I've learned alot watching The shepherds chapel,E.Raymond Camp on Lost tribes of Israel found, kentucky stones.Ive seen some things in sky last couple years noone would believe me.Learned I have Anglo saxan in my family couple years ago.Found out by googling my grandfather and his father.Glad I've studied God's word in King James Bible with a Strongs concordance bible dictionary in Greek and Hebrew.💪😇🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Richard Rogers, that's awesome, I to have learned a lot from Shepherds Chapel, since 95, keep up the awesome work I'll try and do the same, though I get the feeling ur way ahead of me, GOD be with you
@Gigachad Longshanks Malleus Scotorum et Iudaeorum his era spanned the 1880s to the 1960s. There are far better examples of all kinds of leadership in that era. After all it spans our military and cultural height, our greatest challenges and our eventual stagnation and decline
I'm American myself but I can't get enough of English history. Seriously almost every aspect it's just so addicting. Alfred the great is hands down my favorite English King, what he did not only for the nobility, but for all of England and their future is inspiring. If ever there were a king truly picked by God, It would have been Alfred the Great.
Alfred the Great is my favourite king too - along with King Harold Godwinson (the last Anglo-Saxon English king, born 1022 - 1066). Sadly, we only have a small number of commemorative monuments of Alfred the Great scattered about England. And as well sculpted as they may be, they should be displayed in a more prominent environment such as Parliament Square. However, I am delighted to learn there is a university in the USA (established in New York, 1836) named in honour of Alfred the Great, including a statue and base which reads: King of the Saxons.
I love my countries history, but all I can think is thank god I wasn't alive in them times, imagine just standing in a field then one minute 1000+ rampaging lunatic Viking invaders are running at you with swords and axes........
@@roberts1572 it's great. It's grittier, more historical and on a smaller scale than GoT which is why I enjoy it. I can't wait for the new season. Hopefully it comes out soon.
I was born in Winchester and often admire the great statue that sits in the heart of Winchester of Alfred the Great. My mother attended King Alfred’s teaching college. I’d love if there was more history like this documentary on the city itself and it’s development
I am german from saxon ancestry westfalia.....I've been in Shaftesbury in the Abbey remains there is a monument of our Saxon King Alfred....may England preserve....what is called the old England....against all woke dictatorship
I find British history so impressive and I am obsessed with British history and literature. I am from the English speaking Caribbean and part of our school curriculum includes British history.
My mum is from Wales and I speak Welsh…but the past couple of months I’ve developed a new passion…learning Old English/Anglo-Saxon… that has opened up a whole new world of history, culture, prose, and poetry…. Cyfarchion oddi wrth Houston, Texas…!!
Yikes. That’s a rough ending. Sad to see people forgetting their ancient hero kings who had such a huge role in shaping their national identity and history. Glad to see you immortalizing and sharing the greatness of King Alfred.
More so downplayed in favor of post Norman kings. But there are many references and historical sights related to Alfred and the house of Wessex in England.
@@eardwulf785 greetings from the old home of the westsaxons.....Westfalia in northwest Germany.....we are one tribe.....and one family ....english and north west germans...
@@thesilverreich3947 No it's not: London is about less than half native British (English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish and the like), and the second largest group are non-British Europeans. Blacks are a sizeable portion as are South Asians, but they are only majorities in certain boroughs.
@@zwhsantwnopoylos5972yeah I have no idea why that guy even said that??? I'm assuming it's a male because women don't troll anyone like that if it was trolling.. but even so, what is the reasoning behind that remark and why would it matter where he is from to learn anything about any history? Lol thats just like saying "oh you like pizza? You're not even a pizza, so why would you eat pizza", the whole 'you are what you eat' metaphor literally lol.. makes no sense
I've been on a medieval England deep dive ever since I listened to the 'Alfred the great' episode on Hacks From the Past podcast. I could not believe that I had not heard this story before. What an amazing story! I seriously can't get enough.
a beautiful documentary on Alfred. I hope that there will be documentaries done on his descendants. I enjoy any history; but, early British history is a favorite.
Alfred The Great was my favorite England king. In my opinion there wouldn't be a England to this day without Alfred Rex. Much respect for Alfred from me. What a great man he was. Hands down awesome guy all around. RIP Alfred The Great. Gone but will never be forgotten in history!!!
Thank you for this. I live in Wantage and I frequently walk past the statue of King Alfred in the middle of our market place. I was inspired to learn about him, not really knowing much about him, and I found this documentary very interesting and helpful indeed. Now each time I walk past the statue of him I will really appreciate him and his legacy.
This was fantastic. I'm dead set though on Brian Boru. I feel you guys can really bring his story to life. The scripts are great and fantastic job in research.
@@JollyPirateAhoy There is a good one on Robert the Bruce's brother becoming high-king of Ireland but you are right, much of the material is in the modern day.
Second time I've watched this already! I will probably watch this many more times. It is a extremely interesting time and subject for me This one is very well done.
