King Alfred saved "England"
King Alfred saved "England"
by Huscarl on 24th June 2008, 8:25 pm
In 865 the innumerable viking longships of the 'Great Army' invaded England (landing in E.Anglia) led by Ivar 'the Boneless', his brothers Halfdan and Ubba (sons of the notorious Ragnar Lothbrok- legend says he was killed by Northumbrian king Aelle, throwing him in a pitful of poisonous snakes) and an array of junior commanders such as Guthrum and Anwend.
This superarmy proceeded to brutally subdue all of England, leaving only Wessex that had not submitted by 868, when Ivar split the army in two (he leaving to fight the Scots and Strathclyde Britons).
During the 870's Halfdan led his army against Wessex in many ferocious battles against Athelred (d.871) and younger brother Alfred in lethal cat-and-mouse campaigning and, in 874, Halfdan also headed for Scotland upon the death of Ivar. He gave command to a certain Guthrum, who continued the manoevring between the two armies of Danes and W.Saxons.
In January 878 Guthrum led a surprise assault upon the royal residence of Chippenham whilst Alfred (whom they tried to capture and make suffer the 'blood eagle') and his retainers and senior commanders had celebrated Christmas -a not unknown Viking tactic- as the king had stood down his fyrdsmen. Chippenham was overrun, but Alfred escaped on horseback with his bodyguards, armed thegns, family and retainers.
Surely it wouldn't be long before Alfred was suffering the terrible death of the viking 'Blood Eagle'?
Desperate Alfred was pursued by Guthrum’s men on horseback from a chaotic Chippenham, and rebuffed by many of even his own unsympathetic and fearful kinsmen in towns when asking for/ demanding shelter/food (whom he surely punished later or raided and attacked from Athelney?), and who may have informed the enemy of his whereabouts(?) Alfred fled for the safety of Athelney- a series of marshy and lethal waterways and islets. He finally reached there three weeks later.
Athelney marshes
The levels, not unlike the Fens, comprised of both woodland and fenland in which stags, wild goats and other beats grazed (wild boars?), and it was criss-crossed with timer trackways, some submerged, leading to settlements in the extensive and impassable low-lying marshes, therefore perfect for guerrilla warfare, and v.difficult to penetrate.
Rising out of the fenland, and often flooded by the inflowing sea-waters from the Bristol Channel, were scattered islets of high ground. One of these had been inhabited by a an order of holy men in the 4thC, seeking solitude for the practices of their devotions. The church which grew up around them was rebuilt in the 8thC and was the early religious life fabric of Glastonbury Abbey, which quickly became known as a centre for learning and Celtic Christiantity.
As a youth, Alfred would have hunted, fished and hawked there, knowing the marshes well. The king, some nobles, retainers, family (Edward?) and the men of Somerset with their earl, Aethelnoth – maybe 200 men in all- built a fortified base in the murky, dangerous and swampy islets of the isle of Athelney. Even
today floods can make this region inaccessible. To survive, the desperate Alfred had to steal, borrow and raid in order to eat, moving quietly through swamps and secret trackways.
There existed the constant danger that Guthrum might weave his fleet up the river Parret and locate Alfred’s stronghold there, who already led aggressive raids upon the Danes and also to gather supplies (whether his own people agreed to or not?).
All the while keeping in touch with his underground resistance network with the men of Wiltshire and Hampshire (and others from Somerset?), Alfred also sent out/led guerrilla raids against probing/lost Vikings. But he his out with his retainers and heavily-armed thegns etc.
Alfred’s loyal earls
After hearing about Odda’s great victory, the king summoned all those earldormen and thegns to him (ie. Earldormen Wulfhere of Wiltshire; Athelnoth of Somerset) and the earl of Hampshire, those who had not already either fled overseas or submitted to the Danes. Earldorman Odda meanwhile guarded the Devon coast.
No mention of Dorset nobles/fyrd is recorded as being at Athelney or Ethandun- had their chiefs submitted to Guthrum? Tellingly, this was the stemland of Alfred’s nephew Aethelwold, who would side with the Danes after Alfred’s death in 899, against Edward 'the Elder'.
