time, Northumbria was at war with itself. Two contenders for the throne, Osbert and Aiella, had weakened the kingdom in their civil war. As a result, the Vikings captured the city of York. The next year, in 867 AD, Osbert and Aiella put their differences aside to recapture York, but they failed and both died in the attempt. This left Northumbria under Viking control. Leaving a puppet ruler in Northumbria, the Vikings then marched into Mercia and took Nottingham. The Mercian king Bergred appealed to Wessex for help. King Æthelred and Alfred took up arms and marched an army into Mercia to provide assistance, and the Saxons laid siege to Nottingham. However, Saxon soldiers were also farmers, and eventually they had to get back to their fields, or the kingdoms would starve the next winter. The Saxons were unable to oust the Vikings in time, and so, some sort of deal was struck, the details of which have been lost to us. However, it's more than likely that the Vikings were paid to leave Mercia. In order to establish closer ties with Mercia, Alfred also got married that year. Æthelred had already married, and Alfred's sister, Æthelswith, had married the king of Mercia, Bergred. So, Alfred married the daughter of a Mercian nobleman, Æthelswith. Apparently she had royal blood on her mother's side. It was also about this time that Alfred was taken ill with a mysterious affliction that would plague him for the rest of his life. All we know of it is that he would experience a terrible pain, and this would come and go at random. After Nottingham, the Vikings marched back to York, and in 869 AD, they set their sights on East Anglia. Ivor the Boneless led an army by land, whilst his brother Ubber sailed a fleet around the coast. They would attack on two fronts. Ivor sent a message to Edmund, the king of East Anglia, demanding his surrender in exchange of becoming his puppet ruler. Edmund replied that he would only do this if Ivor converted to Christianity, which wasn't going to happen. Therefore, the Vikings invaded East Anglia, and Edmund died, a martyr to his faith and kingdom. In 870 AD, the Great Eastern Army split in two. Ivor went north to campaign against the Picts, whilst his brother Hafdan, accompanied by a warlord called Bagsec, headed for Reading in Wessex. There, they began to set up fortifications. However, a Saxon elderman called Æthelwulf mustered a force more quickly than the Vikings expected. Within just three days, he ambushed a Viking foraging party. A number of Vikings were killed, and the rest fled back to base. Æthelwulf then waited near Reading, whilst the king and Alfred marched their troops to join him. They arrived four days later. A battle then ensued, and it was the Vikings that were victorious. The alderman Æthelwulf was killed. As for the king and Alfred, they fled south to regroup. Hafdan and Bagsec then marched their army to Abington. Of course, the Saxons then marched back up to meet them once more. In 871 AD, just four days after their defeat at Reading, King Æthelred and Alfred faced the Vikings again. This was the Battle of Ashdown. Wessex split its forces in two, the king commanding one division and Alfred the other. And keen for battle, the Vikings did the same. However, when the two armies moved forward into position, King Æthelred's division was not ready. According to the sources, the king, being a good Christian, was attending mass and didn't want to leave the service before its proper conclusion, as it might upset God and he believed it could cost him the battle. This put Alfred and his men at risk of being outflanked. But Alfred couldn't wait. According to the sources, he ordered the attack and went at the Vikings like a wild boar. It's probably the case that Æthelred's division was out of the Vikings' view, maybe hidden in the mist or behind a slope. And so, they mistook Alfred's division as the whole Saxon army. The entire Viking army pressed down on Alfred's division. Suddenly, better late than never, the king and his men entered the fray, and his late appearance proved decisive. Æthelred's division pressed in and outflanked them. The battle was long and hard. Finally, the Vikings were put to flight and fled back to their fortifications at Reading, and many Viking leaders were cut down, including Bagsec. Many historians have argued that the delay of Æthelred's division in battle was by design and a cunning strategy for victory. Two weeks later, Halfdan and his men marched to Basing. This move directly threatened the capital at Winchester. So, once again, the king and Alfred mustered what men they could to meet the threat. This time, the Vikings won, and the Saxons retreated. Yet another battle was fought at Martin, and again, the Vikings won another victory. A few months later, King Æthelred died. Æthelred did have two sons. However, they were too young to take the throne, particularly with the Viking threat looming. It had already been decided by both Æthelred and the Witton, which was the Wessex council, that Alfred would take the crown, with the understanding that Æthelred's children would succeed him. So, in 871 AD, Alfred became king