How Alfred the Great Combatted Viking Invasions

Alfred the Great’s military reform lastingly influenced the history of the British Isles. He identified the strengths and weaknesses of both the Vikings and his own forces and reacted with an appropriate strategy: a so-called deep defensive system. Alfred's system of defense fundamentally changed the way the Anglo-Saxons dealt with the continuous Viking raids and it helped establishing a surprisingly centralized government for early medieval European standards. In this video we will point out five important ways which helped Alfred to deter the Vikings.
Thanks to CuriosityStream for sponsoring this video: Check them out here → curiositystream.thld.co/sandr... and get 25% off your yearly subscription by using the promo code sandrhoman
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Bibliography
Abels, R., Alfred the Great, the micel hæðen here and the Viking threat, in: T. Reuter (ed.), Alfred the Great. Papers from the Eleventh-Centenary Conferences, Ashgate 2003.
Bjarni, E., De Normanorum Atrocitate, or on the execution by the Aquiline method, in: Saga-Book of the Viking Society for Northern Research, 22 (1988), p. 79-82.
Bjarni, E., The blood eagle once more: A. Blóðörn - an observation on the ornithological aspect, in: Saga-Book of the Viking Society for Northern Research, 23 (1990), p. 80-1.
Christiansen, E., The Norsemen in the Viking Age, Malden MA 2002.
Frank, R., Viking atrocity and Skaldic verse: the rite of the blood-eagle, in: EHR 1984, p. 332-43.
Frank, R., The blood-eagle again, in: Saga-Book of the Viking Society for Northern Research, 22 (1988), p. 287-89.
Frank, R., The blood-eagle once more: B. Ornithology and the interpretation of skaldic verse, in: Saga-Book of the Viking Society for Northern Research, 23 (1990), p. 81-3.
Griffith, P., The Viking Art of War, London 1995.
Halsall, G., Warfare and Society in the Barbarian West, c. 450-900, London 2003.
Kelly, E.P. and Maas, J., Vikings on the Barrow: Dunrally Fort, a possible Viking longphort in County Laois, in: Archaeology Ireland, 9.3 (1995): 30-2.
Lavelle, R., Alfred’s Wars. Sources and Interpretations of Anglo-Saxon Warfare in the Viking Age, Woodbridge 2010.
Lund, N., The armies of Swein Forkbeard and Cnut: leding or lið?, in: Anglo-Saxon England
15 (1985), 105-18.
Lund, N., If the Vikings knew a Leding - what was it like?, in: B. Ambrosiani and H. Clarke (eds) Developments Around the Baltic and the North Sea in the Viking Age (Proceedings of the Twelfth Viking Congress; Birka Studies 3), Stockholm 1994.
Lund, N., Lið, leding og landeværn. Hær og samfund i Danmark i ældre middelalder, Vikingeskibshallen 1996.
Lund, N., Is leidang a Nordic or a European phenomenon?, in: Nørgård Jørgensen, A. and Clausen, B.L. (eds), Military Aspects of Scandinavian Society in a European Perspective, ad 1-1300 (Publications from the National Museum 2), Copenhagen 1997.
Malmros, R., Leding og skaldekvad. Det elvte århundredes nordiske krigsflåder, deres teknologi og organisation og deres placering i samfundet belyst gennem den samtidige fyrstedigtning, Aarbøger for Nordisk Oldkyndighet og Historie (1985): 89-139.
Malmros, R., Leiðangr in Old Norse court poetry, in: A. Nørgård Jørgensen et al. (eds), Maritime warfare in northern Europe : technology, organisation, logistics and administration 500 BC-1500, Copenhagen 2002.
Myhre, B., The archaeology of the early Viking Age in Norway, in: H.B. Clarke et al. (eds), Ireland and Scandinavia in the Early Viking Age, Dublin 1998.
Pedersen, A., Viking Weaponry, in: Brink, S./Price, N., The Viking World, Abingdon 2008, p. 204-211.

[@SandRhomanHistory]

Thanks to CuriosityStream for sponsoring this video: Check them out here → curiositystream.thld.co/sandrhoman and get 25% off your yearly subscription by using the promo code sandrhoman

[@ZenexTheZealous]

During the Curiosity stream ad-break I thought he was reccomending "the history of whales from pre history to their defense against the anglo saxons" 😅

[@getawaydreamer2724]

Why are you including a paid promotion? I just got stuck on 7 fucking ads to watch this broken up video.