In Athelney, Alfred secured the loyalty of these nobles and senior commanders with oaths, for the upcoming battle against Guthrum which he was planning. He had also stepped up his guerrilla attacks on the Danes and any disloyal locals. Thus armed with good reconnaissance and preparation, Alfred acted.
By this time Guthrum had moved his army north of Salisbury plain- and when Alfred heard this he decided now was the time to ride his small but warband of leaders, heavily-armed thegns and retainers out of Athelney marshes after six long weeks and -using a probably complex but sadly unrecorded underground network- to unite with the gathered fyrds of Somerset, Wiltshire and part of Hampshire and “they were overjoyed to see him” (Chronicler Athelweard recorded)
The battle of Ethandun (Edington). The two armies clashed in an all-day struggle, until finally the Danes broke and a terrible rout ensued- the Danes were slain all the 12m back to Chippenham some mounted soldiers used for the rout. There the fearful Danes were besieged for 2wks before they submitted.
Alfred and Guthrum soon began talks, and the Treaty of Wedmore was agreed soon after, basically creating the Danelaw, which roughly stretched from London, north-west to north of Chester.
Alfred’s reforms
A crucial breathing space had been gained by Alfred’s sheer ruthless character, faith and charisma. For the first time he could turn to law-making, education for the people and reforming his burhs, armies and navy.
• He introduced the fyrd rotation system (one part reaped crops whilst another served militarily for two months) so that he had a standing army.
• Burhs were re-fortified militarily and manned with troops as well as townspeople.
• The navy was equipped with newer, larger and faster warships.
• He reformed education and attempted to heighten the people’s awareness of the world around them.
• He issued many laws designed to be just and strong.
• He personally wrote/translated books and charters- which had suffered heavily by the Viking invasions.
If Alfred had given up and sailed off into exile, the English language would have died out, and we would be speaking Danish/Norse...
This superarmy proceeded to brutally subdue all of England, leaving only Wessex that had not submitted by 868, when Ivar split the army in two (he leaving to fight the Scots and Strathclyde Britons).
During the 870's Halfdan led his army against Wessex in many ferocious battles against Athelred (d.871) and younger brother Alfred in lethal cat-and-mouse campaigning and, in 874, Halfdan also headed for Scotland upon the death of Ivar. He gave command to a certain Guthrum, who continued the manoevring between the two armies of Danes and W.Saxons.
In January 878 Guthrum led a surprise assault upon the royal residence of Chippenham whilst Alfred (whom they tried to capture and make suffer the 'blood eagle') and his retainers and senior commanders had celebrated Christmas -a not unknown Viking tactic- as the king had stood down his fyrdsmen. Chippenham was overrun, but Alfred escaped on horseback with his bodyguards, armed thegns, family and retainers.
Surely it wouldn't be long before Alfred was suffering the terrible death of the viking 'Blood Eagle'?
Desperate Alfred was pursued by Guthrum’s men on horseback from a chaotic Chippenham, and rebuffed by many of even his own unsympathetic and fearful kinsmen in towns when asking for/ demanding shelter/food (whom he surely punished later or raided and attacked from Athelney?), and who may have informed the enemy of his whereabouts(?) Alfred fled for the safety of Athelney- a series of marshy and lethal waterways and islets. He finally reached there three weeks later.
Athelney marshes
The levels, not unlike the Fens, comprised of both woodland and fenland in which stags, wild goats and other beats grazed (wild boars?), and it was criss-crossed with timer trackways, some submerged, leading to settlements in the extensive and impassable low-lying marshes, therefore perfect for guerrilla warfare, and v.difficult to penetrate.
Rising out of the fenland, and often flooded by the inflowing sea-waters from the Bristol Channel, were scattered islets of high ground. One of these had been inhabited by a an order of holy men in the 4thC, seeking solitude for the practices of their devotions. The church which grew up around them was rebuilt in the 8thC and was the early religious life fabric of Glastonbury Abbey, which quickly became known as a centre for learning and Celtic Christiantity.