Astonishing Alfred and wonderful Anglo-Saxon history. We Europeans are mixed with so many tribes over the centuries to become the unique Western hemisphere we are today. 🤠
Thank you for this. Yes, I think Alfred is deserving of the title "Great," for reasons you give in the video. Your assessment goes along with that of the historian John Richard Green.
Alfred the Great. I didn't know much about him but you guys gave me a lot of information! Thank you for that! He really was a very intelligent, learned, clever and complicated man. Hmm. From all that he did accomplish, I'd say he earned the moniker Alfred the Great! Such a shame about what happened to the remains of him and his family. No remains should be treated like that! Disgraceful!!!
I've replied to another comment by suggesting that Psalm 72 in Jewish Torah and Christian Old Testament pretty much describes Alfred. He seems to have combined the best of David and Solomon without having their massive flaws, a sort of ideal Christian king
Years ago I was privileged to participate in an archeological dig in Winchester looking for Alfred's burial site. Didn't find him... but did handle some monk's bones and plenty of melted stain glass... Cromwell was there before us I'd guess. It was a glorious segment of my life. Love Winchester... they bake good bread. :)
I worked out of Winchester 20 odd years back. I worked on the railway network along the south coast. Loved the statue of Alfred in the city. A definite affinity to my ancient grass roots.
I had already considered him England's greatest king. I learned new stuff from this presentation that served to powerfully confirm my belief in this great man. John Warner. Australia
And soon we'll have Charles! One could weep how Christendom has come to this, I lived in Winchester and learned much about Alfred, Catholicism and culture, his status beaming down from on high. If only monarchs defended the Christian faith today instead of being ashamed. Great video, thanks.
Yes he does deserve his Title of Great. A Heroic King..one who should not be forgotten.. People of today need their Warrior Kings today more than ever.
He would disagree. His primary goal was a just and literate and coherent society of the sort envisaged by Psalm 72, in the Jewish Torah and Christian Old Testament, which begins with the line "Give or impart to the king, your justice... that he may judge your people with righteousness... to defend the cause of the needy and the poor and to break the oppressor of the poor". The goal is shalom - it means much more than peace as the absence of conflict - more like prosperity as the result of wide ranging justice and honesty dealing. I'm finding those texts and other ancient near east documents and history, eg the late bronze collapse, fascinating. Alfred would have believed in the Bible texts as coming from God and did his own translation work from Latin versions into English. The warrior aspect was an undesirable but necessary means to that end by eliminating threats to it - rather like David in said ancient literature. Beowulf, based in the East Anglian Fens, is an interesting take on this - a hero eliminates the monster but the hero is not the right figure for ongoing social order. There were many illiterate warrior kings of that era and many subsequent ages who did plenty of damage and bankrupted their nations while pursuing their goals. The wealth of the nation mentioned in the video is the result of just kingship in Psalm 72:10,15. At least, that's how he would have seen it. Alfred was great precisely because he was so much more than a warrior and subjugated his competence as warrior to his greater goals.
Im back at Alfred, just to leave a comment about how informative and engaging all of these videos are. Im very thankful for the knowledge i have gained from your videos.
He is the historical figure that advises us to this day! He is a foundational King with love and a balanced even-handed approach. He is truly Alfred the Great. 👑
Great to me, more for his cultural than military achievements. Two not mentioned here are his invention of the candle clock and his translation of Orosius, a historical-geographical work of late antiquity to which he added his own texts from mercenary Vikings who had explored Northern seas.
This 1 was really well done!! Your videos never disappoint but this one exceeded my expectations and I was really excited 1 I saw you were releasing an Alfred the Great video. Thanks!
Alfred the Great? Yes, most definitely. One of the earliest abiding memories of my Primary School years is of learning about Alfred and the invading Vikings. I agree that the 'allowing the cakes to burn' bit we were taught isn't true but hey, doesn't it make a great story line for the children and maybe livened up History a tad for us. "Alfred? Great he may have been but he didn't know how to bake cakes." As someone who quietly celebrates Saint George's day each year, I've often wondered why King Alfred, the 'saviour of the Anglo-Saxons' and therefore securing the future of the English as a race, did not become our Patron Saint. He is, after all a true historical figure - unlike Saint George, whose origin appears to be quite varied and who may not have even existed. A case of take your pick really. Each year I hear or read something new about Saint George and who he might have been. I think we can say for certain what he wasn't...and that's English! I suppose Saint George is too embedded in the English psyche for things to change now.
We do know the base story of saint george and that was he was greek and syrian raised by christian parents and would join the roman legions at 18 before becoming a member of the praetorian guard and then being tortured and killed by emperor diocletian for refusing to make sacrifices to the roman gods
I watched the movie Alfred the Great directed by Clive Donner with a wonderful cast, David Hemmings as Alfred and I started to research as much as I could. This is a great documentary, thank you !!