[@sidvisjes8621]

E

[@frenstcht]

You'd probably get more people trying curiosity stream if you just said, "I spend ten hours a week watching it. You should, too," instead of that ridiculous rigmarole they give you. Just fyi.

[@Thraim.]

Popular fiction Vikings: bloodthirsty warriors who live to kill Actual Vikings: only attack the least protected targets possible It's almost like real people didn't want to die even back then.

[@JP-rf8rr]

To be fair, you can be blood thirsty AND attack weak targets specifically. Just like how someone can be a rapist AND only target vulnerable people.

[@alexmag342]

It snt not wanting to die, its not having any effective and pratical means to take the fortifications.

[@theknave4415]

Why attack a fort or a village full of serfs, when the lightly defended monasteries and churches had all of the gold? ;)

[@D-B-Cooper]

They were mostly peaceful protesters.

[@larshemmer1192]

@@D-B-Cooper hahahahhaa

[@bushyrho1674]

It is so hard to believe that make videos of such high quality with a gaming computer held up by a cardboard box.

[@doigt6590]

A gaming computer would be powerful enough to make high quality videos, however what is incredible is not the fact that this video would be made on a gaming computer, no that's not what I see at least. To me, it seems to just be an old laptop. I haven't seen such a thick laptop since the middle ages gee.

[@bushyrho1674]

@@doigt6590 He said it was his old gaming laptop in his latest community post. I meant a laptop that he played games on.

[@SandRhomanHistory]

It's probably not as bad as it looks. Intel core I7, 16gb ram, geforce 1070. Run most things in general but overheats, runs out of vram (photoshop / premiere pro / after effects), crashes etc

[@battlesofantiquity7449]

SandRhoman History Did you animate the fighting in this with after effects?

[@JayzsMr]

@@SandRhomanHistory pretty good laptop

[@lumburgapalooza]

I can't tell you how helpful this has been in dealing with my own viking problems. Great tutorial!

[@hoze1235]

They are camping in my backyard

[@Albert_1_of_Belgium]

​@hoze1235 Try giving them mead and bread. They'll either be satisfied and leave of come back for more. Usually it's worth the risk though.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

12:32 The Beacons are lit! Wessex calls for aid!

[@rubenskiii]

Oh shit someone had the same idea as me! U've beat me to the punch to.

[@vrisbrianm4720]

And Mercia will answer!

[@MrChickennugget360]

@@vrisbrianm4720 damn i was going to say the exact same thing!

[@anglosaxon1019]

well lord of the rings is based on English mythology

[@mjfleming319]

If only Rohan had come to Essex’ aid....

[@battlez9577]

Seeing Anglo saxon and norse armies walk the same way as landsneckts is very comforting

[@kaasmaster8892]

Walk, walk never changes

[@Evangeline.F]

Not gonna lie, I was like "Wait, when did whales have to deal with anglo-saxons encroaching on their oceans?" Took me a moment.

[@ProfessorSyndicateFranklai]

Well, whaling was a source of food during the middle ages and more importantly, precious ivory iirc, where it was available, although I do not recall any close sources to Wessex and the most populated areas.

[@JohnSmith-kt2xb]

@@ProfessorSyndicateFranklai the severn estury still has a population of whales and dolphins

[@fleeingdutchman8883]

viking: *enters wessex alfred: "shut up and take my money"

[@brankopavlica6364]

I'll give you 100 bucks to fuck off

[@Jazmillenium]

Marcelo Henrique Soares da Silva it’s a meme, you dip

[@dvez566]

@@Jazmillenium cool kids and their memes.

[@caualongshanks]

@@dvez566 ok boomer

[@BoopSnoot]

Modern day England: Third World: *enters UK Government: "shut up and take my money"

[@CrAzymusician100]

Well done! Congrats for the sponsorship as well! Well deserved.

[@gabrielsa9751]

I cant remember the last time i was happy to see a sponsorship in a video

[@civilisatopedia]

I just started making videos about ancien secret and old civilisation Have a look and help me out

[@d.m.collins1501]

I love that "Easy Targets" chart at 9:23.

