Who Was Alfred the Great?

Alfred the Great was the last of four brothers to be King of Wessex, before taking the title King of the Anglo-Saxons. He kept his Kingdom safe from Viking invaders, built defenses unseen in Britain since the time of the Romans, and restored much of England's intellectual standards after the destruction of her places of learning.
But who really was Alfred the Great?
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[@LookBackHistory]

If you liked this video you might want to know how Anglo-Saxon England came to an end. Find out more about the Norman Conquest here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXLZaXxuZbOibpI

[@brokenrecord3523]

Geez, Spoiler Alert maybe?

[@HebrewHakaishin]

Why don't you cover black history of Europe, you racist

[@chipsthedog1]

The last kingdom is actually quite accurate for a TV show as well as being mad entertaining. King Alfred is amazing in the show as my favourite quote goes "you can't beat him because the bastard thinks"

[@sheevpalpatine7056]

The last Kingdom*

[@chipsthedog1]

@@sheevpalpatine7056 Thankyou, don't know how I did that! Lol

[@sheevpalpatine7056]

@@chipsthedog1 I hate being the person to do it so apologies but although the show got stupid sometimes I felt I had to 😂

[@Skillorex]

Agreed!

[@AndyGarcia-ch1ci]

The last kingdom gets a 10 out of 10 from me. Truly amazing show and super underrated.

[@obi-wankenobi744]

But Uhtred of Bebanburgh will not be mentionned...

[@AC-hj9tv]

Burbreg bof bebanburgh

[@Cados52]

But, Alfred knows it to be true...

[@soulofachristian8704]

😅🤣😂

[@whotookmypenisissmall1019]

uhtred was born 2 year before alfred died

[@Wafflefarts]

I thought about that tbh 😅

[@twitts6041]

The first king of England was Alfred's grandson, Ethelstan, son of Edward.

[@totallynottofu7503]

Æthelstan (just typing for fun)

[@thevampirecielphantomhive2342]

Athelstan (Æthelstan)

[@TheBlazingDead]

On a technicality. Alfred was the first king of all of England. Athelstan was the first king of all England as it is now. Alfred had Danelaw to contend with.

[@Scepticalasfuk]

@@TheBlazingDead I'm on your side because you don't use those weirdly, somewhat girly-man letters that try to combine a and e as though it's some kind of feat of intellect and erudition!

[@AKJ-Editz]

@@TheBlazingDead thats what i am saying thanks

[@pushingprofound2064]

Anyone else here after listening to Hacks From the Past podcast?! I'm seriously obsessed with Alfred the Great now, can't get enough. The man had an indomitable spirit and his story is inspiring.

[@subliminaljuggernaut7278]

from what i understand, alfred isnt called the great because of his miliary victories but because he was a true christian king. when he defeated his enemies, he didnt slaughter or enslave them as was the habit of the time, instead he gave them the choice to become his subjects protected under law, which meant that the vikings werent wiped out in england but instead became steadfast supporters of the english realm. theres a story i was told that exemplifies alfred: his army was besiging an enemy castle and his army had captured the young son of the the lord of the castle. it was usual to demonstate hopelessness of the beseiged by maiming of hostages. usually the son would have been made blind and tortured in front of the castle walls. instead alfred showed the son to the castle walls but rather than torturing alfred played conkers with the boy and taught him chess. this was astonishing behaviour. when the seige was ended there was no looting or pillaging, and the lord was allowed to remain so long as he pledged fealty, which he did with tears of gratitude. in later years the boy became one of alfreds most loyal ministers. This and other reasons is why he was called great. Mercy, compassion, intelligence

[@5thribroarn304]

Alfred The Great was also known for starting the building of stone walls as fortification from constant attacks, which did thwart the attacks and thefts from Churches/Monasteries. He also encouraged Learning and the reading of Books which were rare in those days. Just sharing.

