Was Alfred that Great

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Q.� Early life

A.� Alfred, born in Wantage, Berkshire, in 849, was the fifth son of Aethelwulf, king of the West Saxons. It was a time of constant attack by the Vikings, and the brothers succeeded to the kingship in turn rather than endanger the kingdom by passing it to children at a time of danger.

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Q.� So the Vikings were the real danger

A.� Yes - a terrible one. In 867 the Vikings seized York and established a kingdom in the southern part of Northumbria. They overcame two other major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms - East Anglia and Mercia - and in 870 the Danes attacked the only remaining independent Anglo-Saxon kingdom - Wessex, whose forces were commanded by King Aethelred and his younger brother, Alfred. Alfred routed the Viking army in the fierce Battle of Ashdown in 871. His brother died that year and Alfred became king.

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Q.� It was a tough task

A.� Things got much worse. In early 878 the Vikings, led by King Guthrum, seized Chippenham in Wiltshire and used it as a base from which to attack Wessex. It was devastating. Alfred was forced into hiding, accompanied only by a royal bodyguard, on the Somerset tidal marshes at Athelney.

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Q.� Is this where he burned the cakes

A.� So legend has it. Alfred, in disguise, was staying at a swineherd's cottage. The swineherd's wife went out and asked Alfred to watch the cakes that were cooking on the fire grate.� Alfred, distracted by thoughts of war, let them burn - and got a good ticking-off from the woman when she found out.

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Q.� Meanwhile, back at the war...

A.� Yes. Alfred was preparing to hit back. He built a fortified base at Athelney and used men from Wiltshire, Somerset and part of Hampshire to pursue guerrilla tactics against the Danes. In May, 878, his army triumphed at the Battle of Eddington. His biographer, Bishop Asser, wrote: 'Alfred attacked the whole pagan army fighting ferociously in dense order, and by divine will eventually won the victory, made great slaughter among them, and pursued them ... after 14 days the pagans were brought to the extreme depths of despair by hunger, cold and fear, and they sought peace.'

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Q.� So they made peace

A.� Yes - and, as a condition, Gunthorm was baptised a Christian and withdrew forces from Wessex. Alfred, in turn, recognised Danish control over East Anglia and parts of Mercia. This partition of England was called the Danelaw.

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Q.� So - a great warrior. Anything else

A.� Plenty. He also constructed a fleet of ships to augment other forces, and in the doing became known as the Father of the English Navy. He was also a great educationalist. Alfred recognised that education standards had dropped during the Viking terror - especially with the destruction of monasteries. This meant fewer people were using the laws because they couldn't read them. To improve literacy, Alfred took part in translating a number of books from Latin to Anglo-Saxon. He also established a legal code and had legislation assembled to form the Anglo-Saxon law. Alfred died in 899 and is buried in Winchester.

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By Steve Cunningham