As a youth, Alfred would have hunted, fished and hawked there, knowing the marshes well. The king, some nobles, retainers, family (Edward?) and the men of Somerset with their earl, Aethelnoth – maybe 200 men in all- built a fortified base in the murky, dangerous and swampy islets of the isle of Athelney. Even
today floods can make this region inaccessible. To survive, the desperate Alfred had to steal, borrow and raid in order to eat, moving quietly through swamps and secret trackways.
There existed the constant danger that Guthrum might weave his fleet up the river Parret and locate Alfred’s stronghold there, who already led aggressive raids upon the Danes and also to gather supplies (whether his own people agreed to or not?).
All the while keeping in touch with his underground resistance network with the men of Wiltshire and Hampshire (and others from Somerset?), Alfred also sent out/led guerrilla raids against probing/lost Vikings. But he his out with his retainers and heavily-armed thegns etc.
Alfred’s loyal earls
After hearing about Odda’s great victory, the king summoned all those earldormen and thegns to him (ie. Earldormen Wulfhere of Wiltshire; Athelnoth of Somerset) and the earl of Hampshire, those who had not already either fled overseas or submitted to the Danes. Earldorman Odda meanwhile guarded the Devon coast.
No mention of Dorset nobles/fyrd is recorded as being at Athelney or Ethandun- had their chiefs submitted to Guthrum? Tellingly, this was the stemland of Alfred’s nephew Aethelwold, who would side with the Danes after Alfred’s death in 899, against Edward 'the Elder'.
In Athelney, Alfred secured the loyalty of these nobles and senior commanders with oaths, for the upcoming battle against Guthrum which he was planning. He had also stepped up his guerrilla attacks on the Danes and any disloyal locals. Thus armed with good reconnaissance and preparation, Alfred acted.
By this time Guthrum had moved his army north of Salisbury plain- and when Alfred heard this he decided now was the time to ride his small but warband of leaders, heavily-armed thegns and retainers out of Athelney marshes after six long weeks and -using a probably complex but sadly unrecorded underground network- to unite with the gathered fyrds of Somerset, Wiltshire and part of Hampshire and “they were overjoyed to see him” (Chronicler Athelweard recorded)
The battle of Ethandun (Edington). The two armies clashed in an all-day struggle, until finally the Danes broke and a terrible rout ensued- the Danes were slain all the 12m back to Chippenham some mounted soldiers used for the rout. There the fearful Danes were besieged for 2wks before they submitted.
Alfred and Guthrum soon began talks, and the Treaty of Wedmore was agreed soon after, basically creating the Danelaw, which roughly stretched from London, north-west to north of Chester.
Alfred’s reforms
A crucial breathing space had been gained by Alfred’s sheer ruthless character, faith and charisma. For the first time he could turn to law-making, education for the people and reforming his burhs, armies and navy.
• He introduced the fyrd rotation system (one part reaped crops whilst another served militarily for two months) so that he had a standing army.
• Burhs were re-fortified militarily and manned with troops as well as townspeople.
• The navy was equipped with newer, larger and faster warships.
• He reformed education and attempted to heighten the people’s awareness of the world around them.
• He issued many laws designed to be just and strong.
• He personally wrote/translated books and charters- which had suffered heavily by the Viking invasions.
If Alfred had given up and sailed off into exile, the English language would have died out, and we would be speaking Danish/Norse...
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Aelfwine on 25th June 2008, 6:27 pm
I have thought for a while now that Guthrum was half beaten before the battle at Edington. The death of Ubba and the loss of the Raven banner must have had an adverse psychological effect, causing him to have a superstitious inspired feeling of doom. Indeed, this element of superstitious awe must have been one reason why he became baptised after the battle.
Concerning Alfred, the statue of him at Wantage carries this inscription:
"Alfred found learning dead, and he restored it; education neglected, and he revived it; the laws powerless and he gave them force; the Church debased, and he raised it; the land ravaged by a fearful enemy, from which he delivered it. Alfred`s name will live as long as mankind shall respect the past."
A fitting tribute to a truly great king.
Concerning Alfred, the statue of him at Wantage carries this inscription:
"Alfred found learning dead, and he restored it; education neglected, and he revived it; the laws powerless and he gave them force; the Church debased, and he raised it; the land ravaged by a fearful enemy, from which he delivered it. Alfred`s name will live as long as mankind shall respect the past."
A fitting tribute to a truly great king.
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Aelfina on 26th June 2008, 6:55 am
Huscarl wrote:
If Alfred had given up and sailed off into exile, the English language would have died out, and we would be speaking Danish/Norse...
"During the tenth century Alfred's successors came to dominate the new population of Danes, and, because the culture and language of the Danes was similar to that of the Anglo-Saxons, the newcomers were gradually absorbed into the population of the northeast and Christianized. About the year 950 the "Northumbrian Gloss on the Gospels" (an interlinear Old English translation, in the northern dialect) was added to the famous illuminated manuscript known as the Lindisfarne Gospels.
Shortly after this a priest of Yorkshire (Northern England) named Farman interlined another Latin manuscript with an idiomatic translation of the Gospel of Matthew (this is contained in the manuscript known as the Rushworth Gospels). At the end of the tenth century there appeared in the south an anonymous version of the four Gospels in idiomatic English, known as the West-Saxon Gospels or Wessex Gospels and seven copies of it have come down to us. Also at this time a scholarly priest named Ælfric in Dorsetshire was translating a number of commentaries into English, Ælfric went on to produce an abridged English version of the Pentateuch.
Learning English often came through contact with the church and the Bible itself.
1066 AD: The brutal suppression of the Old English language The work of centuries to bring the Latin bible to the English in their own tongue is ended. The story of the attempts of the Anglo-Saxons to produce an Old English version of the Bible comes to a sad end when the Norman army under William the Conqueror invaded and subdued England in the year 1066. Despite being of Nordic lineage himself, having grown up in Normandy, William brought with him a new French-speaking ruling class, and a Norman French clergy, who had only contempt and hostility for the fledgling Old English versions. The Normans quickly set up a church organisation which was utterly inimical to the vernacular English versions, and which served to promote the political interests of the ruling class and of the Pope of Rome. The Nordic respect for relatively equal rights for women vanished as did the concept of a Christian society where every man could understand the words uttered in his local church by his priest. Yet this yoke was ultimately to fail. English would prevail. English was effectively driven underground- it became the language of the poor and illiterate, an outlaw. Learning English and speaking it was banned. One reason why the English are genetically so resistant to speaking and learning other languages. Yet the English language survived to emerge when the Black Death of 1350 made the feudal system, used by the Norman aristocracy to harness English peasants in virtual slavery impossibility, due to the shortage of labour. This sudden change of fortune for the peasant class saw the re-emergence of English language dominance over a French dialect, which had also changed, the style spoken in England having itself become archaic. During this decade we see a court, once so contemptuous, beginning to speak the language of the commoner-English. These 2 poor men who tried to push English usage through translating scripture: John Wycliffe - (1380) 44 years after his death the pope of Rome had his bones dug up and crushed, so great was the heresy of attempting to make an English translation of the scriptures. William Tyndale - On May 21, 1535, he was arrested and later executed for heresy at Vilvorde, Belgium, on October 6, 1536. His dying prayer was that the Lord would open the eyes of the King of England. Thanks (England and English History.com) |
Verily enow Lady Aelfina is called to be...Fie! The Warrior Lady ne'r we see!
http://www.myspace.com/shruffles35
http://www.myspace.com/shruffles35
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Aelfwine on 26th June 2008, 7:24 pm
An interesting post Christine. However, I believe Edward I spoke English well, and it was during his war with France when he played the propaganda card claiming the French were intent on destroying the English nation and language. Decades later, during the Hundred Years War, a large number of the English "Captains" were of lowly birth, but made good because of their military talent. The housecarls had returned in effect.
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Aelfina on 27th June 2008, 2:55 am
Aelfwine wrote:An interesting post Christine. However, I believe Edward I spoke English well, and it was during his war with France when he played the propaganda card claiming the French were intent on destroying the English nation and language. Decades later, during the Hundred Years War, a large number of the English "Captains" were of lowly birth, but made good because of their military talent. The housecarls had returned in effect.