[@FusionAero]

It was a good business model at the time, with long-term benefits. Carrying off the comeliest wenches and best livestock for breeding, while leaving the uglier and lankier examples behind for your enemy to breed with, is why there are the iconic Swedish Bikini Teams,(in a county with maybe a month of actual bikini weather) and stereotypically gawky, pasty, snaggle-toothed Brits today.:-D

[@hubris7434]

Fantastic video, as always, though you forgot #6: hire a video game character named Uhtred to ride around with his special sword and do literally everything.

[@damuvang1915]

I loved Alfred in The Last Kingdom.

[@Moghwacy723]

yea David Dawson did a great job portraying king Alfred!

[@arturkarpinski164]

The only King of England to be called the Great!!!!!

[@FusionAero]

The mythic King Arthur was a composite of several early British leaders, with Alfred arguably being the main contributer.

[@arturkarpinski164]

@@FusionAero that's who I've been named after!!!

[@nickwilliamson5663]

Except Cnut. If he counts.

[@Joe-nm2lm]

@@nickwilliamson5663 We dont like to talk about him

[@godking]

@@FusionAero King Arthur precedes Alfred by 3-4 centuries.

[@sisyphus4468]

I'm so happy for you. Congratulations on the sponsorship. You deserve even more. I'm waiting to see you hit 1 million subscribers.

[@t.wcharles2171]

Glad I can at least contribute one

[@leeboy26]

'You didn't leave Wessex, when I specifically paid you to?' -King Alfred Scott.

[@vanivanov9571]

13:10 Alfred's victories and defensive measures are likely why Viking attacks calmed down and didn't flare up again.

[@fiddlesticks7245]

He beat them so bad their leaders were forcefully converted. Yeah I agree

[@loke1555]

@@fiddlesticks7245 and then they came again as Normanns and took over the whole of England so who where the winner in the end. Your royal family comes from Rollo, who in turn was from Norway or Denmark. Do you agree😂

[@fiddlesticks7245]

@@loke1555 I'm not an anglo and Normans are cool as shit, ignore the fact that they'd been frank-ified by then and had deeper ties to France than Norway, which I also like. Rollo wasn't a viking, Harald Hardrada was though and look at him. Mr Hard Ruler's also a cool guy in my book though

[@loke1555]

@@fiddlesticks7245 what are u then if I may ask. frank-ified or not it was the Normanns how invaded England not the Franks. Buy the way if an English man grows up as a Christian but later converts to islam do he then becom Arabic? no he does not he becomes a english Muslim. So the vikings did indeed win in the end. And yes Harald Hardråde was an incredible man

[@fiddlesticks7245]

@@loke1555 What are you saying lmao The normans were culturally frank, that was my point. And my ancestors are Icelanders

[@Maus_Indahaus]

It seems to me that your English has improved a lot compared to your old episodes. Keep up the good work!

[@SandRhomanHistory]

hey thanks for noticing! I'm trying, though I fear I will never get rid of the obvious accent :)

[@cariri12]

Never loose your accent. It's party of you. Just soft is enough. Anyone learning your language would also have an accent.

[@CaptMoerik]

@@SandRhomanHistory Keep the accent bro, it is what makes SandRhoman, SandRhoman.

[@staringgasmask]

I just came here 1 minute after you posted. This is a pretty interesting theme, I'm anxious to reach the conclusion

[@YoreHistory]

Congrats SanRhoman! On both the sponsorship and a FANTASTIC video! Cheers.

[@philRminiatures]

Congrats for this new little gem, great animations, ideas and informations...and for your sponsor!😍😍

[@cesargonzalez4146]

Great video as always. And what a refreshing change of topic, I love pike and shot and late medieval military matters, but you apply a level of research and quality no other channel have. Keep up the good work, sir.

[@neilog747]

I wish history was this interesting at my English school. 10/10.

[@G1ennbeckismyher0]

Yeah now it's all woke indoctrination

[@hashimbokhamseen7877]

damn man! I wish I could help with the setup situation, huge respect to your efforts for dishing out this great content despite your technical constraints.

[@sarahsidney1988]

Congrats for the sponsorship. Your videos are the best!!

[@Franciscavid]

Love your channel man! Currently it is the channel that I'm hopping to have the most success so the world can have more of your amazing videos

[@erictko85]

SandRhoman = ONE OF THE BEST. Curiosity Stream is very good, I have a 1 year subscription and am enjoying it so far. Thanks for all your videos.

