Alfred the Great, a Scolding Woman, and the Alfred Jewel - Part 2

At the age of around 20 (in 868 or 869), Alfred married Ealhswith, who was daughter of Ethelred Mucil at Winchester (then England's capital city) Cathedral (now in Hampshire). Ealhswith was from a Lincolnshire family, and the couple had several children, though how many seems unclear. At least five, anyway, including the next king after Alfred, Edward the Elder.

In 871 came the Battle of Ashdown, in which Alfred defeated the Danes, and a white horse was, again as legend would have us believe, carved into the Berkshire Hills, now Oxfordshire, as a reminder of the victory (which is still there today. It is known as the Uffington White Horse, and is probably 3,000 years old, from the Bronze Age, though may have been overgrown by grass, and re-cut to make it appear as a new creation. See photo here). Alfred was crowned as King of Wessex, again at Winchester Cathedral, shortly after.

Remembered as a good man, Alfred the Great showed his humanity to his great Danish adversary Guthrum (their story was documented in the 1969 movie, Alfred the Great, starring David Hemmings (Alfred) and Michael York (Guthrum)). Alfred actually adopted Guthrum as his own son! Another wonderful story is that Alfred disguised himself as a minstrel to enter Guthrum's camp, thus gaining some useful information...

Alfred died on October 26th, probably in 899, and he was buried in Winchester. He had been King of Wessex since 871. Alfred was a devout Christian, and in the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church he is venerated as a saint (possibly because of his victories against the pagan Vikings, who were terrifying much of Europe in the 9th Century). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was probably another product of Alfred the Great's reign, with Alfred encouraging monks to record Anglo-Saxon history in England. Alfred also took London back from the Vikings. Statues of Alfred the Great are in Winchester and Wantage, though the one in Wantage has twice been badly vandalized in recent years. I hope Alfred's ghost haunts 'em!

As for the Alfred Jewel, that resides in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, and has the words, translated into modern English: "Alfred ordered me made". The Alfred Jewel is made of filigreed gold, and encloses a polished piece of quartz crystal, which is above a cloisonné enamel plaque, which contains possibly the image of Christ. It is around 2½ inches long. The Jewel was bequeathed by Colonel Nathaniel Palmer (c. 1661-1718) to Oxford University. The church of North Petherton also has a replica of the Alfred Jewel. Half a dozen jewels similar to the Alfred Jewel have been found - The Minster Lovell Jewel, the Warminster Jewel, the Bowleaze Jewel, the Yorkshire Aestel, the Borg Aestel, and the Bidford Bobble. All these and the Alfred Jewel were seen together for the first time in an exhibition in Winchester Discovery Centre in 2008.

Theories abound as to what the Alfred Jewel would have been used for. A brooch or even part of a crown. Part of a ceremonial rod, perhaps, or even attached to a reading aid. But, I prefer the theory that it was either given as a sort of medal of military service by Alfred the Great. Maybe the Victoria Cross or Purple Heart of its day, or just an award for loyal service. Perhaps the scolding woman received one, but, thinking about her beloved cakes, threw it, with disdain, into a Somerset marsh over a thousand years ago!

Sources

1. A Dictionary of British History. Edited by J.P. Kenyon (Lawrence Urdang Associates Ltd, 1981)

2. Alfred the Great - Wikipedia

3. Alfred Jewel - Wikipedia

4. Wessex - Wikipedia

5. Uffington White Horse - Wikipedia

6. Uffington White Horse - BBC