Michael Wood: King Alfred and the Anglo-Saxons

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Following the enthusiasm for the ongoing Anglo-Saxon series in The Essay slot, I can recommend this programme from last Tuesday and still available on the i-Player. Wood is his usual, excellent self: keen without gushing; gently informative, without patronizing; completely compelling and entertaining without "am-dram" reconstructions - and not a Marimba to be heard! It's wonderful, too, to hear how the language (may have) sounded with copious readings from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.

The Beeb living up to its finest reputation: telly at its best.

[Nick Armstrong]

Agreed, ferns - I went out of my way to see this. Wood (he turned 65 last month!! ...) in his maturity is the real thing, free of affectation and radiating knowledge and informed enthusiasm. The site visits were fascinating. I found it surprising to be reminded how these early English kings and their offspring sauntered down to Rome relatively regularly!

[aeolium]

Also agreed. I thought it was excellent, and I especially liked the Old English readings and seeing the manuscripts. So sad to see the burnt fragments - couldn't those eighteenth century bumblers stop playing with fire?!

A minor quibble - though no fault of the programme which was clearly part of a series on Alfred and his immediate successors - was the focus on the Wessex/Mercia area without the context of what was going on further north. And the part on the triumph of Alfred's diplomacy in bringing the defeated Danish leader into his fold was somewhat abruptly followed by the story of Alfred fighting a succession of further wars against the same adversaries. But the tale was very eloquently told for all that.

I thought his previous series on India was also excellent.

[eighthobstruction]

Yes very good as usual....well done Michael Woods....

[Stephen Smith]

!st programme to be shown again on BBC4 at 23:20 - 00:20 this evening (not Sign language version).

[Gordon]

Yes indeed, very good as are most of his efforts on TV. I had the good fortune to meet him at a history festival near Salisbury about a month ago where he gave a talk on the Three Kings featured in this latest series and then showed a preview of the first episode. The Q&A afterwards was just as entertaining!! Chatting to him after his book signing session revealed the same persona as on TV, very approachable and open!!

[Pabmusic]

...The Beeb living up to its finest reputation: telly at its best.

Superb, wasn't it? Being at school in Winchester gave me an advantage in that Alfred was part of local history, and he was covered well in lessons, but in many parts he is little thought about. Yet he seems to have been remarkably talented and to have created a talented court.

Even the US Navy traces it's origins to Alfred (apparently so - the Royal Navy does of course).

[Phileas]

I agree entirely with everything said so far.

Why can't all BBC history be this good? Is it simply down to the presenter?

[aeolium]

Why can't all BBC history be this good? Is it simply down to the presenter?

To be fair, some of the non-Wood stuff is very good. Dr Janina Ramirez has presented two excellent series on illuminated manuscripts (accompanying a major exhibition at the British Library) and the Hundred Years War.

But, yes, a lot of it is down to the presenter and especially to the presenter's willingness to trust the audience's ability to pay attention without gimmicks and undue hyperbole. Both Wood and Dr Ramirez have this quality as well as the ability to tell a story clearly and eloquently, wearing erudition lightly.

[aeolium]

Another very fine programme yesterday in the Wood AS series, focussing extensively on the life and rule of Æthelflæde, Myrcna hlæfdige, or Lady of the Mercians. She seemed to have had a very strong personality, perhaps stronger than that of her brother Edward who ruled in Wessex. Again there was excellent use of the sources and quotation from the original Old English, Latin and French (how most historians might have reverted to using translations).

Æthelflæde is buried under St Oswald's Priory in Gloucester, a town she did much to rebuild after its decline following the departure of the Romans.

[DracoM]

Aeolium

How did you do the 'aesch' in the names such as Æthelflæde? I've been trying to find out how to for years, and could on;y do it here by copying and pasting from your posting!!

Do agree about the programme too.

[aeolium]

How did you do the 'aesch' in the names such as Æthelflæde? I've been trying to find out how to for years, and could on;y do it here by copying and pasting from your posting!!

Well, I don't know about what to do on PCs though I imagine it's an alt-code, but on the Mac I select "Show Character Palette" from the union jack symbol on the top right of the screen, then select from the symbols shown within "Accented Latin", scrolling down. There might be an easier way!

[johnb]

Aeolium

How did you do the 'aesch' in the names such as Æthelflæde? I've been trying to find out how to for years, and could on;y do it here by copying and pasting from your posting!!

Do agree about the programme too.

Æ is Alt+0198
æ is Alt+0230

Hold down the Alt key then type the numbers (holding down the Alt key), then release the Alt key and the character will appear.

There are lists of Alt codes on the web.

But there is also a "Character Map" utility (in Windows) which is very useful. In Windows 7 it is hidden away in:
Start/All Programs/Accessories/System

Once you find it you can right click and "Pin to the Taskbar" so it is always easily available

[Pabmusic]

Well, I don't know about what to do on PCs though I imagine it's an alt-code, but on the Mac I select "Show Character Palette" from the union jack symbol on the top right of the screen, then select from the symbols shown within "Accented Latin", scrolling down. There might be an easier way!

That's it, Aeolium - I've never found anything easier. (Actually I have - I've made my own document of all 'odd' letters and accents, and I copy & paste from that.)

No-one's asked the question, but I'll answer it pre-emptively. Ash is pronounced as a short A (exactly as in Alfred or ash), rather than the slightly broader, flatter A of hlafleast (hunger, famine). The name (æsc) is simply ash (tree) in modern English.

[DracoM]

Many thanks for all assistance..

Actually, I feel a real dummie, since I have now discovered that it can also accessed on Word under 'Symbol'!!