[@etuanno]

About the roads/army paths it sounded like Heer Weg where Heer is the German word for the army and Weg is just a small road. Because it was before English split off from the German dialect continuum due to the Norse and French influence I'd say that translation is pretty much on point.

[@klausbrinck2137]

i dont think he even said "heer weg". sounded to me more like "heerer weg", which sounds much more like "hoeerer weg", which is written in german as "höherer weg", and means "higher way".

[@JudgeEomer]

The word is "heahweg" and literally just means "high way". High in this context doesn't necessarily mean physically taller, but holding more figurative prominence. It is cognate with Hoch rather than Heer.

[@honkbonk84]

Wonderful as always!

[@thekillerIV]

I love your videos, the amount of effort put into the bibliography and the illustrations is amazing! And the selection of the information is also really relevant, congrats!

[@SandRhomanHistory]

Thanks man, really appreciate the comment!

[@hamley1998]

This video and the others that you've done on this time period have given so much context and flavour to my thrones on Britania games

[@nubber04]

As a welshman, the moment i heard "i enjoyed the history of wales" i knew it would like this

[@SkywalkerExpress]

The Vikings : "Invade Wessex!!" King Alfred : "Stop!! ... or i will pay you!!!".

[@Dobermann89-dr2rc]

He also did defeat them a few times but yeah it’s because he paid them Rofl

[@SkywalkerExpress]

@@Dobermann89-dr2rc im just joking with my comment but yes, King Alfred fight the Viking using total war tactics, if you cant always protect your kingdom with military might, you can use other resources. As long as you are not being overrun, you still have a chance in the future.

[@madisonbryant4417]

Man I love your videos, I've already re watched them. I wish I had more :)

[@SandRhomanHistory]

aww thanks man! more is soon to come :)

[@davidgonzalez-herrera2980]

I really enjoyed this video and the animations/illustrations. I subbed. Keep up the good work ! Alfred has many good quotes like the “it’s just a game” flawed mentality. Maybe perhaps you can do a video on his life or about him in general.

[@christophehumblet9063]

Amazing content! this channel is still so highly underrated. See you at a million subscribers

[@tick999]

12:30 is the dragons back in Derbyshire. I made my old dad climb it 😅 there is a local pub near called The Quiet Woman, 400 years old with a picture of a headless woman who lost her head because she nagged her husband into a rage

[@1dayhabit]

We were fortunate to have such an intelligent, innovative and persistent king. Assessing an enemy's tactics and coming up with clever strategies and tactics to countermand them - especially things like burhs and a navy, which take much forethought, time and expense - is truly impressive. He even invented candles with lines on them to show when an hour had passed. No wonder they called him Great. I seem to recall that he had poor health for most of his life. Quite a man. I moved to Chippenham, where he had a palace and fought a battle, so I've taken quite an interest in him of late. Thanks for a very interesting video.

[@iseeyou5061]

My favorite artstyle historian now branch out to medieval england wooooo! This is awesome

[@mdmiloy5897]

NICE WORK

[@robertgabuna355]

Much appreciated this Video

[@theodorosgkountoulidis2385]

Another incredible visual & informative video from ΣΡ. And to think it all comes from a guy working on a laptop on top of a cardboard!

[@conorlane1]

Another excellent video! A slight correction necessary at 12:40 - Highway comes from Old English 'heahweg', the heah referring either to it being elevated and/or being the main road rather than stemming from OE 'here'. :)

[@mllhild]

my work laptop is also on a desk with a paper box so that I can stand in front of it. So much better than sitting

[@theoutdoorappreciationsoci8858]

Normie historian: Ha ha Alfred paid them. Chad historian: Alfred strategised to remain powerful.

[@SkywalkerExpress]

the nobles : our king is paying the enemy! Alfred : Im not paying them, im bribing them to our advantage.

[@Brandonhayhew]

@@SkywalkerExpress you can bribe them but there’ll be more coming to you for showing such dishonorable acts. Novgorod’s bribed the Mongol golden hordes off but the Teutonic Knights came to conquer Novgorod. They destroyed that army because of Alexander Nevsky

[@1425363878]

"Burhs" Sounds like the German word "Burg", meaning castle.

[@edelachtbare100]

A docu about Whales sounds like fun, though I'm more of a Salmon guy myself.

[@THEAmateurSommelier]

All content creators start small somewhere with any resources available. Just keep on creating the content.