While Alfred was a very good King maybe great but his grandson Athelstan should also bear this epitaph. He is the culmination of Alfred's dream and forged an England
Totally admire King Alfred and wrote my dissertation on his regrouping after Chippenham and his leadership that followed; the army, navy, and burhs. What a great king he was.... I went to secondary school in Malmesbury, which is where my interest started due to his grandson Athelstan's close ties to the town. Fabulous place to visit if your viewers are interested in history. When I go home to family, it's like a trip to the ancient past... 😊
Good documentary, I like how there was very little fluff, each minute was packed with new information. I also like how you made clear that there are no historical sources for some parts of Alfred's life and how he looked, many documentaries try to make speculation sound like facts.
This was an amazing video about the life of Alfred the Great! Like many who have commented I have watched the Last Kingdom series on Netflix and loved it. I recently rewatched the entire series. As an American I knew very little about early English history but now I’m hooked. I need to read the series of books about this time frame. I love books about history.
I have learned alot more about Alfred than I knew before. I was unaware of his contributions to the Navy of Wessex or the significance of his role in its economy. It seems that he was a well rounded leader and rightfully earned the title "The Great".
What a lovely informative video. Thank you for your work creating it. You were even handed but not too fawning over your subject matter. Your emphasis on his scholarly accomplishments earns a thumbs up from me. People who value education are the real heroes. I would be over the moon if you could produce a work on one of THE most fascinating women in English history- Emma of Normandy.
Living in the US we don't get as much medieval British history as I would like. In school or otherwise. I enjoyed the first kingdom on Netflix that series centers around King Alfred
Dan Jones has done some stellar work on the Plantagenets (books and tv) and there are some vids of his on RUclips worth a watch (Britain’s Bloody Crown for example)
@@PeopleProfiles sweet! I can't get enough of this time period. Damn shame we don't have more info on Alfred's daughter, one of the most underrated female rulers of all time.
Best wishes and kind regards from Slovenia. Some fantastic history here as well. Les Paul would be my choice for a future documentary by the way. Leo Fender as well. Keep on rockin'
Just the concept of an autonomous European nation was still fairly new in Alfred's time. He was wise enough to realize that a successful nation involved vastly more challenges than simply accumulating military force.
This video is brilliant. We know it take lot of time and dedication towards these videos. We always appreciate your hard work and dedication towards these videos. The saviour of saxons and the only king who defeated the great heathen army. Brilliant video. Love from Sri Lanka 🇱🇰🤝🏴.
Very nice documentary on someone who created the foundations for modern England. I overcame my contempt for the Vikings, who themselves and in their later incarnation as the Normans, brought death, destruction and misery everywhere they went.
@@grouchomarxist666 Sure. Ancestor denotes they came before. He saud that Charlemagne was the "ancestor" of Charles Martel...but he was the grandson--or descendant--of Charles Martel. The errors abound, including well-documented years.
@@taxfraud5673 I disagree, he was as much king of England as William the conqueror. Alfred deserves to be known as the great; but from a non-Norwegian, Cnut certainly does too.
@@taxfraud5673 not true my dude, Cnut built a massive empire, stabilized England after decades of political turmoil, and was arguably the first english king to be a major power in Europe- definitely a 'great' by anyone's metric. Also, despite being Danish, he was a king of England first, only ascending the Danish crown several years later, and the Norwegian one a few years after that- making him arguably more an English king than a Scandinavian one
@@rowanlau1651 I will say this, Cnut treated the English with a hell of a lot of respect for the time unlike William, this respect and love was reciprocated. The English played a significant role in the expansion of the North Sea empire as well, so it really resembled a union of sorts instead of an empire.
Very enjoyable, I knew some of this as I like to read Military History from all over the world but was glad to learn several details heretofore unknown to me.
I am learning so much from these presentations! It's like returning to school. One correction, however, if I may: at 7:22 Martel's "ancestor" Charles the Great, should read "descendant."
Thank you, a great job and very enjoyable to listen to and watch, much appreciation. It's clear that Alfred the Great saved Britain from the invading Vikings, at least for a short time, with the assistance of God. His vision for England, .. was clearly a defensive one, to help secure the peace, security and prosperity of England or Great Britain or even a United Kingdom and with the help of wise Asser of Saint David's, to allow the word of God to spread far and wide, along with the natural unalienable common law constitutional principles and for them to be restored and promoted, ..
A Wessex man born with some Welsh and of Saxon ancestry as far as I can discern. Alfred has been a hero of mine since I first learned about him many years ago and am proud he is part of my families heritage.
He went to Rome with his father when he was about 4. He was anointed as a Consul of Rome by the pope. Again he went back when he was about 6. He learned Latin in his 30's and translated sermons from Latin into Old English.
Brilliant documentary, thanks! Did sit there with my mouth open at the disrespect his remains were shown. Obviously two well known narcissists in William the conquerer and Henry VIII that move/forget his remains. At least Alfred gets the recognition he deserves, over a thousand years after he laid the groundwork for where we are today!
