Cultural depictions of Alfred the Great
Cultural depictions of Alfred the Great in art, writing, education and other mediums i / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Alfred the Great was an Anglo-Saxon king (871–899) of Wessex, an Anglo-Saxon kingdom that existed from 519 to 927 south of the river Thames in England. In the late 9th century, the Vikings had overrun most of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that constituted England at the time. Alfred's reign has become regarded as pivotal in the eventual unification of England, after he famously defended Wessex and southern England against the Viking invasions, winning a decisive victory at the Battle of Edington in 878.
Most of what we know about the historical Alfred comes from his biography Life of King Alfred, written by a Welsh monk Asser, under Alfred's own direction during his reign in 893. This is the earliest biography of an English ruler. It was not until the English Reformation in the 16th century, that Alfred was first given the epithet "the Great", when he was regarded as the ideal Christian sovereign. Over 600 years after his life, Alfred began to inspire many artistic and cultural works, with a height in the Victorian period, when the cult of Alfred developed into a significant cultural force in literature, the visual arts, and national consciousness. The lists and images on this page cover depictions or references to Alfred in a wide range of media, including works of art, literature, histories and plays (mostly favourably or heroically); plus educational establishments named in his honour. Additionally listed are more recent representations of Alfred in popular culture, including film, television, modern historical fiction and video games.