A fresh attack took place during 878 when Guthrum and his forces returned to Wessex and launched a surprise attack on the royal manor near Chippenham where Alfred was celebrating Twelfth Night. The forces of Wessex were unprepared for such an attack, given they were largely enjoying a lengthy holiday in celebration of Christmas.

Alfred managed to escape from the court and travelled to the Isle of Athelney in the Somerset marshes. He was accompanied by a small force of men that had managed to escape with him.

Despite the situation looking terrible for Alfred good news came to him with reports of Ealdorman Odda (a senior magnate of Alfred) inflicting significant losses on a force of Vikings that had landed in Devon in 23 ships. At the Battle of Cynwit 600 Vikings died, among them Ubba, one of the three brothers that led the initial Great Heathen Army, and great damage was done to the pride of the Vikings, with the raven banner that represented the great Ragnar Lothbrok being captured. Nonetheless Alfred was still in a weak postion, only able to operate limited guerrilla missions.

It is during this time that some of the most well-known legends about Alfred’s reign are said to have occured. The most famous is the tale of when having to take shelter in the home of a swineherd Alfred failed to turn over the baking cakes or bread and they burnt and he was scolded by the swineherd’s wife. Tall tales about Alfred disguising as a minstrel and entering the Viking camp to spy on them, or about his meeting with a beggar who he ate lunch with, who it allegedly transpired was St Cuthbert.




   1864 portrait by JWE Doyle of Alfred
   being chastised for burning the cakes
   (Public domain)