Definitely Alfred "the Great". He left the first discernable footprint along the road to modern England and Britain. He was lucky but he must have been a tremendously hard individual to use that luck in the way he did. He had a vision beyond the borders of Wessex and yet he used the minimum of violence. He also nurtured a succession which finished the work he had done to substantiate his vision.
@@Endgame707 I have no idea where you got the notion I agreed. I said your comments were historically inaccurate and they are, grossly so. However, it is clear to me that you are a hopeless individual. Perhaps you should ask the nurse to adjust your medication.
A very interesting, well presented and detailed video of this great king. I did spot a couple of anachronisms in the enactments - a fairly modern oil lamp and a printed book. Or perhaps I'm just nitpicking. Overall an excellent video.
Hello guys! If you like our work please subscribe to our second channel The History Chronicles ruclips.net/user/TheHistoryChronicles
I've learned alot watching The shepherds chapel,E.Raymond Camp on Lost tribes of Israel found, kentucky stones.Ive seen some things in sky last couple years noone would believe me.Learned I have Anglo saxan in my family couple years ago.Found out by googling my grandfather and his father.Glad I've studied God's word in King James Bible with a Strongs concordance bible dictionary in Greek and Hebrew.💪😇🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Richard Rogers, that's awesome, I to have learned a lot from Shepherds Chapel, since 95, keep up the awesome work I'll try and do the same, though I get the feeling ur way ahead of me, GOD be with you
Oh one thing, my name is Troy Yarnell, this thing comes up under my girl friends name, dunno why yet
Charlamagne was NOT the first holy roman emporer that was OTTO the great
When Churchill was alive, someone suggested that he become known as the greatest Briton, to which he replied: 'Alfred was the greatest'!
That Toad doesn't deserve to be spoken of alongside Alfred.
@@MalleusIudaeorum Insanely based. England lives, and marches on!
@Gigachad Longshanks Malleus Scotorum et Iudaeorum his era spanned the 1880s to the 1960s. There are far better examples of all kinds of leadership in that era. After all it spans our military and cultural height, our greatest challenges and our eventual stagnation and decline
Alfred was not British
Churchill wasn’t close to great
I'm American myself but I can't get enough of English history. Seriously almost every aspect it's just so addicting. Alfred the great is hands down my favorite English King, what he did not only for the nobility, but for all of England and their future is inspiring. If ever there were a king truly picked by God, It would have been Alfred the Great.
Alfred the Great is my favourite king too - along with King Harold Godwinson (the last Anglo-Saxon English king, born 1022 - 1066). Sadly, we only have a small number of commemorative monuments of Alfred the Great scattered about England. And as well sculpted as they may be, they should be displayed in a more prominent environment such as Parliament Square. However, I am delighted to learn there is a university in the USA (established in New York, 1836) named in honour of Alfred the Great, including a statue and base which reads: King of the Saxons.
well your surname is Welsh, so your ancestors would have had frequent contact with the English 😁
It's what happens with countries which have a history longer than 250 years 😁 it gets interesting.
@@gabsie7224 lol!
I love my countries history, but all I can think is thank god I wasn't alive in them times, imagine just standing in a field then one minute 1000+ rampaging lunatic Viking invaders are running at you with swords and axes........
Makes me enjoy the Last Kingdom series even more.
This series is one of Netflix’s best shows
Going to check it out now, thanks!
@@roberts1572 it's great. It's grittier, more historical and on a smaller scale than GoT which is why I enjoy it. I can't wait for the new season. Hopefully it comes out soon.
Definitely a BRILLIANT series
What do you think of Aethelflaed's development in season 4? She seems a bit colder and more calculating.
Thanks! Your channel has opened up a whole new world of history to me!
Glad to hear it!
I was born in Winchester and often admire the great statue that sits in the heart of Winchester of Alfred the Great. My mother attended King Alfred’s teaching college. I’d love if there was more history like this documentary on the city itself and it’s development
I am german from saxon ancestry westfalia.....I've been in Shaftesbury in the Abbey remains there is a monument of our Saxon King Alfred....may England preserve....what is called the old England....against all woke dictatorship
I'm an American with heavy roots in England. Please reclaim your country. Were trying over here
they changed the colleague
I find British history so impressive and I am obsessed with British history and literature. I am from the English speaking Caribbean and part of our school curriculum includes British history.
My mum is from Wales and I speak Welsh…but the past couple of months I’ve developed a new passion…learning Old English/Anglo-Saxon… that has opened up a whole new world of history, culture, prose, and poetry….
Cyfarchion oddi wrth Houston, Texas…!!
Yikes. That’s a rough ending. Sad to see people forgetting their ancient hero kings who had such a huge role in shaping their national identity and history. Glad to see you immortalizing and sharing the greatness of King Alfred.
