Elton O. S. MEDEIROS

Alfred the Great and the holy lineage of Wessex: the construction of a myth of origins in Anglo-Saxon England

Alfred o Grande e a linhagem sagrada de Wessex: a construção de um mito de origem na Inglaterra anglo-saxônica

Published in Relations between History and Literature in Ancient and Medieval World

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In the end of 9th century, the actions taken by King Alfred the Great were decisive for the survival of the Anglo-Saxon England against the Vikings. His cultural revival would change the Anglo-Saxon society, reinforcing the defenses of the kingdom, the politics and enable the unification of England in the mid-10th century under king Athelstan’s reign. However, the main reason behind this revival was not cultural but a spiritual. For this task, inspired by the works like Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica, a myth of origins was forged. A myth that said the Anglo-Saxons were the spiritual heirs of the Hebrews of Old Testament. And their kings would be descendent of a holy lineage of a mysterious forth son of Noah. In this article we will analyze the elements of this myth, how was its construction and its importance for the Alfredian period.