KING ALFRED THE GREAT

           In 835 A.D. the Danes began to raid the coast of England. In some time, they started constructing settlements on the conquered lands. In 870 only Wessex was left to resist the barbaric Danes. At that time the West Saxons got a new young King, his name was Alfred, later he was called Alfred the Great. And  no other king has earned this title. Alfred never became strong enough to drive the Danes completely from England. So, Alfred forced the Danes to come to terms – to accept Christianity and live within the frontiers of the Danelaw – a large part of Eastern England, while he was master of South and West England. King Alfred was quick to learn from his enemies: he created an efficient army and built a fleet of warships on a Danish pattern, which were known to have defeated Viking invaders at sea more than once. They were forced to go south and settled in Northern France, where their settlements became known as Normandy. King Alfred the Great accepted a new Code of laws, which raised the standards of the English society. New churches were built, foreign scholars were broughtбschools were founded, and King Alfred himself translated a number of books from Latin and began the Anglo-Saxon chronicle, a year – by year history of England. Alfred the Great saved England from the Danish conquest, but in the 10^th – 11^th centuries the Danes managed to expand their possession in Great Britain and from 1013 to 1042 the Danish royal power triumphed in England. King Canut’s empire included Norway, Denmark and England. King Canut’s empire included Norway, Denmark and England. In 1042 the house of Wessex was restored to power in England, when Edward was elected king by the Witan. He was half – Norman, had spent his exile in Normandy and William the Duke of Normandy was his cousin and a close friend.

QUESTIONS:

1.      When did the Danes begin to raid the coast of England?

2.      What was Alfred?

3.      Did he drive the Danes completely from England?

4.      What did Alfred force the Danes to do?

5.      What was the territory of the Danes rule according to the Danelaw?

6.      What did King Alfred the Great do for his country?

7.      Did the Danish royal power triumph in England in the end?

VOCABULARY:

to raid – вторгаться; совершать налет, набег

to construct – строить, сооружать; воздвигать

settlement – поселение, городишко

to conquer – завоевывать, покорять; порабощать; подчинять

to resist – сопротивляться, оказывать сопротивление; противостоять

barbaric – варварский; первобытный

the West Saxons – Западные Саксы

Alfred the Great – Альфред Великий

to earn – заслуживать

to drive – зд.Выгнать, изгнать, выпроводить

to force – заставить, принудить

efficient – подготовленный, квалифицированный

pattern – образец, модель

to defeat – воен. одержать победу (над кем-л.), наносить поражение; завоевывать

Normandy – Нормандия

chronicle – хроника; летопись

to manage – ухитриться, умудриться, суметь сделать

to expand – расширять(ся); увеличивать(ся) в размерах

to include – заключать, включать в себя

Denmark – Дания

the Witan – Витан (подобие вече, думы, рады)

exile – изгнание; ссылка; высылка из страны

The Duke of Normandy – герцог Нормандии