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Most people are aware of the story of Alfred burning the cakes and that his is more fiction than fact there is much that is uncertain about the story of Alfred the Great. During a very interesting talk Tim Porter outlined these problems.
He began by setting the scene in the academic debate, which the 1000-year anniversary of the death of what many consider to have been England's greatest king has stimulated. In particular he drew our attention to the book by Professor Smith, which attempts to show that most of the accepted views are based upon a work of fiction and therefore false.
Whatever the merits of this line of argument the basis of the Wessex kingdom and the dynasty, which ultimately ruled the whole of what we now call England is well, established.
Alfred's forebears settled and conquered the area of the Vale of the White Horse and parts of the Thames valley. From this base the family expanded their territory until they controlled most of the south. At a later date they lost the original lands to Mercia and this gives rise to the suggestion that Alfred was not born at Wantage.
As the youngest son he was never expecting to be king but the deaths of his older brothers saw him onto the throne at the age of 23. At this time the Vikings controlled all of the other kingdoms with the exception of Mercia and so the two free kingdoms combined to resist the conquerors.
The difficulties of the next few years almost saw the defeat of Wessex particularly after the fall of Mercia. The fact that Alfred finally won the struggle is not in question. There are many uncertainties, however, where the final decisive battle took place: in the Somerset levels which is most likely or somewhere further east nearer the White Horse.
One thing that can be said about Alfred according to our speaker is that he was more than a warrior king. He wrote more than any other English monarch to the present day. He translated many Latin text adding extensive digressions giving his own thoughts.
Having set in place the defensive measures necessary to maintain the kingdom's independence he also created a social governmental system which allowed his successors to expand outwards and force the whole of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms under their rule within fifty years of the final battle with the Vikings.
Where Alfred's body now rests is a mystery. Although it is known that he was laid to rest in the Old Minster at Winchester the subsequent redevelopment of the site and the creation of two later buildings meant that the remains were relocated and the final place has been completely lost. A nineteenth century claim to have located the bones is now not widely accepted.
So we now have many questions to be answered. The burnt cakes might be myth but how many of all the other stories about the founder of the English nation will be proved or disproved? Our speaker's view is that it may be impossible to settle some arguments and that some, such as his birthplace, really do not matter.
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