Alfred the Great: Including Asser's Life of King Alfred

Contents Preface 7 Introduction 9 1. King Alfred the Great 9 The sources of our knowledge 10 The historical background 11 The period of Alfred's youth 13 The reign of King Alfred 18 (i) The fight for survival (871-8), p. 18 (ii) The years of reconstruction and reform (878-92), p. 23 (iii) A kingdom defended (892-9), p. 41 The cult of King Alfred 44 2. Asser and his Life of King Alfred 48 Maps 1. The Vikings in England, 865-78 59 2. The Vikings on the Continent, 879-92 60 3. The Vikings in England, 892-6 61 Genealogical Tables The Kings of Wessex 62 The Carolingian Kings 63 I ASSER'S LIFE OF KING ALFRED Facsimile of the beginning of Asser's Life of King Alfred in Cotton Otho A. xii 66 Asser's Life of King Alfred 67 Map 4: Wales in the late ninth century, p. 95 II THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE, 888-900 Annals 888-92 113 Annals 893-6 114 Annals 897-900 120 III EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS OF KING ALFRED The preface to Werferth's translation of Gregory's Dialogues 123 From the translation of Gregory's Pastoral Care 124 From the translation of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy 131 From the translation of Augustine's Soliloquies 138 From the prose translation of the Psalter 153 IV MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES FOR THE REIGN OF KING ALFRED Extracts from the laws of King Alfred 163 The treaty between Alfred and Guthrum 171 The will of King Alfred 173 Map 5: The estates mentioned in the will of King Alfred, p. 176 King Alfred's charter for Ealdorman Æthelhelm 179 Map 6: Ealdorman Æthelhelm's estate at North Newnton, p. 180 The letter of Fulco, archbishop of Rheims, to King Alfred 182 Bishop Wulfsige's preface to the translation of Gregory's Dialogues 187 Æthelweard's account of the closing years of Alfred's reign 189 Two acrostic poems on King Alfred 192 The Burghal Hidage 193 APPENDICES Appendix I: Alfred and the Cakes 197 Appendix II: The Alfred Jewel 203 NOTES TO INTRODUCTION AND TEXT 209 Note on Further Reading 342 References 345 Index 360