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At the start of this year, Guthrum, the
Viking King, defeated Alfred. It was a surprise attack, just after Christmas, and Alfred was still celebrating, pulling his crackers and wearing a silly hat,
when the Vikings attacked. Many of his followers were killed and Alfred was forced to hide in the marshes somewhere in Wessex. Apart from avoiding the Danes,
he didn’t want to be seen with his funny hat on. I may have made the silly hat bit up. It was during this time, once he had taken the hat off, that he is said
to have been asked to look after some cakes for a woman who was sheltering him and, being busy thinking about how to beat the Vikings, he let the cakes burn.
This may be a made up story but it sounds good, unless you were hoping to eat the cakes.
In May, Alfred had recovered, formed a new army and beat Guthrum in a fierce battle. He forced Guthrum to be baptised as a Christian and it looked
like there might be peace. There was, until 884, when Guthrum again attacked Wessex. Alfred defeated him and this time sealed this victory with a treaty called
the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum. A treaty is like an agreement. The country was divided North East/South West along the old Roman Road called Watling Street
running from Dover through London to the Roman town of Chester. Lucky the Romans built roads, wasn’t it?
The area the Vikings were given was called Danelaw as the Vikings
had come from Denmark. Alfred made his brother-in-law, Ethelred (this is yet another one), king of the Mercia bit of Wessex and all looked good.
However Alfred wasn’t that good at keeping agreements and over the following years Alfred, his brother-in-law and their armies gradually won back
much of the Viking part of England, starting in 884AD when he captured London
Alfred wasn’t only a great leader, and useless cook, he was also a very clever man, a very devout Christian, a great writer and a man who totally
believed in education.
It was during his reign as King that the Anglo Saxon chronicles were begun. They were a written record of English history. Sometimes the writers made
the stories a bit better or worse. They didn't always tell the truth. Not like me. Except the hat bit.
Forward to 899AD
