ANNALS OF THE REIGN
OF
ALFRED THE GREAT,
FROM A.D. 849 TO A.D. SS7. BY ASSER OF SAINT DAVID'S.
In the year of our Lord's incarnation 849, was born Alfred, king of the Anglo-Saxons, at the royal village of Wanating,[1] in Berkshire, which country has its name from the wood of Berroc, where the box-tree grows most abundantly. His genealogy is traced in the following order. King Alfred was the son of king Ethelwulf, who was the son of Egbert, who was the son of Elmund, was the son of Eafa, who was the son of Eoppa, who the son of Ingild. Ingild, and Ina, the famous king of the West-Saxons, were two brothers. Ina went to Rome, and there ending this life honourably, entered the heavenly kingdom, to reign there for ever with Christ. Ingild and Ina were the sons of Coenred, who was the son of Ceolwald, who was the son of Cudam, who was the son of Cuthwin, who was the son of Ceawlin, who was the son of Cynric, who was the son of Creoda, who was the son of Cerdic, who was the son of Elesa. who was the son of Gewis, from whom the Britons name all that nation Gegwis.f who was the son of Brond, who was the son of Beldeg. who was the son of Woden, who was the son of Erithowald. who was the son of Frealaf, who was the son of Frithuwulf. who was the son of Finn of Godwulf. who was the son of Geat, which Geat the pagans long worshipped as a god. Sedulius makes mention of him in his metrical Paschal poem, as follows:—
When gentile poets with their fictions vain, In tragic language and bombastic strain, To their god Geat, comic deity, Loud praises sing, &c.
f The Gewissae, generally understood to be the West-Saxons.
- ↑ Wantage.
