In this Book
- The Persuasive Agency of Objects and Practices in Alfred the Great’s Reform Program
- Book
- 2024
- Published by: Arc Humanities Press
-
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

summary
Alfred the Great's early English kingdom was the only one to resist Viking conquest. His reform program strengthened the kingdom and enabled it to hold fast against the Vikings. But texts are largely silent on the process of reform. There has been a tendency to assume that these reforms would obviously be beneficial, but Alfred’s elites were not to know that in advance. What motivated them to do as their king bid them?
This book analyzes how objects and behaviours shaped aristocratic response to the reform program, using assemblage theory and social practice theory. The Alfred Jewel (as shown on the cover) exercised a powerful persuasive agency in Alfredian reform. Broadening the frame of inquiry beyond textual evidence, giving objects and behaviours their due, permits a richer and more nuanced understanding.
Table of Contents

- Acknowledgements, Author's Note
- pp. vii-viii
- Abbreviations
- pp. ix-x
- Chapter 1. Introduction
- pp. 11-30
- Chapter 3. Alfredian Ideology
- pp. 51-92
- Chapter 5. Text-Bodies: A Crucial Actant
- pp. 115-136
- Chapter 7. The Enigmatic Alfred Jewel
- pp. 171-186
- Coda. Looking Forward: Alfred's Successors
- pp. 187-194
- Bibliography
- pp. 195-226
Additional Information
ISBN
9781802702279
Related ISBN(s)
9781802700848
MARC Record
OCLC
1453752681
Pages
212
Launched on MUSE
2024-10-13
Language
English
Open Access
Yes
Creative Commons
CC-BY-NC-ND