Edward I did (or so I understand) speak English well. The above post was a direct quote from England and EnglishHistory.com (I believe our fellow "Harold Godwinsson" member writes for this website?).
I just find it very interesting how the English language was suppressed at one time, only to rise from the ashes, and become the "official" language of the world!
I like your new avatar!
Verily enow Lady Aelfina is called to be...Fie! The Warrior Lady ne'r we see!
http://www.myspace.com/shruffles35
http://www.myspace.com/shruffles35
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Aelfwine on 27th June 2008, 10:06 am
Thank you for your kind comment Christine concerning my new avatar. I was looking for something elfish but couldn`t find anything, no boggart or brownie or similar creature, so I settled for the wolf. Now I like wolves and they are a motif in Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry, even if they are doing something disgusting such as feasting after a battle!
Back to King Alfred. I have read about two possible sites for the Ethandun battle. The one most favoured is Edington in Wiltshire, a pleasant little village under the downland scarp that is the northern limit of Salisbury Plain. The Westbury White Horse is carved on a neighbouring hillside and is said by some to commemorate the battle.
The other possible site for the battle is on the ridge of the Poldens in Somerset where at its narrowest point is a village called Edington.
Has anyone an oppinion as to which site the battle was fought?
Back to King Alfred. I have read about two possible sites for the Ethandun battle. The one most favoured is Edington in Wiltshire, a pleasant little village under the downland scarp that is the northern limit of Salisbury Plain. The Westbury White Horse is carved on a neighbouring hillside and is said by some to commemorate the battle.
The other possible site for the battle is on the ridge of the Poldens in Somerset where at its narrowest point is a village called Edington.
Has anyone an oppinion as to which site the battle was fought?
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Huscarl on 27th June 2008, 11:21 pm
Aelfwine wrote:Thank you for your kind comment Christine concerning my new avatar. I was looking for something elfish but couldn`t find anything, no boggart or brownie or similar creature, so I settled for the wolf. Now I like wolves and they are a motif in Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry, even if they are doing something disgusting such as feasting after a battle!
Back to King Alfred. I have read about two possible sites for the Ethandun battle. The one most favoured is Edington in Wiltshire, a pleasant little village under the downland scarp that is the northern limit of Salisbury Plain. The Westbury White Horse is carved on a neighbouring hillside and is said by some to commemorate the battle.
The other possible site for the battle is on the ridge of the Poldens in Somerset where at its narrowest point is a village called Edington.
Has anyone an oppinion as to which site the battle was fought?
Hi mate- a quick post, really.
I'm away from my notes at the mo, but I thought the battle was fought at the former suggestion you offered.
Shame we know little of Alfred's 'resistance' network?
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Aelfina on 28th June 2008, 5:32 am
Aelfwine wrote:Thank you for your kind comment Christine concerning my new avatar. I was looking for something elfish but couldn`t find anything, no boggart or brownie or similar creature, so I settled for the wolf. Now I like wolves and they are a motif in Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry, even if they are doing something disgusting such as feasting after a battle!
Back to King Alfred. I have read about two possible sites for the Ethandun battle. The one most favoured is Edington in Wiltshire, a pleasant little village under the downland scarp that is the northern limit of Salisbury Plain. The Westbury White Horse is carved on a neighbouring hillside and is said by some to commemorate the battle.
The other possible site for the battle is on the ridge of the Poldens in Somerset where at its narrowest point is a village called Edington.
Has anyone an oppinion as to which site the battle was fought?
I read somewhere it was your 1st suggestion, but I've never seen this place, and my knowledge on this is limited too. I suppose my "opinion" would have to revolve around my "guess" for now. Humph!
Verily enow Lady Aelfina is called to be...Fie! The Warrior Lady ne'r we see!
http://www.myspace.com/shruffles35
http://www.myspace.com/shruffles35
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Uhtred on 28th June 2008, 8:49 am
Hi
Alfred's army (men from Somerset, Wiltshire and part of Hampshire) was supposed to have formed a shieldwall and advanced uphill near a white horse against Guthrum's army (being again in two divisions) upon the higher ground, and the two clashed. I did read somewhere that the battle-lines 'turned'? Forget my source now though.
The 'underground network' mentioned by Huscarl must have been complex, enough to deceive and bypass Guthrum's scouts which would have been screened around the area?
Alfred's army (men from Somerset, Wiltshire and part of Hampshire) was supposed to have formed a shieldwall and advanced uphill near a white horse against Guthrum's army (being again in two divisions) upon the higher ground, and the two clashed. I did read somewhere that the battle-lines 'turned'? Forget my source now though.
The 'underground network' mentioned by Huscarl must have been complex, enough to deceive and bypass Guthrum's scouts which would have been screened around the area?
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Aelfwine on 28th June 2008, 7:04 pm
I first read about the possible Edington in Somerset site for the battle in Ralph Whitlock`s "Warrior Kings of saxon England. There is a Wikipedia article here giving the Somerset claim:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Edington
The Somerset site makes sense from both a geographical and military point of view. However, on philological grounds Edington in Somerset fails. The name of the Somerset village derives from Edwinetune(Edwin`s town), whereas the Wiltshire Edington has consistently appeared as Edendone, the Norman equivalent of Ethandun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Edington
The Somerset site makes sense from both a geographical and military point of view. However, on philological grounds Edington in Somerset fails. The name of the Somerset village derives from Edwinetune(Edwin`s town), whereas the Wiltshire Edington has consistently appeared as Edendone, the Norman equivalent of Ethandun.
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Wulfhild on 28th June 2008, 7:15 pm
Aelfwine:
I'm "into" wolves, too. But I haven't used wolves as avatars, because I try to keep my avatars (more or less) appropriate to (a) what I'm writing about or (b) to the site where my avatar appears. Since my present avatar lis reminiscent of the heroine of my Great Medieval Science Fiction Masterpiece, and there aren't any wolves in it, that's why she appears and not a wolf. But I have lots of lovely wolf pictures stored on my hard drive. I collect them. Just in case.
Anne G
I'm "into" wolves, too. But I haven't used wolves as avatars, because I try to keep my avatars (more or less) appropriate to (a) what I'm writing about or (b) to the site where my avatar appears. Since my present avatar lis reminiscent of the heroine of my Great Medieval Science Fiction Masterpiece, and there aren't any wolves in it, that's why she appears and not a wolf. But I have lots of lovely wolf pictures stored on my hard drive. I collect them. Just in case.
Anne G
Aelfwine wrote:Thank you for your kind comment Christine concerning my new avatar. I was looking for something elfish but couldn`t find anything, no boggart or brownie or similar creature, so I settled for the wolf. Now I like wolves and they are a motif in Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry, even if they are doing something disgusting such as feasting after a battle!
Back to King Alfred. I have read about two possible sites for the Ethandun battle. The one most favoured is Edington in Wiltshire, a pleasant little village under the downland scarp that is the northern limit of Salisbury Plain. The Westbury White Horse is carved on a neighbouring hillside and is said by some to commemorate the battle.
The other possible site for the battle is on the ridge of the Poldens in Somerset where at its narrowest point is a village called Edington.
Has anyone an oppinion as to which site the battle was fought?
Wolves For Anne
by Aelfwine on 30th June 2008, 6:56 pm
Wulfhild wrote:Aelfwine:
I'm "into" wolves, too. But I haven't used wolves as avatars, because I try to keep my avatars (more or less) appropriate to (a) what I'm writing about or (b) to the site where my avatar appears. Since my present avatar lis reminiscent of the heroine of my Great Medieval Science Fiction Masterpiece, and there aren't any wolves in it, that's why she appears and not a wolf. But I have lots of lovely wolf pictures stored on my hard drive. I collect them. Just in case.
Anne GAelfwine wrote:Thank you for your kind comment Christine concerning my new avatar. I was looking for something elfish but couldn`t find anything, no boggart or brownie or similar creature, so I settled for the wolf. Now I like wolves and they are a motif in Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry, even if they are doing something disgusting such as feasting after a battle!
Back to King Alfred. I have read about two possible sites for the Ethandun battle. The one most favoured is Edington in Wiltshire, a pleasant little village under the downland scarp that is the northern limit of Salisbury Plain. The Westbury White Horse is carved on a neighbouring hillside and is said by some to commemorate the battle.
