This work was thought to have been written for a Welsh audience who might not have been all that keen on a West Saxon king. His grandson King Eadred seems to have suffered from a similar illness. And not without good reason. Alfred the Great (c. 849 - 26 October 899) was King of Wessex from 871 to 899. ACADEMIC warfare has broken out over Alfred the Great, the hammer of the Danes and hero of Victorian schoolboys. He fought off Viking invaders and was a clever, cunning ruler. Yet Victorian sensibilities He seems to have had a lot of it. Alfred the Great statue, Winchester. Asser not only records Alfred’s battles with the Vikings and his dealings at court, he also reports some of Alfred’s medical details, mentioning that, from his youth, Alfred had suffered from “ficus” [piles, haemeroids]. Yes he developed some kind of mysterious illness when he was young. I do not think such pessimism is warranted. Alfred’s life, particularly his early struggles as King of Wessex, were portrayed on film in the 1969 epic Alfred the Great. Born in 849, Alfred the Great was the fifth son of the king of the West Saxons, Aethelwulf. Alfred the Great Those are both extreme oversimplifications. The film featured a cast which included Michael York, Ian McKellan, Julian Glover, and David Hemmings as Published online by Cambridge University Press. an appropriate manner of death. As we have seen, Alfred did – against all odds – break the momentum of the Viking conquerors of Britain and push them back into a confined territory that his progeny would eventually retake. Alfred the Great's Legacy - a history, the full text of A History of the British Nation, by AD Innes. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. The illnesses of King Alfred the Great It is an index perhaps of changing historiographical trends that the importance of Alfred’s illnesses in the moulding of his outlook, both as a layman and as a king, now1 Alfred the Great was ill with (possibly) Crohn's disease. He had been king for over half of his life, and in those years he’d proven himself to be an energetic […] Yet he suffered from some mysterious but painful and recurring illness. It is an index perhaps of changing historiographical trends that the importance He fought off Viking invaders and was a clever, cunning ruler. Yet Victorian sensibilities have died hard. of morbid religiosity’ in Asser's account of Alfred's illnesses in ch. Alfred the Great had a chronic illness for much of his life, and by any modern standard, he was disabled. He was the first monarch from the British Isles to style himself as 'King of the Anglo-Saxons' and so he is sometimes considered the first English king.. Despite this he managed to wage war very successfully. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Volume 84 (1991). Top 10 facts about King Alfred the Great KING Alfred the Great, seen by many as the first king of all England, died on October 26, AD 899. Alfred … In the year 868, Alfred and his brother King Aethelred were campaigning, trying to rid England of the Vikings. Alfred in The Last Kingdom is based on the real King Alfred - also know as Alfred the Great, who was reported to have a painful, mystery illness. Introduction:  King Alfred, ‘England’s Darling’ (849 – 900) suffered from a painful illness for much of his life, the nature of which has been the source of some speculation among Anglo-Saxonists. Anglo-Saxon England, and, in the case of kings, nearly always acquired through Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tenminhistory Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4973164 This episode follows the end of … Certainly it was not known to any of those who were present on that occasion, nor to those up to the present day who have inquired how such an illness could arise and – worse of all, alas! This will also allow our fans to get more involved in what content we do produce. have died hard. Alfred in The Last Kingdom is based on the real King Alfred - also know as Alfred the Great, who was reported to have a painful, mystery illness. As a young boy, Alfred never desired to become king since he had four elder brothers. How he died is unknown, but he suffered throughout his life with a painful and unpleasant illness. Smyth's unsuccessful attempt to expose Asser's Life as a Alfred the Great had a chronic illness for much of his life, and by any modern standard, he was disabled. Despite all of this, Alfred the Great is … Full text views reflects the number of PDF downloads, PDFs sent to Google Drive, Dropbox and Kindle and HTML full text views. and both refused to associate this atmosphere with the ‘historical Alfred’, in Alfred the Great was the first king of the Anglo-Saxons and one of only two English rulers to have been given the epithet ‘the Great’. View all Google Scholar citations Alfred successfully defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest, and by his death had become the dominant ruler in England. Some historians speculate Alfred suffered from Crohn's disease, says History Hit — an "inflammatory bowel disease," says The Mayo Clinic, that's "painful and debilitating" and can lead to malnutrition and even death — perhaps Alfred is the only English king to earn the epithet ‘the Great’, which he was honoured with thanks to his rule of Wessex between 871 to 899. Thank you for supporting our website! Bones of King Alfred the Great believed to have been found in a box at Winchester City Museum. 