Not forgotten
God BLESS the house of wessex
More so downplayed in favor of post Norman kings. But there are many references and historical sights related to Alfred and the house of Wessex in England.
Alfred is in every true Englishman's heart.
@@eardwulf785 greetings from the old home of the westsaxons.....Westfalia in northwest Germany.....we are one tribe.....and one family ....english and north west germans...
A man to look up to,we need leaders like him today.
London wouldn’t look like the Middle East if he was still Alive that’s for sure
Vivat Rex Alfredum
@silverreich
That's even worse.
@@Roman-oh7xc racist
@@thesilverreich3947 No it's not: London is about less than half native British (English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish and the like), and the second largest group are non-British Europeans. Blacks are a sizeable portion as are South Asians, but they are only majorities in certain boroughs.
whyyyy is the history of england so ENDLESSLY fascinating???
i don't think i'll EVER grow tired of these tales 🙂
You're not even of British descent
@@matthew-dq8vklol, actually i am. but still, how is a person's heritage relevant to their enjoyment of English history?
Great Writers playing King Author
@@matthew-dq8vk I'm Greek and i love reading about Welsh Irish and English history so?
@@zwhsantwnopoylos5972yeah I have no idea why that guy even said that??? I'm assuming it's a male because women don't troll anyone like that if it was trolling.. but even so, what is the reasoning behind that remark and why would it matter where he is from to learn anything about any history? Lol thats just like saying "oh you like pizza? You're not even a pizza, so why would you eat pizza", the whole 'you are what you eat' metaphor literally lol.. makes no sense
He is my daughters 33 gr grandfather through the bayntun line on her fathers side. It such amazing history, was amazing to learn about him.
You should take back the crown that rightly belongs to your family.
33 generations lol we are all probably related to him that far back
I've been on a medieval England deep dive ever since I listened to the 'Alfred the great' episode on Hacks From the Past podcast. I could not believe that I had not heard this story before. What an amazing story! I seriously can't get enough.
a beautiful documentary on Alfred. I hope that there will be documentaries done on his descendants. I enjoy any history; but, early British history is a favorite.
Early British history also inspired the works of Tolkien, which shows how indeed fascinating it really was
Alfred is a continuing inspiration. We were lucky to have him.
Alfred The Great was my favorite England king. In my opinion there wouldn't be a England to this day without Alfred Rex. Much respect for Alfred from me. What a great man he was. Hands down awesome guy all around. RIP Alfred The Great. Gone but will never be forgotten in history!!!
Unbelievable what was done to his remains.
Thank you for a very knowledgeable documentary on England's first modern king.
No one does the English Monarchy better than the People Profiles.
Thank you for this. I live in Wantage and I frequently walk past the statue of King Alfred in the middle of our market place. I was inspired to learn about him, not really knowing much about him, and I found this documentary very interesting and helpful indeed. Now each time I walk past the statue of him I will really appreciate him and his legacy.
This was fantastic. I'm dead set though on Brian Boru. I feel you guys can really bring his story to life. The scripts are great and fantastic job in research.
Boru would be very interesting indeed.
@@AndyMcSherry1 I'd even pay them for it honestly. Irish history docs seem to only focus on 1900s. Rest are old and outdated information
@@JollyPirateAhoy There is a good one on Robert the Bruce's brother becoming high-king of Ireland but you are right, much of the material is in the modern day.
Second time I've watched this already! I will probably watch this many more times. It is a extremely interesting time and subject for me This one is very well done.
Awesome, thank you!
Astonishing Alfred and wonderful Anglo-Saxon history. We Europeans are mixed with so many tribes over the centuries to become the unique Western hemisphere we are today. 🤠
Really enjoying the video so far, iv always had a great interest in this part of English history. Hello from the once Kingdom of Essex.
We're based in the Kingdom of Essex!
We have a great history and heritage that we should be proud of. 👏🏻🏴❤️
Definitely one of the most incredible kings to have ever lived.
😂😂 ut heritage is no one british trash
Thank you for this. Yes, I think Alfred is deserving of the title "Great," for reasons you give in the video. Your assessment goes along with that of the historian John Richard Green.
Alfred the Great. I didn't know much about him but you guys gave me a lot of information! Thank you for that! He really was a very intelligent, learned, clever and complicated man. Hmm. From all that he did accomplish, I'd say he earned the moniker Alfred the Great! Such a shame about what happened to the remains of him and his family. No remains should be treated like that! Disgraceful!!!
I've replied to another comment by suggesting that Psalm 72 in Jewish Torah and Christian Old Testament pretty much describes Alfred. He seems to have combined the best of David and Solomon without having their massive flaws, a sort of ideal Christian king
A Great King
@octoberfire13 Thank you. I thought I was out of good stuff to watch on Netflix
We can thank good ole Henry VIII for that one. Fat bastard.