[@julianmarsh8384]

As an old man, I find it sad that in American public education, history books now ignore Alfred, sometimes altogether. When I was young, there he was, right after reading of Charlemagne...now, all gone...or, almost all gone ( I shouldn't generalize so sharply)...Alfred is the only British king to be called 'the Great' and for good reason; he did not simply unite the Anglo-Saxons together and stalemate the Vikings; he also tried to revive civilization.

[@lehistoryconnoisseur1441]

A great but forgotten king of England. Even here in England. I for one never learned about him in School till last year. (i knew of him before that from private study) But the fact that i wasn't taught till than goes into a deeper problem that History in general is massively under taught

[@LookBackHistory]

Yeah, generally English history classes start with the Normans. Of course, they're important but the reason they're important is because of the massive changes they brought about in England. Rarely is the question asked: what did England look like before those changes began?

[@lehistoryconnoisseur1441]

Look Back History Exactly we learn of the Romans and than a little on the Anglo saxons. But just skip the Heptarchy and the Viking kings and go to William the conqueror. Infact in School we’re were learning of the Vikings and Alfred was a side character as we were focusing on the Danelaw and Jorvik in particular.

[@twitts6041]

Alfred was not a king of England. He was the king of Wessex, a Saxon country. He was the first king to visualise a United saxon kingdom called England, which means land of the Angles. Which has made me think as to why England is not called Saxland. The first king of England was Alfred's grandson, Ethelstan.

[@fredatkin1568]

Speak for you self if it wasn’t for him are great nation wouldn’t of exist I will all ways remember this king he was a true king who fight with his men against are Viking cousins

[@WeiderMystic]

teach history to your kids - don't let the subpar schools rob your children of England's great history.

[@Wolfen443]

Amazing story, The Last Kingdom in my opinion does a better job describing real history than Vikings.

[@jawadabdullah855]

While the last kingdom gave more pov from anglo Saxon while Vikings from Vikings pov. Although the last kingdom gives more info on Alfred the great

[@AJ-jv1wh]

Vikings were never meant to be accurate tbf. They have odin show up and the valkyries taking dead ppl to valhalla in the first scene of the show . Pretty sure that was them telling us the show was fantasy based on real characters, not accurate historical documentary

[@serronserron1320]

@@AJ-jv1wh Yeah they pretty much wrap up 300 years of legendary viking icons add smush them together into one family

[@m_zero3009]

Vikings had a more difficult job to show real history tbf since there were more accurate saxon records than viking

[@G9gravity]

Vikings and the last kingdom are not in the same time

[@dianamiteva5554]

The Last Kingdom send me here.

[@kooralive5110]

It did send me too , weird Alfred in the show did a great job I love him!

[@e.mchristina5260]

Nah, Vikings haha

[@dianamiteva5554]

@@e.mchristina5260 and what do u think was the reason I start watching The Last Kingdom 😀😀

[@destinhook3826]

Yup 😂

[@brokenrecord3523]

Wanting to understand the history behind historical fiction is the sign of an inquisitive mind. Well done.🏆 Although, LBH could have at least mentioned Uhtred. I mean, look at all he did!😉

[@deepakpatrick3885]

I watched this video because of last kingdom series ♥️♥️♥️.. Video is good ✌️✌️

[@neilwatkins6952]

Just shows how important well made, entertaining TV series based at least loosely on real historical events are now that we don’t read much history and get taught it. Interesting also that our state broadcaster the BBC gave up on the Last Kingdom after two series and Netflix took it up. No doubt it was getting in the way of yet another cooking programme on the schedules...

[@rudinaalrashidi9013]

Same thing 😅😅

[@Digmen1]

I watched this video because of the Vikings tv series

[@Dzendere]

Me too

[@AnonYmous-lk9qy]

Wow, absolutely excellent video. Very clear with the pictures and animations, thanks very much.

[@LookBackHistory]

No problem!

[@TriviaNight]

Very interesting video! Always enjoy learning more about European history!

[@LookBackHistory]

More to come, of that you can be assured!

[@Digmen1]

Yes I enjoyed it A real voice for a change As a proud Englishman, I should know more of our early history. It looks like we owe a lot to Afred the great with those burghs etc

[@jaymehta9037]

very helpful will definitely subscribe

[@carcaperu4041]

0:35 That guy is unquestionably an ancestor of Boris Johnson.

[@ashleypenn7845]

Perfect for our homeschool unit. Thanks for sharing.

[@openmindedwonderer]

Brilliant video, really explains it well

[@kelleycast8337]

great video!love cast

[@snazzyquizzes2336]

Good video about an underrated era of history. I'm not being nitpicky, but I just thought you might like to know this: you know that symbol ae used in Anglo-Saxon names? They call it an ash and apparently you pronounce it like the a in 'hat'. So for a name like Aethelflaed, you would pronounce it 'Athelflad' not 'Ethelflade' like a lot of people do. I've seen a few vids about the Dark Ages in the past and plenty of people don't know this.

[@LookBackHistory]

Ahh, that makes sense I suppose, considering we pronounce Ælfred as Alfred. Stupid Normans, French-ifying my Anglo-Saxon and screwing up my pronunciations!

[@snazzyquizzes2336]

@@LookBackHistory How did you get the A and e to merge in Aelfred?

[@LookBackHistory]

By copying it out of Wikipedia where they had already done it for me :)

[@tonymaurice4157]

@@LookBackHistory King Alfred must have used archers in his army. let me know if you have any historical records of this 👍

[@annamosier1950]

very good info

[@alyinthevalley7075]

im just here because im watching The Last kingdom and wanted a lil more history on it :)

[@jamesmoriarty9603]

Saaaaaaaame, I'm on my second run-through of the show and love it even more. I'm catching more things, getting more invested in things, and happily reliving the stories again

[@nickwootton-smith5428]

Hell yea great vid

[@zaynisaac9711]

I subscribed and liked this vid and this is cool

[@LookBackHistory]

Hey, thanks!

[@ToxyBlack]

May I be picky and say that the black colour the East Anglia words on the dark blue background colour is quite hard to read on the map at begin. Maybe a better contrast would of helped. Oerall I enjoy your video is easy to understand and love all the details explained with images as I can memorise better visually. I left a thumb up and maybe in future Ill subscribe to your content.

[@FlawedFabrications]

Just a quick correction: the Anglo-Saxons never drove the Britons out of England. They ruled and interbred with them, eventually changing their language and culture, but there was never a population replacement.

[@tomben6180]

This isn’t true, Ancient Briton DNA is only really found in significant numbers in Wales. It was driven out of England by the Anglo Saxons and Scotland by the Scots.

[@tomben6180]

This isn’t true, Ancient Briton DNA is only really found in significant numbers in Wales. It was driven out of England by the Anglo Saxons and Scotland by the Scots.

[@easternlights3155]

It's actually very likely that Cerdic, the first king of Wessex (and Alfred's ancestor), was a Briton rather than a Saxon.

[@thanos_karagiannhs5320]

Though Aelfred is known as "the father" of England seeing as he kept the kingdom of Wessex alive during the Viking invasion so that there could one day BE and England, her first king was either his grandson Aethelstan, or William the conqueror who sailed across the narrow sea of france and brittain with an army in order to conquer her.

[@serronserron1320]

And the Normans were of Viking descent so either way they got dominated by those naughty Scaphens

[@tomben6180]

Athelstan was the first King of England - William the Conqueror couldn’t possibly be classed as that, there was 139 years from England’s formation until William’s victory at Hastings.

[@sebe2255]

@@serronserron1320 They had viking origins but by 1066 they weren’t remotely Norse anymore

[@tedgreen6]

@Serronserron1320 I don't find scaphen in the dictionary.

[@AKJ-Editz]

Thanks dude i was always finding if Alfred the great was first king of england its him.

[@cookieboy6166]

I enjoyed watching with my sister

[@LookBackHistory]

Glad you enjoyed

[@AC-hj9tv]

Niec

[@mandem32]

Any Last Kingdom fans here? ;)

[@Konmonachi]

Look Back History the Great

[@LookBackHistory]

Ha, thanks!

[@Digmen1]

Two things I think we need to know more about How many Angles and Saxons actually invaded Britain after the Roman left. Did they completly push the Britons into Wales etc or did they intermarry and just replace the language and culture? I think that one day DNA etc will help us find out the truth

[@mcoeif]

I guess they just settled on the unoccupied lands and intermingled worth those already settled

[@jokester3076]

There was a mass exodus of Romano-Britons that uprooted and fled the island to resettle in northwestern Gaul, they founded Brittany.

[@TheFatController.]

I though that the DNA shows the Angles and the Saxons interbred with the Britons, rather than replacing them or pushing them out.

[@tomben6180]

@@TheFatController. Mostly displaced with some intermarrying/breeding. English people today have barely any Briton DNA, it’s mostly Anglo Saxon, some Celt, a little Briton, a little Viking, then random others from other European countries making up the rest.

[@thatgamingchannel4383]

Y this dude not have more subs

[@alienmemesakeiakeksk5972]

Recommendation-

[@vxy1136]

great britain history is fun to watch

[@MonetizedHistory]

Great video! How come there wasn't a Norsex?

[@LookBackHistory]

That is a good question... to which I don't know the answer. If I had to guess I'd say it's because the Angles had already settled north of Essex, Sussex, and Wessex so there wasn't room for a Norsex. There was, however a Middlesex which is west of Essex and north of Sussex, but it wasn't a kingdom, just a county later on. Today it's been absorbed by the Greater London area.

[@AC-hj9tv]

No penis shaped territory available

[@MonetizedHistory]

@@AC-hj9tv That's totally a bummer, they can have Florida I suppose.

[@diannebradley4458]

My enjoyment The Last Kingdom has awakened a thirst for knowledge of King Alfreds reign.What happened to the all documents that he thought would be of value after his death.Do we know where they were stored?Did his successors give them to the Church for safe keeping?

[@thelegend_doggo1062]

Y’know the book he was writing in the show with the help of all the monks? The same one he shows to Uhtred. That’s the book that was mentioned in this video I believe

[@Sona0902]

I'm suddenly interested in European history 😃💖

[@LookBackHistory]

Nice!

[@lvbeethoven2348]

i wish they taught this in american world history

[@hawks7111]

@@lvbeethoven2348 They don't teach it in England either, kinda crazy that we only learn about Henry VIII

[@williamlove3087]

Thanks for posting this video! I just discovered that this King is one of my Forefathers

[@lvbeethoven2348]

you and me both

[@YTistooannoying]

Me too! Hi very...very...very...very distant (probably) family. Are you all pretty much related to every royal house in the UK in Scotland? You get one king in your ancestry and bam.... Plantaginates, Stewarts, Tudors, Burgandy and the Franks.

[@elek8460]

A True Chad

[@chadwood9240]

A true Qhaddafi

[@fredatkin1568]

We Anglo Saxons come from Northern Europe we had the same gods as the Viking before we converted that why I glad I come from north east of England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 to me it’s Dane law as it’s was name

[@joejones323]

Found out that’s my ancient grandpappy according family tree

[@nilocblue]

Well, for one, he was great.

[@alanscott.online]

The image that you use for Arthur is actually a portrait his grandson King Aethelstan... Just for the record

[@AC-hj9tv]

What a fuck up

[@ezzovonachalm9815]

"Alfred the Great, Aethelstan and genure are my ancestors" Lanfranco de Clari de Lirac.2022.

[@soulofachristian8704]

What about Otto?

[@starkilr101]

Alfred is the man

[@tomben6180]

His grandson was even better

[@VikingMuayThai]

Heil Ælfred the Great. King of all Saxons.

[@e.mchristina5260]

He was Ferdia Walsh Peelo

[@TheUKMediaWatch]

Rest in peace queen Elizabeth the second 🇬🇧

[@GillianBergh]

He was also known as 'Alfred the Grate,' after letting some cakes burn in the grate!

[@PurpleCaSh]

What about Uthred??

[@Robyn--]

Uhtred is not regarded to have existed, he is only in The Last Kingdom - Uhtred The Bold was around some 200-300 years after King Ælfred's time.

[@Shh102]

100th like, I feel like I achieved my goals in life lmao

[@LookBackHistory]

nice

[@sanzi8]

I wish uhtred really existed....

[@GermanicWorldOrder]

0:47 Jutes (and so Frisians): *Am I a joke to you?*

[@Boudicca15]

This should be taught in our Schools, real history not made up minority history 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

[@johnnymcblaze]

Knowledge will always belong to those who claw it from the world.

[@donthasselthehoff5753]

It is taught in our schools...

[@perranbritton5090]

Bar wales and cornwall

[@marshja56]

He burned the cakes. Nobody’s perfect.

[@ziverbricks]

Bahaha! I love that part of the story

[@rubenhagen1453]

Self destruct How can a community by error ... Its a army over there outside there insane protecting them for invaders Until a point of view ... Then we can strive in good faith with metal flinging in space ... If I draw a circle its then again a district of not willing too comprehending a a idea of thought I thought just amaze me with other ways of thinking the more the best ... Letting a well preserved legacy behind I whant that too friendly contact on how too create a well preserved bond ... Starting a conversation out of nothing 😌

[@mim243]

hes my greatx43 grandad

[@Robyn--]

Your proof?

[@ronkeoye9512]

He said 20,000 men when the number he was showing was 27,000 so I don’t know which one is right 😂

[@aynrandish9106]

So when the Danes invaded in the 9th century they were basically warring with their ancestor clans. Interesting.

[@LookBackHistory]

In a sense, yes. Both the Danes and the peoples who would become the Anglo-Saxons were Germanic, only the Anglo-Saxons left what we would today consider Germany and Northern Europe.

[@aynrandish9106]

@@LookBackHistory Yes, what divided them was religion.

[@LookBackHistory]

@@aynrandish9106 Well, that and quite a bit of water. Physical separation breeds cultural divergence.

[@gethynphillips7739]

Athelstan was the first king of England ?

[@raymondschoff2485]

Anybody else trace your ancestors back to him?

[@marciojosecoutinho2192]

muito legal saber da historia

[@amanhasnoname1510]

He wasn’t exactly the king of England but he was more English than the German princess that sits on the throne today.

[@masonmccarty8551]

Technically the English are Germans

[@amanhasnoname1510]

@@masonmccarty8551 just like they are French, danish and increasingly Pakistani.

[@JJ-the-Fortnite-guy]

⁠@@amanhasnoname1510how are they Pakistani the only other countries who’s kings have been on the English throne where Danish , German , Dutch and French

[@omerfarukaktas9017]

In CK3 hes too much powerfull

[@Suleei]

And physically strong.

[@martinchristianaguilar5135]

The Real Life Aegon I Targaryen

[@AhmedTVED4]

Æthlestan wasn’t the First ?

[@tripalongbrasil]

He was the first king of what we know as England today. Alfred was king of Wessex.

[@tianmaeztro4213]

W/o ulthred he's nothing.. 😅 😅

[@shawnj1966]

He is my ancestor! I am the rightful heir to the throne! LOL! Seriously though. I am his descendant.

[@JJ-the-Fortnite-guy]

You may be related to him by his other family members but you aren’t a direct descendent as Edgar Ætheling was the last of Alfred the Great’s line ( Edgar Ætheling was the grandson of King Edmund II Ironside and Grand-Nephew of King Edward the Confessor )

[@Maddie-wg6hg]

If someone says one more think about tlk in this comment section imma scream. Its a great show but ÆLFRED IS MORE THAN A TLK CHARACTER.

