The Gateway Chronicle 2020

42
This brings us to the 6 th of January 878
when Alfred was forcibly removed from
power by a surprise invasion at Chippenham
and went into hiding in the Somerset
marshes. During this time, Alfred called
upon his lords to raise their armies and to
fight with him under the Christian banner
of Wessex at what became the infamous
Battle of Edington. Here Alfred won such
a victory that the Danish armies agreed to
split Mercia in two and have a north easterly
Danish country called “Danelaw” and
have a strong Wessex in the south west.
Most notably though, the terms of this
agreement signed at Wedmore/Chippenham
included Guthrum (at this time believed
to be the most powerful of his
brothers) being baptised and having Alfred
accept him as his adoptive son. It was
this conversion of Guthrum (who then became
Christian king AEthelstan by name)
to Christianity that would reinvigorate the
processes kicked into motion by Augustine
300 years prior. This treaty ensured
that across the area that would become
England, Christians were both free to
travel and preach in an environment
where they were not persecuted by anyone.
Furthermore, the way that Alfred dealt
with the aftermath of the crisis, and the
destruction of monasteries and churches
across the country was incredibly important
in preserving England as a Christian
country. Within his own territories
Alfred created a system of Buhrs or fortifications
around settlements that would
prevent from future Viking raids and lootings.
As mentioned earlier in the article,
towns and cities were where Christianity
had taken hold and thus the word pagan
developed for rural peoples who were
polytheistic. Thus, the creation of fortified
Burhs around major towns and cities ensured
the survival of Christianity in Anglo-Saxony.
Alfred ensured in his treaty
that his missionaries could be sent to Minsters
across Danelaw, and where they had
been destroyed, he rebuilt them with the
help of his newly baptised counterpart
AEthelstan. This was important in ensuring
the survival of a Christian Kingdom,
which under Alfred’s son, Edward the Elder,
and his grandson, also named AEthelstan,
would be unified and become England.
Adulthood?
Since then, a lot has changed within the
internal structures of the Church. Events
set in motion by the invasion of William
the Conqueror in 1066 would eventually
lead to a disconnection from the Church
felt by the average man or woman. This
religious extravagance would then become
the justification of a tyrannous Monarch
450 years later for transitioning the
Church into a new Protestant Church.
However, since those Christian mourners
wept on the roads of Winchester, they,
and their descendants, have remained
part of a Christian nation.
Firstly, the Roman empire laid the foundation
of Christian ideals such as monotheism
and a degree of tolerance that were
important in sowing the seeds of Christianity
amongst the Anglo-Saxon masses, as
well as providing the political context
through which to normalise it elsewhere
and provide footings that would last long
into the future. Secondly, the arrival of
Augustine at the end of the 6 th century
was incredibly important in developing
the first system of worship on our Island.
Augustine’s systems incredible success is,
in my mind at the very least, creditable
with ensuring that Christianity could recapture
the hearts and minds of the Anglo-Saxons
and the Britons. Finally, Alfred
provided a strong Christian leader that
was crucial in preserving the influence of
the church on our island. Thus, the Christian
vagabond found a home within England
as the result of an empire, a small
group of monks and a single Christian
king.
Sam, L6JPD