Alfred's time at Athelney

Question 1

What were the conditions at Athelney like?

Answer 1

• Athelney was an area of wild, hostile marshland in the Somerset Levels
• Alfred grew up in Athelney

Question 2

What happened at the Battle of Cynwit (878)?

Answer 2

• Whilst Alfred was in hiding, Earldorman Odda defeated a smaller Viking army at Cynwit in Devon, led by Ubba
• Odda was victorious: Ubba himself was killed & the vikings special raven banner was captured (their symbol of war = a major symbolic blow) this would have given Alfred’s camp a major morale boost

Question 3

What is the famous story involving Alfred’s minstrel impersonation?

Answer 3

• William of Malmesbury, writing his history of England in the 1120s, tells the story of Alfred dressing as a minstrel to sneak into a Danish camp and spy on the enemy, thus learning how to defeat them
• Almost certainly untrue - but would make sense that Alfred used spying as a tactic (though probably not personally)
• Malmesbury was writing post-1066, and Norman conquest, therefore glorifying the days of ‘true English kings’

Question 4

What is the famous story involving Alfred and the burning of the cakes?

Answer 4

• Story first appears in ‘Life of St Neot’, supposedly Alfred travelling alone and in disguises, shelters in the hut of a swineheard, whose wife asks him to watch some cakes she has in the oven. Alfred gets distracted (thinking about how to defeat the vikings), the cakes burn, and the swineheards wife scolds him for being neglectful
• Various different medievel & later versions of the strory
• Seems designed to illustrate the idea that all humans in the eyes of God, even kings must show humbleness and humility and accept chastisement when appropriate. God will then be able to forgive them and help them solve their problems.
  The Life of St Neot was written after St Neots’ relics were transferred to a new monastery at Eyenesbury in Huntingdonshire (modern-day St Neots). The writer may have wanted to give their saint a pivotal role in Alfred’s victory to gain more followers and increase their popularity to pilgrims.

Question 5

What is the famous story involving Alfred’s vision of St Cuthbert?

Answer 5

• Supposedly St Cuthbert of LIndisfarne visited Alfred at Athelney disguised as a pilgrim, begging for shelter - Alfred shared what he had with Cuthbert , but when a servant brought the food to him, he had disappeared. Cuthbert then later visited Alfred in a dream and as a reward told him how to defeat the Vikings, and promised to care for him
• Probobly written by C10th Northumbrian chroniclers hoping to attribute Alfred’s success to their patron saint - ‘Justin Pollard - author of Alfred the Great 2006’ claims that association with the king in this way would have made Cuthebert his protector, thereby enhancing his status’ - medievel people would often go on pilgrimages & those pilgrimages would be very profitable to the surrounding area/church
• Equally, the story may have been to serve for the political purposes of C10th West Saxon kings, in enhancing their status in the North (Cuthbert being the patron saint of the North), with the future West Saxon kings trying to consolidate power in Northumbria.