74, The study of Asser’s work, ‘The Life of King Alfred’, has fuelled many guesses as to the nature of the sovereign’s illness. The second episode of The Last Kingdom (UK airdate: Thursday, 29 October, 9 pm, BBC 2) introduces Prince Alfred, who would later become King Alfred the Great (d. 899).In his first scene, Alfred is portrayed as a man tormented both physically (because of his health) and morally (because of his lustful feelings towards the flustered maidservant that had just left his room). Additional material that makes a possible diagnosis more certain is taken from the Leechbook of Bald a collection of medical texts written in Old English, that was probably compiled during Alfred’s reign. It is now hypothesised that this might have been Crohn's Disease. “Great” and “disabled” aren’t antithetical, and “weak” and “disabled” aren’t synonyms. By 897, everything Alfred had known…. Did the real Alfred the Great have any kind of sickness? of Alfred's illnesses in the moulding of his outlook, both as a layman and as a In the course of the 1990s, Alfred became gradually better understood as a man of the 890s. 1. Therefore it is likely that Asser was drumming up interest in his intended audience by representing the king’s lot as quite a hard one, which seems to have been correct. Tony Baggett / Shutterstock.com The broad outline of King Alfred’s wars with the Vikings is well known. * Views captured on Cambridge Core between . – could continue so many years without remission, from his twentieth year up to his fortieth and beyond. Asser in his Life of King Alfred dwells on the subject of the king’s ill health, a subject that must have interested Asser somewhat. He's the odd sort of … Alfred died in 899 and was buried in the great monastic church, the 7th century Old Minster in his de facto capital, Winchester. We've created a Patreon for Medievalists.net as we want to transition to a more community-funded model. He prevented England from falling to the Danes and promoted learning and literacy. be stressed that royal sanctity was an entirely posthumous phenomenon in Do we have any idea what’s wrong with the Alfred in the show? We aim to be the leading content provider about all things medieval. at Wantage, Berkshire. Bouts ofthrombosis and prolapse, with a probably psychologic overlay, occur frequently enough to account for the intermittency of Alfred's symptoms, rather than Crohn's disease. Alfred (or “Aelfred) is the only king of England ever to be given the epithet “The Great.” He earned his moniker as a result of a fervent defense of the homeland against the invading Danes (or Vikings and Norsemen, “North Men” from Scandinavia), as well as his support for literacy, education, the arts, and architecture. It is thought that he had either Crohn's disease or haemorrhoids. Our website, podcast and Youtube page offers news and resources about the Middle Ages. King Alfred the Great died on the 26th October 899, probably through complications arising from Crohn’s Disease, an illness which forces the body’s immune system to attack the linings of the intestines. Putting all this evidence together makes it likely that Alfred the Great’s military innovations were part of a continuing development, that started in the eight century in … Is there any possibility he could have know of the benefits of taking Frankincense? became gradually better understood as a man of the 890s. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Family Tree for King Alfred the Great 849 - 899 showing full details of his parents, his siblings, his wife and his children Short Biography Early Life King Alfred the Great was born in 849, the 5th son of King Aethelwulf of Wessex and Osburh at Wantage, Berkshire. 21 5. king, now hardly needs to be emphasized. In the last year of the century, 900, King Alfred died; but his work was accomplished. But the young Alfred was very smart since he could memorize a His first burial was in Winchester‘s Old Minster although his remains were subsequently moved next door to the New Minster a few years later. Did the real Alfred the Great have any kind of sickness? But for many years and to many people King Alfred the Great, who fiercely led the resistance against the viking invasions and so is often acclaimed as saving what was then becoming known as 'Angle-Land', or England. Email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this journal to your organisation's collection. Usage data cannot currently be displayed. prayer [sic], and enduring some form of physical disease’. Become a member to get ad-free access to our website and our articles. He was often sick Alfred had intense stomach complaints. 3. "Great" and "disabled" aren't antithetical, and "weak" and "disabled" aren't synonyms. He also established our justice system. We hope that are our audience wants to support us so that we can further develop our podcast, hire more writers, build more content, and remove the advertising on our platforms. He was barely in his 20s when he took the throne and he hadn’t had a chance to stop for a breath for the decades that followed. He also established our When the New Minster was demolished in 1098 to make way for a new, much larger Norman c… Do we have any idea what’s wrong with the Alfred in the show? 4 A. P. Smyth, King Alfred the Great (Oxford, 1995), pp. In the course of the 1990s, Alfred Alfred often prayed for forgiveness from his god for the ‘sins’ he commited in is youth. Many alleged that it happened through the spells and witchcraft of the people around him; others, through the ill-will of the devil, who is always envious of good men; others thought that it was the result of some unfamiliar type of fever; still others thought that it was due to the piles, because he had suffered this particular kind of agonizing irritation even from his youth”, Click here to read this article from