The other possible site for the battle is on the ridge of the Poldens in Somerset where at its narrowest point is a village called Edington.
Has anyone an oppinion as to which site the battle was fought?
These wolves have been featured often on Uk Television.
See the link: http://www.ukwolf.org/?PHPSESSID=3uta2934djn29mgciequj484k3
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Wulfhild on 1st July 2008, 12:03 am
Aelfwine:
Those wolves look appropriately "lupine". BTW, I forgot to mention something. Though there are no actual wolves in my Great Medieval Science Fiction Masterpiece, there is a character called Wulfwynn, who plays an important role, though not a "lead" one.
Anne G
Those wolves look appropriately "lupine". BTW, I forgot to mention something. Though there are no actual wolves in my Great Medieval Science Fiction Masterpiece, there is a character called Wulfwynn, who plays an important role, though not a "lead" one.
Anne G
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Uhtred on 2nd July 2008, 6:20 am
Back to Alfred?
His great foundations laid the basis for his son Edward's and grandson Athelstan, Edmund and Eadred's hammering of all Celtic and Scandinavian enemies within the island.
His great foundations laid the basis for his son Edward's and grandson Athelstan, Edmund and Eadred's hammering of all Celtic and Scandinavian enemies within the island.
"I shall have my revenge...in this life or the next!"
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Aelfwine on 2nd July 2008, 6:08 pm
Uhtred wrote:Back to Alfred?
His great foundations laid the basis for his son Edward's and grandson Athelstan, Edmund and Eadred's hammering of all Celtic and Scandinavian enemies within the island.
Indeed Uhtred. There were continual wars, campaigns, and battles for more than twenty years that only ended( at least in Athelstan`s lifetime) in the great battle of Brunaburgh. A time of epic events. It is a pity novelists and movie makers have not sought fit to exploit this era.
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Huscarl on 2nd July 2008, 6:48 pm
Aelfwine wrote:
Indeed Uhtred. There were continual wars, campaigns, and battles for more than twenty years that only ended( at least in Athelstan`s lifetime) in the great battle of Brunaburgh. A time of epic events. It is a pity novelists and movie makers have not sought fit to exploit this era.
Too true, Aelf, though the Norse re-invaded Mercia and Jorvik only a year after the mighty Athelstan died.
I'm hoping against hope that '1066' will, even if it fails in some other areas of film-making (as KP believes, and even I often wonder?), it will at least broadcast Anglo-Saxon culture and maybe inspire more interest in the topic?
Re: King Alfred saved "England"
by Harold Godwinsson on 3rd July 2008, 9:41 am
Christine Love wrote:Aelfwine wrote:An interesting post Christine. However, I believe Edward I spoke English well, and it was during his war with France when he played the propaganda card claiming the French were intent on destroying the English nation and language. Decades later, during the Hundred Years War, a large number of the English "Captains" were of lowly birth, but made good because of their military talent. The housecarls had returned in effect.
Edward I did (or so I understand) speak English well. The above post was a direct quote from England and EnglishHistory.com (I believe our fellow "Harold Godwinsson" member writes for this website?).
I just find it very interesting how the English language was suppressed at one time, only to rise from the ashes, and become the "official" language of the world!
I like your new avatar!
Heal Christine,
You are correct friend, i do write for the site you used that little bit of information on the Norman attempt to wipe out the English Language, which like the English themselves finally won through, obsorbing the Norman French like they and their language obsorbed the Norse and their Tongue, which wasn't heard, since the Norse tongue was in many ways very simular to Old English.
Have you seen the Adventure of English once shown on ITV by Melvin Bragg?
On that article on the Evolustion of the English Language, i didn't write that particular article, a friend of mine did, my articles are the ones on the History of the English People!
On the subject of Ethandun (Edington) May 878 AD, i believe it would be the site in Wiltshire, since i believe there has been some past excavastions in that particular place, for which there is evidence of a bloody Battle being fought on that spot, finds of which have been dated to around Alfred's fight against Guthrum!
Harold