The true definition of a leader. Leading his men in combat, and defending his people. We need men like him now
Years ago I was privileged to participate in an archeological dig in Winchester looking for Alfred's burial site. Didn't find him... but did handle some monk's bones and plenty of melted stain glass... Cromwell was there before us I'd guess. It was a glorious segment of my life. Love Winchester... they bake good bread. :)
you are so lucky!!
I worked out of Winchester 20 odd years back. I worked on the railway network along the south coast.
Loved the statue of Alfred in the city.
A definite affinity to my ancient grass roots.
thank you very much it's made me interested in learning more of anglo Saxon England
He layed the foundation for what we now call England, without alfred it highly likely we would all speak Danish or Norwegian.
I had already considered him England's greatest king. I learned new stuff from this presentation that served to powerfully confirm my belief in this great man. John Warner. Australia
And soon we'll have Charles!
One could weep how Christendom has come to this, I lived in Winchester and learned much about Alfred, Catholicism and culture, his status beaming down from on high.
If only monarchs defended the Christian faith today instead of being ashamed.
Great video, thanks.
If only the world could move on from religion.
They have, and you can see the result.
Alfred the Great is surely a contender for the title of greatest English monarch in history.
He's better than all the ones after him because he's actually English and not French or German.
Yes he does deserve his Title of Great.
A Heroic King..one who should not be forgotten..
People of today need their Warrior Kings today more than ever.
He would disagree. His primary goal was a just and literate and coherent society of the sort envisaged by Psalm 72, in the Jewish Torah and Christian Old Testament, which begins with the line "Give or impart to the king, your justice... that he may judge your people with righteousness... to defend the cause of the needy and the poor and to break the oppressor of the poor". The goal is shalom - it means much more than peace as the absence of conflict - more like prosperity as the result of wide ranging justice and honesty dealing. I'm finding those texts and other ancient near east documents and history, eg the late bronze collapse, fascinating. Alfred would have believed in the Bible texts as coming from God and did his own translation work from Latin versions into English.
The warrior aspect was an undesirable but necessary means to that end by eliminating threats to it - rather like David in said ancient literature. Beowulf, based in the East Anglian Fens, is an interesting take on this - a hero eliminates the monster but the hero is not the right figure for ongoing social order. There were many illiterate warrior kings of that era and many subsequent ages who did plenty of damage and bankrupted their nations while pursuing their goals. The wealth of the nation mentioned in the video is the result of just kingship in Psalm 72:10,15. At least, that's how he would have seen it.
Alfred was great precisely because he was so much more than a warrior and subjugated his competence as warrior to his greater goals.
Im back at Alfred, just to leave a comment about how informative and engaging all of these videos are.
Im very thankful for the knowledge i have gained from your videos.
Finished the Last Kingdom not too long ago, enjoyed it thoroughly. Here to learn more about Alfred The Great
He is the historical figure that advises us to this day! He is a foundational King with love and a balanced even-handed approach.
He is truly Alfred the Great. 👑
Great to me, more for his cultural than military achievements. Two not mentioned here are his invention of the candle clock and his translation of Orosius, a historical-geographical work of late antiquity to which he added his own texts from mercenary Vikings who had explored Northern seas.
This 1 was really well done!! Your videos never disappoint but this one exceeded my expectations and I was really excited 1 I saw you were releasing an Alfred the Great video.
Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Alfred the Great? Yes, most definitely. One of the earliest abiding memories of my Primary School years is of learning about Alfred and the invading Vikings. I agree that the 'allowing the cakes to burn' bit we were taught isn't true but hey, doesn't it make a great story line for the children and maybe livened up History a tad for us.
"Alfred? Great he may have been but he didn't know how to bake cakes."
As someone who quietly celebrates Saint George's day each year, I've often wondered why King Alfred, the 'saviour of the Anglo-Saxons' and therefore securing the future of the English as a race, did not become our Patron Saint. He is, after all a true historical figure - unlike Saint George, whose origin appears to be quite varied and who may not have even existed. A case of take your pick really. Each year I hear or read something new about Saint George and who he might have been. I think we can say for certain what he wasn't...and that's English!
I suppose Saint George is too embedded in the English psyche for things to change now.
We do know the base story of saint george and that was he was greek and syrian raised by christian parents and would join the roman legions at 18 before becoming a member of the praetorian guard and then being tortured and killed by emperor diocletian for refusing to make sacrifices to the roman gods
I’m not too sure exactly but arent people made saints specifically for martyrdom
@@emmanuelhernandez396 sometimes
I have been searching videos of him for 2 days! Only found 1 or 2 that were more than 30 minutes long. Just got on and this popped up!😁🙌🏼
I watched the movie Alfred the Great directed by Clive Donner with a wonderful cast, David Hemmings as Alfred and I started to research as much as I could. This is a great documentary, thank you !!
Michael York played Guthrum.
Good work. Thanks. Greetings to the englisch friends from lower saxony (old saxon) germany.
While Alfred was a very good King maybe great but his grandson Athelstan should also bear this epitaph. He is the culmination of Alfred's dream and forged an England
Fully agree!!