of Wessex. However, not long after, he received some disturbing news. A new force consisting of thousands of Vikings, known as the Great Summer Army, had entered England to join what remained of Halfdan and his men. In this new force was the Viking leader Guthrum, and he would become Alfred's nemesis. Later that year, the Vikings marched deep into Wessex. Alfred summoned his army and met them at Wilton. It was another long hard fight. According to the sources, the Vikings retreated and reformed, which caught the Saxons off guard. The Vikings won yet again. This was Alfred's first battle as king, and he lost. Alfred needed to buy some time to recoup, and that's exactly what he did. He struck a deal and quite literally paid the Vikings to go away. It's worth noting that throughout the Viking war on Wessex, their closest ally, Mercia, had not come to their aid. This is, of course, even though Wessex had provided Mercia with military aid at Nottingham and the marriage alliances that were supposed to seal their allegiance. It's no surprise, then, that when the Vikings left Wessex and moved to London, which is Mercian territory, they received no assistance from Alfred. Unlike Wessex, the Mercian king Birgred didn't put up a fight. He immediately paid them off. But the Vikings saw this as weakness, so once the Vikings received their tribute, they just moved elsewhere into Mercia and asked for more. Eventually, King Birgred fled to Rome, leaving the fate of his kingdom to the Vikings. The Vikings installed a puppet ruler who would continue to pay them tribute, and Mercia was essentially under Viking control. In 875 AD, after four years of peace in Wessex, the Vikings returned once more. Guthrum led the army. He took the town of Wareham and set up defences. Alfred summoned his troops and laid siege to the town. Guthrum, however, was waiting for reinforcements. Somewhere out at sea was a fleet of 120 ships that would give him the advantage he needed to take Wessex. He waited and waited, but the fleet was nowhere to be seen. The siege lasted nearly a year. Guthrum ran low on food and supplies, and Alfred's men needed to get back to their farms. And eventually, Alfred offered terms. Alfred paid Guthrum a large sum of money to leave Wessex for good. Oats were sworn on relics, and hostages were exchanged. However, Guthrum cared little for relics or hostages, Viking or otherwise. He took the money, and instead of leaving Wessex, he marched to Exeter, took the town, and set up defences. Once again, Guthrum waited for his missing fleet, and once again, Alfred laid siege. And once again, Guthrum waited and waited. What he hadn't realised was that the fleet had drowned in a storm near Swanage. And once the fate of the fleet was discovered, Alfred offered negotiations once more, and this time he held the upper hand. Alfred took hostages, but gave up none. More oats were sworn, and in 877, Guthrum marched back to Mercia. Alfred was at Chippingham, celebrating the Christmas festivities in January 878 AD, when Guthrum led a devastating attack. Many historians believe that Guthrum had help from Saxon nobles within Alfred's court. I agree with this line of thinking. The Vikings mounted a rapid and coordinated attack. They knew exactly where Alfred was, at a time when he was least prepared. And the reason for this betrayal? It may have been the case that they expected Wessex to go the same way Mercia had, and wanted to get to a good start with the new regime. They may have also been disgruntled at the rising costs of having to contribute to Viking payoffs. Whether this was an inside job or not, Alfred was caught by complete surprise, and the Vikings took Chippingham. However, Alfred, with a small number of retainers, managed to escape. They made their way to the Somerset Marshes, where they went into hiding. And as a result of Guthrum's attack, Wessex was now under Viking control. At this point, history turns to legend. The most well-known story is the one of the cakes. Alfred had taken refuge with a peasant woman, who had asked him to keep an eye on the cakes that she was baking. Of course, she was unaware of his true identity. Alfred's mind began to wander, and he allowed the cakes to burn. The woman reprimanded him for his negligence, of which Alfred humbly took the telling off. Of course, this story first appeared nearly a century after Alfred's lifetime, and its meaning is still debated. Many have argued that the story demonstrates Alfred's ability to receive a lesson in humility and responsibility. I, on the other hand, have often wondered if the burnt cakes were not a metaphor for his kingdom, a symbolic moment of realisation that he had taken his eye off the ball and a renewed determination to remedy the situation. In reality, however, life for Alfred was tough during this period. He set up a base of fortifications on an island in the marshes at a place called Athelni. From there, he fought a guerrilla war, raiding Viking foraging parties as well as reminding the Saxons all was not lost. He also received some good news. Ubber was the last of the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, who