[@mdmiloy5897]

THANK YOU

[@Xanctus]

congrats on the sponsors.

[@noemiekramer7699]

I alwasy wonder why Alfred choose the sumerset marches to retreat. There must have been way better retreats...

[@kebman]

Those beakons are called _varder_ in Norway. If translated directly, it becomes _ward are._ It's pretty similar to the Swedish word _vård_ which means care or care unit. But it can also mean to guard something, or to warn, or make aware. This is just from the top of my head, though. In English there's of course the word _ward,_ which has almost the same meaning as the Swedish word, and the verb _to ward off._ In Norwegian _en varde_ (a beakon) means a beakon made from a pyre elevated on a mound or tower of rocks, usually situated atop a mountain, so that the neighbouring village or guard can see it. They are pretty common over here.

[@shawnbeckett1370]

Ty, awesome.

[@northumbriabushcraft1208]

Do you have any plans to cover the history of King Cnut the Great of the Northumbrian empire, and the history of Northumbria? Would be cool for you to cover William the Bastard and his harrying of the north too, probably the darkest time in Northumbrian history. Love your channel btw, keep up the great work! :)

[@Yup71719]

One of My Fav Kings. So amazing

[@brokenbridge6316]

Nice video. I found it to be very informative. Hey was it made in response to Assassin's Creed Valhalla that is now out.

[@gabrielvanhauten4169]

Brilliant

[@demilung]

Viking baptism reviews would be something I'd check out

[@benchokwaiman]

Interesting video

[@mariushunger8755]

Seems Wessex was paywalled by Alfred...

[@ThePuschkin1986]

that one bald and bearded viking soldier in one scene looks very similar to a guy in the swiss or landsknecht videos. apparently a direct descendant whose family emigrated from scandinavia and settled in the holy roman empire :)

[@shadowwarriorshockwave3281]

Finally got the notification On time YAY

[@NH-bh5zq]

Amazing

[@rubenskiii]

I already knew Rohan from LoTR (the movies) was influenced by the Saxons and other Early Medieval Germanic tribes heavily but man they even took the beacon system! *"THE BEACONS ARE LIT! WESSEX CALLS FOR AID!"*

[@clintmoor422]

vikings tv show theme song lyrics fit my opinion about you and viking content: "more, give me more, give me more"

[@bramzegwaard2198]

Please make a video about the raid on the medway.

[@willkp50]

Thanks for the video mate. We don’t usually learn about our history in English schools...

[@dennisshaper4744]

When Alfred hid out in the marsh to regroup, it was my understanding that came after he was surprised while wintering at one of his semi fortified estates by a Viking attack...not after losing a field battle. I thought this came after an agreement was made with the Vikings for peace. He didn't expect an attack during the winter months.

[@debeste7401]

Unbelievable good movie!

[@juanblanco1267]

Oh fuck, i completely forgot that i’ve been paying for curiosity stream for years

[@Orgikan]

I particularly like their brilliant episode on the history of whales. (Nice, whales are awesome!) It covers whales from their prehistory to their defense against invading Anglosaxons. :0

[@RickJaeger]

Older video, so I don't hold this against you, but just in case no one else has mentioned it: at 10:56, "amused" is used, where I think "enthused" was meant. "Enamored" also would have worked. Not a big deal, though.

[@MrMacrotus]

Alfred didn't defeat the Vikings alone. check out Ceowulf the Mercian king who was written out of history.

[@declan_jb139]

Thank you for this, I’m a lord in Northumberland and these vikings can be a real issue

[@duncanbennett2898]

I grew up less than half a mile from Egbert's stone, it's actually in the middle of a golf course in Stourton (Bullpits). There's no way to prove it definitively of course but local folklore saya it is, plus it's on relatively flat plateau of a network of hills full of freshwater springs, and seems a sensible place to gather your army. Alfred's tower is a marvellous piece of folly work by the Hoares at Stourhead but is unlikely to be the site of the battle. The landscape in that area is a mix of deep small valleys (called Combes locally) and flatter areas that would have been quite heavily forested back then. It really could have been anywhere within a couple of miles.

[@mihovilraboteg2888]

I litterally just finished 3 season of "The Last Kingdom" where Alfred dies...coincidence? I think not.

[@youngshinobi7208]

Thanks for spoiling that buddy. I appreciate that.