Totally admire King Alfred and wrote my dissertation on his regrouping after Chippenham and his leadership that followed; the army, navy, and burhs. What a great king he was.... I went to secondary school in Malmesbury, which is where my interest started due to his grandson Athelstan's close ties to the town. Fabulous place to visit if your viewers are interested in history. When I go home to family, it's like a trip to the ancient past... 😊
Really interesting and so well done. Thank you in advance for many more. 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Loved this. Must have taken a lot of work to produce.
Hundreds of hours.
Alfred was a good King. Thank you for the insight.
Second time I’ve watched this documentary. Peoples Profiles is the best channel on RUclips
Thank you for this documentary, Alfred is one of my favorite King of England :)
Yes! In my opinion he definitely deserves to be called The Great! It's a shame he is so rarely applauded.
Good documentary, I like how there was very little fluff, each minute was packed with new information.
I also like how you made clear that there are no historical sources for some parts of Alfred's life and how he looked, many documentaries try to make speculation sound like facts.
The greatest Englishman to have ever lived!
Alfred is one of the most interesting men in history and one of my favorites to learn aboit
Uhtred of Babbenburg saved this guy many times.😄
Uhtred brought you here ,so that’s good
These videos are great. Very informative and interesting. Thank you for these !
This was an amazing video about the life of Alfred the Great! Like many who have commented I have watched the Last Kingdom series on Netflix and loved it. I recently rewatched the entire series. As an American I knew very little about early English history but now I’m hooked. I need to read the series of books about this time frame. I love books about history.
I have learned alot more about Alfred than I knew before. I was unaware of his contributions to the Navy of Wessex or the significance of his role in its economy. It seems that he was a well rounded leader and rightfully earned the title "The Great".
Always a Great King to study and learn about.
Thank you.
What a lovely informative video. Thank you for your work creating it. You were even handed but not too fawning over your subject matter. Your emphasis on his scholarly accomplishments earns a thumbs up from me. People who value education are the real heroes. I would be over the moon if you could produce a work on one of THE most fascinating women in English history- Emma of Normandy.
So I kinda stumble about alfred the great through the last kingdom show in Netflix and I must say doing my own digging his story is fascinating
Living in the US we don't get as much medieval British history as I would like. In school or otherwise. I enjoyed the first kingdom on Netflix that series centers around King Alfred
The Last Kingdom is an enjoyable fictional take. Again available on Netflix.
Well, you forsook the Empire, your brethren, so why not forsake the Histories aswell.
@@corneliuscapitalinus845 oh don't be daft.
Dan Jones has done some stellar work on the Plantagenets (books and tv) and there are some vids of his on RUclips worth a watch (Britain’s Bloody Crown for example)
much appreciated .i believe history is distorted by the winners but truly disclosed in nursery rhymes /old wives tales and poems and folk songs
The thing I love the most is the photography and art. Well done !
For what he achieved and the way he did it, yes, Alfred the Great applies.
Usually takes me 3-4 tries to watch one of these (extremely adhd) made it through in one take. This a good video
Deserves a sub for sure!! Explained perfectly. Loved this. Thank you.
The greatest, indeed. Such an honor to be direct descendant of King Alfred the Great. Excellent documentary! Warm greetings.
I’m a descendant of him too I just discovered that. I’m African American. I was shocked when I found out
@@babydoll3274 Hahaha, so you and I are distant cousins, due to our common so magnificient ancestor. Great!
Will you be doing videos on the rest of Alfred’s descendants(e.g æthelstan,Edward the elder, edgar, Edmund etc)
We will indeed.
@@PeopleProfiles sweet! I can't get enough of this time period. Damn shame we don't have more info on Alfred's daughter, one of the most underrated female rulers of all time.
@@PeopleProfiles I will be interested on any documentaries on Alfred's descendants (althelstan, Edward the elder, Edgar, Edmund. etc).
All criminally underrated in my opinion...
Don't forget Aethelfled his daughter and mentor to his grandson Athelstan.
Been binge watching your videos all evening great work very entertaining 👌🏼
Just discovered this channel. Top stuff. You try calling your son Ethelbald these days and you're guaranteed a visit from social services.
Best wishes and kind regards from Slovenia. Some fantastic history here as well. Les Paul would be my choice for a future documentary by the way. Leo Fender as well. Keep on rockin'
This makes me wanna go rewatch Vikings
Definitely, the Great.
whats facinating about alfred the great. His legacy finally came true. He and brought the nations of England as one.
The greatest man who has ever lived makes me so proud to be a saxon
Hail the Saxons.
Thank you for uploading this. Greetings from Ireland, 20th of April 2022. ❤️🇮🇪🌹
Just the concept of an autonomous European nation was still fairly new in Alfred's time. He was wise enough to realize that a successful nation involved vastly more challenges than simply accumulating military force.