had originally led the Great Heathen Army back in 865 AD. Halfdan had died in Ireland, and there are various accounts of the death of Ivar the Boneless. Now, Ubber had led his men across the Bristol Channel into Wessex in order to meet up with Guthrum. However, they were attacked and defeated by the Saxons of Devon, who were led by an elder man called Odda, and Ubber was killed in battle. This was a blow for the Vikings and gave hope to the Saxon cause. But in order to win the war, Alfred needed to meet the Vikings in battle. So in May of that year, after five months in the marshes, Alfred did just that. First, he sent messengers throughout the kingdom, summoning the men of Wessex to meet him at the Stone of Egbert and prep for battle. About 4,000 Saxons answered the call. Guthrum, still at Chippingham, had gotten wind that Alfred was forming an army, and so he did the same, and the two armies met at Eddington. Despite this being the most important battle of the war, the accounts give us little detail other than it was long and hard, and Alfred won. Although it's probably safe to say that both sides formed a shield wall, as that was standard of the time. Once the battle was won, Alfred's men pursued the survivors back to Chippingham, and two weeks later, they surrendered. Alfred hosted Guthrum and 30 of his best men at a place called Allor. Here, a peace process was hatched. First, Guthrum was baptized, and Alfred became his godfather. Then, for twelve nights, both Saxons and Vikings feasted. Alfred even brought them gifts. A new border was created. To the east, the Danelaw. The Vikings would govern themselves, and to the west of the border, all the Saxons would recognize Alfred as king. The Saxon military system had proven inadequate when dealing with the Vikings, so Alfred totally reorganized Saxon defences. First, the army. The old system worked by sending messages to all the shires in the kingdom to meet at a particular place and time to form the army. The men were tending their farms across the land, and this all took time to happen. This system was just too slow and cumbersome to deal with rapid Viking attacks. As well as this, it also put the food production of the kingdom at risk. So Alfred split the military of each shire in two parts. The first would tend their farms, while the second remained combat ready at a moment's notice. And the two halves would then rotate. This would ensure that each shire was ready for combat, while food production continued. He also built a network of burrs across the kingdom. These were walled settlements designed to protect trade and business from Viking attacks. The burrs became urbanized centres with agricultural production close by. Many of them would eventually become towns, and some even cities. He also restored and developed London, which was destined to become the richest town in England. Alfred also commissioned the construction of at least a dozen ships. However, they weren't quite as effective as Viking longboats. Alfred also strengthened the economy. He did this first by providing safe places to trade with the burrs, and second by building confidence in the currency. By the end of the Viking wars, coins contained just 10% silver. Alfred minted coins that were 90%. He also invested in scholarly pursuits. He imported scholars from all over Europe to his court. They translated texts from Latin to English in order to preserve and accumulate knowledge. Alfred's reforms were put to the test when in 892 AD another large Viking force arrived in Wessex. Alfred and his son Edward fought a gruelling campaign that spanned the breadth of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom, and by 896 AD the Vikings had had enough and moved on. It seems Alfred's reforms worked. Alfred died in 899 AD at the age of 51. When Alfred became king back in 871 AD, it had been under the condition that Æthelred's children would succeed him. However, this did not happen. Instead, Alfred forged his own dynasty. His eldest son Edward took the throne, and Alfred's descendants would become the first kings of England. So, to conclude this episode, first of all, you've got to hand it to the Vikings. The invasion forces that arrived in England were looking for wealth and land, and for a brief time they had managed to take out all four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Wessex was by far the hardest nut to crack. Whereas the other kingdoms were quick to pay the Vikings off, Wessex did only as a last resort. As for Alfred, he continued to fight on even when all seemed lost, and when he achieved victory, he came back even stronger than before. Alfred implemented reforms designed not only to strengthen his kingdom and repel Viking attacks, but also to make it more wealthy and prosperous than before. Ultimately, Alfred's influence would turn the Anglo-Saxon world into what would become England. Alfred wasn't given the title The Great until about 400 years after his death, but it is a testament to his legacy. Thank you for watching, and if you like my content, don't forget to like, share, comment and subscribe. Have a great day.