King Alfred of Wessex, present-day southern England,
is known in history as a strong military and
political strategist and cultural and scholarly
leader. He is credited with having developed an
Old English prose style through his translations of
well-known works from Latin.
Until the time of Alfred’s reign (871–899) there
was no prose in Old English.With the exception
of laws and charters, all prose was in Latin. By the
ninth century, England was in a cultural and intellectual
decline, and the people understood only
Old English. Alfred was the first to realize the need
for educating the people, and he set about translating
works he deemed suitable. As Alfred himself
said, “Without wisdom no faculty can be fully
brought out. . . .”
Alfred was tireless in his devotion to preserving
Anglo-Saxon literature by copying and translating
important pieces of his times into Old English.He
himself did some of the translating and also supervised
scribes and monks, influencing them to follow
his example. Some of the important works he
translated include Consolation of Philosophy by
BOETHIUS, a philosophical work from the sixth century
that had an important influence on much of
the literature of the MIDDLE AGES; Cura Pastoralis
(Pastoral Care), a handbook by Gregory describing
the responsibilities of a bishop; and Soliloquies by
St. AUGUSTINE, an ecclesiastical manual.
Two of the works that Alfred translated and
compiled, BEDE’s Ecclesiastical History of the English
People and the ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE, have generated
a storm of arguments among scholars
through the ages.Most of the debates are based on
the style of writing in these works, as it differs from
the style in works soundly attributed to Alfred’s
hand. Thus, whether Alfred directly contributed
to the works or not, it is established that the translation
of the works was accomplished during and
inspired by his reign.
Knowledge of Alfred’s early years is based on a
biography by John Asser, who was Alfred’s companion.
Alfred had no schooling in his childhood
and could read neither Latin nor Old English until
after his 12th year; however, once he started learning,
there was no stopping him.
He came to the throne of England in 871, following
the death of his brother, King Aethelred I.
His early years as a monarch were spent organizing
successful campaigns against the Danish Vikings,
forcing them north back into the Danelaw, where
many became Christians. This saved England from
becoming part of the Norse empire. The rest of
England accepted Alfred as their national leader.
Alfred acutely felt the pressures of being a
monarch and of constantly having to fight to defend
his land. His infirm health was also a continual
source of aggravation to him. Despite all of
this, he continued to ably administer his kingdom;
bestow alms and largesse on natives and foreigners;
practice hunting; instruct his goldsmiths, falconers,
and dog-keepers; design and build majestic
houses; attend Mass twice a day; memorize poems
and psalms; translate works of literature into his
native tongue; participate in discussions and debates
with scholars from all over Britain and Europe;
and, above all, pursue the education of the
people of his kingdom.
English Versions of Works by
Alfred the Great
Schreiber, Carolin, trans. King Alfred’s Old English
Translation of Pope Gregory the Great’s Regula Pastoralis
and its Cultural Context. New York: Peter
Lang Publishing, 2003.
Waite, Greg, trans. Old English Prose Translations of
King Alfred’s Reign. Suffolk, U.K.: Boydell &
Brewer, 2000.
Works about Alfred the Great
Asser, John. The Medieval Life of King Alfred the Great.
Translated by Alfred P. Smythe. London: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2001.
Harrison, Frederick. The Writings of King Alfred. New
York: M.S.G. Haskell House, 1970.
Peddie, John. Alfred: Warrior King. Gloucestershire,
U.K.: Sutton Publishing, 2001.
Plummer, Charles. The Life and Times of Alfred the
Great. New York: Haskell House, 1970.
Smyth, Alfred P. King Alfred the Great. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1995.