The Lives of the Saints through 100 Masterpieces

Alfred the Great

The Lives of the Saints 24 Alfred the Great October 26 Devotion to Saint Alfred is strongest in England, as Alfred the Great was the sixth Saxon king of the island nation. Born in 849, he ascended to the throne at age 23 and subsequently passed his entire reign struggling against the Danish invader. The story goes that, having suffered a serious setback in battle, he disguised himself as a minstrel to penetrate the enemy camp and there learn their tactics. The scheme was successful: Alfred gained victory upon victory against the Danes, recaptured London from their hands, and added York to his kingdom. His role as an administrator was no less important. He divided the country into counties, established the jury system, fostered commerce and the arts, and instituted what would become the British navy. He died in 899, leaving behind a kingdom at peace. All of this would have made him a great king, but not a saint, had not Alfred the Great simultaneously led a life of great service to the faith. He furthered the establishment of monasteries and himself translated into Saxon Venerable Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, as well as Orosius’s History against the Pagans. In short, like his near contemporary , Charlemagne, he lived an exemplary life that merited for him the title of saint. Friedrich Pecth (1814–1903) The King Saint Alfred the Great The Maximilianeum, Munich ...