the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. because it supposedly portrays Alfred as ‘a saintly king, wrapt up in Alfred is the only English king to earn the epithet ‘the Great’, which he was honoured with thanks to his rule of Wessex between 871 to 899. The suggestions that have been made cover a wide range of ailments: neuritis, epilepsy, a sexually transmitted disease associated with homosexuality, some sort of psychosomatic illness and so on. for this article. changed. Alfred died in 899, apparently of an illness he had much of his life which caused him great pain. Among the many unfa-vourable reviews of this biography, criticism of Smyth's attitude towards Alfred's illnesses is central in that by J. L. Nelson, 'Review Article: Waiting for Alfred', EME 7 (1998), 1 1 5-24. His many pursuits (wars, Viking attacks King Alfred the Great was such an impressive English king that he's literally the only monarch in the nation's storied history to have ever been given that particular handle. A rather coloured picture of an over sensitive youth morbidly preoccupied with his health emerges from these speculations, which are normally accompanied by the familiar disclaimer: “The truth will never be known”. But for many years and to many people that was believed to be the case, and disability has been erased from some versions of Alfred's story. Facts about Alfred the Great 9: health problems It is stated that Alfred had health problem during his life. approach by Alfred Smyth has only served, however, to emphasize the need for greater sensitivity to the ideals and expectations of the society within which later forgery relies heavily upon his assumption that the text is a work of hagiography, Asser tells us in his Life of Alfred that after Alfred had married Ealhswith his Mercian bride, he participated in a grand feast that had lasted for a day and a night ‘he was struck without warning in the presence of the entire gathering by a sudden severe pain that was quite unknown to all physicians. Check if you have access via personal or institutional login, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263675101000035, Evolving English Strategies during the Viking Wars, Gregory the Great: Reader, Writer and Read, Fragments of Boethius: the reconstruction of the Cotton manuscript of the Alfredian text, The Junius Psalter gloss: its historical and cultural context, The audience for Old English texts: Ælfric, rhetoric and ‘the edification of the simple’, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. Some scholars estimated that he had Crohn’s disease. Alfred, king of Wessex (the area south of the Thames River in England — and the Thames is the river that runs through London, so go ahead and check the map), is universally referred to as The Great. Alfred died on 26 October 899 at the age of 50 or 51. This data will be updated every 24 hours. Use the code MEDIEVALIST-WEB for 25% off a subscription to Medieval Warfare magazine. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 84 May 1991 303 Alfred the Great: a diagnosis G Craig BA SRN 117 Richmond Road, Cambridge CB43PS Keywords: Anglo-Saxon; ficus; Crohn's disease King Alfred 'England's Darling' (849-900AD)suffered from a painful illness for much of his life, the nature On October 26, 899, Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, died. Abstract views reflect the number of visits to the article landing page. 7 We are fortunate to have a contemporary record of the king’s symptoms as recorded by Asser, King Alfred’s Welsh bishop and admirer. It is an index perhaps of changing historiographical trends that the importance of Alfred's illnesses in the moulding of his outlook, both as a layman and as a king, now hardly needs to be emphasized. The recent resurrection of this Yes he developed some kind of mysterious illness when he was young. From the moment Alfred became King, Wessex was in a desperate struggle against the “heathen army”. Alfred, also spelled Aelfred, byname Alfred the Great, (born 849—died 899), king of Wessex (871–899), a Saxon kingdom in southwestern England. Why was Alfred sick on The Last Kingdom? 199-216, esp. Alfred was operating. King Alfred the Great died on the 26th October 899, probably through complications arising from Crohn’s Disease, an illness which forces the body’s immune system to attack the linings of the intestines. Alfred wasn't actually known as "The Great" during his reign – he was dubbed with that title by the writers of the 16th century, largely based on his reputation as a pious Christian ruler. We are fortunate to have a contemporary record of the king’s symptoms as recorded by Asser, King Alfred’s Welsh bishop and admirer. view of his well-attested military successes. Alfred the Great: a diagnosis G Craig BA SRN 117 Richmond Road, Cambridge CB43PS Keywords: Anglo-Saxon; ficus; Crohn's disease King Alfred 'England's Darling' (849-900AD)suffered from a … It should therefore Both Plummer and Stevenson detected an ‘atmosphere His biographer Asser gave a detailed description of Alfred's symptoms, and this has allowed modern doctors to provide a possible diagnosis. In 2012, following the successful identification of Richard III's remains, Alfred's supposed remains were put into protective custody. Alfred managed to turn the Vikings away and set up conditions Experts now think It might have been epilepsy or chronic chrons disease. He often was sick and bed ridden for days because of bouts of pain . Introduction: King Alfred, ‘England’s Darling’ (849 – 900) suffered from a painful illness for much of his life, the nature of which has been the source of some speculation among Anglo-Saxonists.