Alfred the great biography assertive

One of the benefits of being a king in the dark ages turns out to be an ability to control the messages being given out about you — something which quickly becomes impossible as literacy spreads. So when we read Asser, we of course need to remember that this is not a hard hitting expose …it is close to hagiography. He was loved by his father and mother, and even by all the people, above all his brothers, and was educated altogether at the court of the king.

As he advanced through the years of infancy and youth, his form appeared more comely than that of his brothers ; in look, in speech, and in manners he was more graceful than they. His noble nature implanted in him from his cradle a love of wisdom above all things; but, with shame be it spoken, by the unworthy neglect of his parents and nurses, he remained illiterate even till he was twelve years old or more ; but he listened with serious attention to the Saxon poems which he often heard recited, and easily retained them in his docile memory.

He was a zealous practiser of hunting in all its branches, and hunted with great assiduity and success; for skill and good fortune in this art, as in all others, are among the gifts of God, as we also have often witnessed.

Who was king after athelstan

On a certain day, therefore, his mother was showing him and his brother a Saxon book of poetry, which she held in her hand, and said,. Stimulated by these words, or rather by the Divine inspiration, and allured by the beautifully illuminated letter at the beginning of the volume, he spoke before all his brothers, who, though his seniors in age, were not so in grace, and answered,.

At this his mother smiled with satisfaction, and confirmed what she had before said. Upon which the boy took the book out of her hand, and went to his master to read it, and in due time brought it to his mother and recited it. After this he learned the daily course, that is, the celebration of the hours, and afterwards certain psalms, and several prayers, contained in a certain book which he kept day and night in his bosom, as we ourselves have seen, and carried about with him to assist his prayers, amid all the bustle and business of this present life.

But, sad to say he could not gratify his most ardent wish to learn the liberal arts, because, as he said, there were no good readers at that time in all the kingdom of the West-Saxons.