This video is brilliant. We know it take lot of time and dedication towards these videos. We always appreciate your hard work and dedication towards these videos. The saviour of saxons and the only king who defeated the great heathen army. Brilliant video. Love from Sri Lanka 🇱🇰🤝🏴.
Very nice documentary on someone who created the foundations for modern England. I overcame my contempt for the Vikings, who themselves and in their later incarnation as the Normans, brought death, destruction and misery everywhere they went.
I think this was very well done. I have not been able to read this part of English history. It was never taught in school.
I just discovered this channel and I’m so excited to dig in!!! 😊
Excellent film. Well written, expertly narrated.
The writing is full of errors and clearly was not proofread prior to narration.
@@joannathesinger770 I must have missed them. Care to point out a few?
@@grouchomarxist666 Sure. Ancestor denotes they came before. He saud that Charlemagne was the "ancestor" of Charles Martel...but he was the grandson--or descendant--of Charles Martel.
The errors abound, including well-documented years.
@@joannathesinger770 Thank you.
of all the kings of England Alfred is the only to be known as the great. And if you ask me, he definitely earned it
Why do people keep saying this? Cnut the great reigned for nearly two decades.
@@nobleglassgallery he was king of Norway which yes had England but he wasn't an English king. plus only the Norwegians call him great.
@@taxfraud5673 I disagree, he was as much king of England as William the conqueror. Alfred deserves to be known as the great; but from a non-Norwegian, Cnut certainly does too.
@@taxfraud5673 not true my dude, Cnut built a massive empire, stabilized England after decades of political turmoil, and was arguably the first english king to be a major power in Europe- definitely a 'great' by anyone's metric. Also, despite being Danish, he was a king of England first, only ascending the Danish crown several years later, and the Norwegian one a few years after that- making him arguably more an English king than a Scandinavian one
@@rowanlau1651 I will say this, Cnut treated the English with a hell of a lot of respect for the time unlike William, this respect and love was reciprocated. The English played a significant role in the expansion of the North Sea empire as well, so it really resembled a union of sorts instead of an empire.
Very enjoyable, I knew some of this as I like to read Military History from all over the world but was glad to learn several details heretofore unknown to me.
I am learning so much from these presentations! It's like returning to school. One correction, however, if I may: at 7:22 Martel's "ancestor" Charles the Great, should read "descendant."
Thank you, a great job and very enjoyable to listen to and watch, much appreciation. It's clear that Alfred the Great saved Britain from the invading Vikings, at least for a short time, with the assistance of God. His vision for England, .. was clearly a defensive one, to help secure the peace, security and prosperity of England or Great Britain or even a United Kingdom and with the help of wise Asser of Saint David's, to allow the word of God to spread far and wide, along with the natural unalienable common law constitutional principles and for them to be restored and promoted, ..
This time is coming again. We need unity to protect our heritage
Absolutely fascinating!! Amazing man... Clearly an incredible King!!!
A Wessex man born with some Welsh and of Saxon ancestry as far as I can discern. Alfred has been a hero of mine since I first learned about him many years ago and am proud he is part of my families heritage.
He went to Rome with his father when he was about 4. He was anointed as a Consul of Rome by the pope. Again he went back when he was about 6. He learned Latin in his 30's and translated sermons from Latin into Old English.
Brilliant documentary, thanks!
Did sit there with my mouth open at the disrespect his remains were shown. Obviously two well known narcissists in William the conquerer and Henry VIII that move/forget his remains.
At least Alfred gets the recognition he deserves, over a thousand years after he laid the groundwork for where we are today!
My patron saint. Saint Alfred the Great pray for us!
@@pedanticradiator1491 He's a saint in the Orthodox Church
I have like Alfred the Great for the 60 years as for my opinion of him as never changed. He was a Learned and great king.
Alfred THE GREAT.
I think he deserves the title of Alfred The Great. But a sad ending to his remains.
Definitely Alfred "the Great". He left the first discernable footprint along the road to modern England and Britain. He was lucky but he must have been a tremendously hard individual to use that luck in the way he did. He had a vision beyond the borders of Wessex and yet he used the minimum of violence. He also nurtured a succession which finished the work he had done to substantiate his vision.
@@Endgame707 oh how hilarious
@@Endgame707 I have no idea where you got the notion I agreed. I said your comments were historically inaccurate and they are, grossly so. However, it is clear to me that you are a hopeless individual. Perhaps you should ask the nurse to adjust your medication.
Incredible that there's so much information from those tumultuous times.
Was late for the live, great inititive with the auction. ❤ from South Africa
Loving your channel!! Thanks for uploading all these. Would love to see a playlist and videos on the different popes 😉
A very interesting, well presented and detailed video of this great king. I did spot a couple of anachronisms in the enactments - a fairly modern oil lamp and a printed book. Or perhaps I'm just nitpicking. Overall an excellent video.
Thanks, a very enlightening well written history of most of my ancestors.