ALFRED

ALFRED [849–99]. Old English Ælfred. Scholar king of the West Saxons (871–99), often called Alfred the Great, who prevented the Danes from conquering all of England, and promoted learning and literacy in ENGLISH and LATIN. In the preface to his translation of Gregory the Great's Pastoral Care, he reasoned that GREEK and Latin translations of the Old Testament were a precedent for translating some Latin classics into English for the children of free men to read. Although he lacked a profound knowledge of Latin, his translations initiated OLD ENGLISH prose writing. The ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE probably began during his reign (c.890) and may reflect his influence. At the time when the Vikings were destroying the celebrated Latin culture of Northumbria, Alfred's programme of translations gave English an important place in early medieval culture, an unparalleled development among European vernaculars of the time. His books continued to be copied in Norman England. See BIBLE, ENGLISH LITERATURE, HISTORY OF ENGLISH, INDIAN ENGLISH.