[@mitchellgruninger9992]

Scotland wasn't Gaelic until the Brythonic Pictish Kingdoms merged in some form or another with the Gaelic Kingdom of Dál Riata which led to the gradual extinction of Brythonic culture in Pictland and the rise of Gaelic. The Pictish people were Britos much as the Britons people of England, Wales and Cornwall only difference is a series of Brythonic tribes such as the Caledonii confederacy rebelled against Roman rule which split Britons into Romano Britons and non Romano Britons which eventually saw the Pictish people rise in Scotland who were non Romano Britons. By the time the Angles, Saxons and Jutes arrived, the Britons in Pictland were not Gaelic. It wasn't until the Irish invasion of Pictland (Scotland) and the establishment of the Gaelic Kingdom that this began to change and the devastation that was the Danes and Nords who invaded the Island of Albion that saw the change from Pictish Briton to Gaelic.

[@d3thkn1ghtmcgee74]

I do love how he also dismissed britons as a cultural group too. He wanted to avoid using the term Celts. By his logic though neither the anglo Saxons nor Danes were a people group, just group of many peoples lol. Both the goidelic and brythonic groups are insular celts related to each other but have their own distinct difference in language structure most likely due to roman proximity.

[@d3thkn1ghtmcgee74]

He might be a Celto skeptic by his dismissiveness. It's pretty normal for British academia to promote such even during time of empire lol

[@alpha4979]

UTHRED RAGNARSON !!!

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

Alfred is my 45th great grandfather. He never even met Uhtred the Bold as he lived nearly 100 years later. Bernard Cornwell who wrote the Last Kingdom books, changed history round, I don't know why. Uhtred was pretty much as portrayed, he was married 3 times and had lots of girlfriends. He married Alfred's 3 times great grand daughter and I am descended from them. I am 72, and surprised that he is not taught in school, as I learned about him in infants school. I've only known I was descended from him for the last few years. He is a king to be proud of, good warrior, diplomat and scholar, but not good at baking cakes. No-one is perfect!

[@PermanaJayanta]

Assassins Creed Valhalla makes me want to learn about England history

[@daddyjohn9831]

apples

[@cfk72]

grapes

[@Alexa-oy2sq]

@@cfk72 bananas

[@robfictionwriter3310]

He wasn't the first king of England, his grandson was.

[@saadamansayyed]

Oh! I thought it was the other Alfred ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Hail [wtf]

[@leornendeealdenglisc]

Þæt wæs gōd cyning!

[@AC-hj9tv]

True

[@caseycolby9783]

lol

[@user-te4of2fq5d]

Who ? Father of Alfred The Greater ? Sorry, momentary weak spell..

[@JJ-the-Fortnite-guy]

Alfred the Great’s father was King Æthelwulf of Wessex and his Mother was Osburh

[@user-te4of2fq5d]

@@JJ-the-Fortnite-guy Albert, I was being facetious, the reason I said momentary weak spell. Understanding of history, yes. A keen sense of the obvious, no.

[@multipipi1234]

He was not king of England.

[@One007]

I am no historian nor i am living in englend or in part of it but after reading him and watching last Kingdom He appeared to be wise, Strategist, and will full person to do betterment of his subjects. But he didn't appear to be Just. Is it because of war time or is it that he was too ambitious ones he became king ( by his brother ) and did what fights with his brother's only son. Royalty is definitely game of wickedness. I rather not understand why his called great. All he did is duty of king.

[@Dx_Hearted]

So the assassin creed Valhalla was a Fucking lie

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

Nothing native about the Celtic people. Stop that.

[@jeromeisaacs4428]

The English are not really British

[@AC-hj9tv]

What about Wales

[@marciojosecoutinho2192]

gostei

[@marciojosecoutinho2192]

joia😉

[@marciojosecoutinho2192]

legal