[@mihovilraboteg2888]

@@youngshinobi7208 Sorry,but i mean you should have known it was coming...all tho i didnt spoil the best part,you will see.

[@theanglo-lithuanian1768]

@@youngshinobi7208 Did you expect him to live forever?

[@youngshinobi7208]

@@theanglo-lithuanian1768 of course not. All of those people are dead, but when you know exactly when they're gonna die in the story It ruins it. For all I know he would've died in the second season but now I know it's the 3rd.

[@theanglo-lithuanian1768]

@@youngshinobi7208 Makes sense.

[@stevengrant4117]

Wasnt the Francia Empire split into 3 already by the time of Alfred?

[@1ramyus]

It's all due to Uhtred of Bebbanburg, not king Alfred! Like Alfred told him, you have won, but I will be remembered. :)

[@adamstrange7884]

Bernard Cornwell does a great historical fiction on Alfred.

[@SteveSmith-bq9rk]

Very entertainimg and informative video! I notice that you made no claim for the location of the vital Battle of Edington. Ralph Whitlock in 'The Warrior Kings of Saxon England' claims that the Danish Army were observing Alfred on Athelney from the Polden Hills with a view to attacking him when conditions permitted. It was these forces that Alfred was skirmishing with. He reckons that Alfred would have been able to leave Athelney unobserved to rally his forces in Selwood Forest, from where he made a forced march to the end of the Polden Hills trapping the Danes on a narrow ridge between impenetrable marshland, and forcing a battle at the village of Edington. The Somerset Edington is close to both Aller where Guthrum was baptised and Wedmore where he was entertained, and has a far more credible claim to be the site of the Battle of Edington than the Wiltshire Edington.

[@phineascampbell3103]

How come it's Wessex suddenly!? I've been searching the map for the county of Vessex, but you've just taken care to, omg what's this! the West Saxons!!? With a W! I'm gonna have to come to terms with this new detail! Unless it's just names, I'm gonna miss hearing about the wictims of massacres!

[@andreattafabio]

More Viking-Videos please

[@RobRoyBoaz]

In other words, he started off with a SWOT Analysis.

[@cliffordjensen8064]

Nice video. I think history would have been very different had the Vikings destroyed Wessex. You could say that that Alfred created the basis of a centralized state on the Island that exists to this day. King Canute and William the Bastard wanted to run this state, not destroy it.

[@theromanorder]

2:35 pay 3:40 FIGHT (sheld wall with heavy Middevel infantry)

[@RickJaeger]

Medieval

[@jaliyasubzero4592]

With uhtred of bebbanburg

[@Strawhalo]

Cool

[@itshistorysenpai2895]

Alfred's defenses is like the Roman defense during the 3rd century AD

[@Fuzen.]

Helpless people’s reaction to the Viking's attacks : “Bruh.” Alfred the Great’s reaction : Burhs.

[@SandRhomanHistory]

made me blow air out my nostrils

[@olivebranch4166]

It's also the modern word "interface"and "interstate"

[@kebman]

Burrh sounds eerily like bourg, bourgh, or even burrow, barrow, which means hill, or fort. Hm.

[@sarfcowst]

Yes it survives in Modern English as the word borough that once meant a fortress, then a settlement based on a fortress and finally came to mean a town with a charter giving certain self-governing privileges.

[@hommhommhomm]

0:00 SWOT analysis actually being useful, didn't see that coming

[@veyron7412]

alfred is basically that one guy that if he cant pass the level, he just bought his way to skip it

Why this video is not marked 'sponsored by XY' in the title?

[@jonathanwells223]

War was a lot quieter back then

[@redwaldcuthberting7195]

W was not said as a v. Highway comes from heahweg 'hey-ach wey.'

[@phineascampbell3103]

9:06 "I really want to go home to my wife and my cow and fork." "With your cow? That's disgusting." "I said fork, idiot, f o r k..."

[@krushnaji4940]

Those days cows and horses consider as most valued commodities by the farmers

[@rollthetape88]

13:57 Wessex did not asorb the remenments of the other Saxon kingdoms, They were in a confederation.

[@theallseeingmaster]

And that folks is why King Alfred is called 'the Great'.

[@threethrushes]

How to defeat the pagans. 2. Fight them. Eh?

[@syntax2004]

Gib money

[@anthonyfava9367]

So Alfred wasn't overseeing a contrived trial by combat when he was driven into the marshes from his own capital