Others thought that it might just be an unknown fever, or even possibly hemorrhoids. Because there were no concrete diagnoses, rumors spread that King Alfred was possessed by the devil or that he was being punished by a witch. The pain persisted for over twenty years, and the cause remained unknown to physicians at the time. It was after the feast that Alfred began experiencing a harsh and relentless pain. In his book, Asser explains that Alfred had a huge feast after his marriage to his bride, Ealhswith. Much of the information we have about Alfred’s condition comes from Asser’s writings. After all of this studying, researchers have come to the conclusion that it is most likely that King Alfred suffered from Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Upon studying his symptoms, many people have considered several conditions that the king may have suffered from, including neuritis (inflammation of a nerve), epilepsy, sexually transmitted diseases, or even psychosomatic illnesses due to stress. Fortunately for us, we can now look at the book and learn about the king’s symptoms. In Asser’s book Life of Alfred, he writes much on the subject of Alfred’s health. Asser, the Welsh bishop of King Alfred, studied the King’s illness and kept records of his symptoms. It is known that through much of his life King Alfred suffered from illness that caused him severe pain. Alfred is the only English monarch given the title “the Great.” This could be due to his work defending against Viking invasions and his social reforms. King Alfred the Great ruled the Saxon kingdom of Wessex, located in southwestern England, from the years 871 to 899CE.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |