King Alfred's Pastoral Care and the History Behind It

By Alex Thomas John

The enemy forces have started to conquer and take over many of the neighboring kingdoms. Everywhere they conquered, the enemies destroyed the native culture of the land and tried to spread and expand their own ideology. The enemies are getting closer and closer. Meanwhile, the people of your kingdom doesn’t seem to be interested in learning. They hardly know anything about their own religion, culture and language. Most of them don’t even know how to read their own native language. If you don’t act soon, the culture of your kingdom and the legacy of your ancestors will be lost forever in the hands of your enemies. This was the problem that King Alfred had to face in the late 8^th century.

The Vikings had proven their strength, and had started to conquer one European kingdom after the other, and causing harm to the kingdoms and their culture. It was during this time that King Alfred, the king off Wessex, noticed that the people in his kingdom were not interested in learning. They did not know about the texts of their own religion, since most of the religious texts were in Latin language, and only the learned scholars knew Latin, while most of the ordinary people in the kingdom were not even able to read and understand their native tongue, English. Seeing this pitiful state of interest in learning among his subjects, King Alfred decided that he had to do something to change this. He invited scholars from all around Europe to his kingdom, and asked for their help to translate some of the works from other languages, that are “most necessary for men to understand,” into English. He learned Latin himself and began translating books into English in 887. He urged the young and free men of his kingdom to learn English and to read the books which would be translated to English.

King Alfred had four older brothers, and hence didn’t have much probability too become king, as the eldest heir would ascend the throne. It is perhaps because of this that he decided to life the life of a scholar. His interest towards learning was also influenced by his mother, who encouraged it. But, King Alfred was not able to acquire the knowledge he sought until much later in life.

King Alfred begins his Preface to Pastoral Care by greeting Bishop Waelferth. Bishop Waelferth was the English Bishop of Worcester and was also a contemporary and friend of King Alfred. He was one of the significant translators from Latin to Old English. Then, in the preface, King Alfred recollects how clergy used to be in the past, talks about how there were successful leaders in the past, how people were happy under the rule of such kings, and how the king and his subjects obeyed God and his messengers. The leaders expanded their territory to foreign lands. They were aware of their duties to God, and knew how to fulfil them. People from different parts of the world used to come to their land, seeking wisdom. But now, the art of learning has fallen off in the English society. People are not even able to understand their services in English, or translate even an epistle from Latin to English. King Alfred therefore pleads with the clergy to put into practice the wisdom they have been given by God. King Alfred says that the people of his kingdom including himself are only Christians by name, and have hardly any virtues. But this shouldn’t be so, and it is their responsibility to be exemplars of Christianity. King Alfred says that English churches are willed with treasures and books, but people are not able to make proper use of them because they don’t understand the language. He then remembers the old scholars of his country, and wonders why none of them took the initiative to translate the major Latin works into English. He assumes that this might be because they wouldn’t have expected their future generation to show such less interest in the field of learning, and would have expected the future generation to learn Latin and other foreign languages so that they may gain more wisdom. King Alfred points out how the Bible was originally written in Hebrew language, and was later translated into different languages, including Latin. Many other Christian countries have even translated the Bible into their own native languages.

King Alfred puts forward the idea that they should too translate some books that are “most necessary for men to understand” into English. He encourages young, free men on his kingdom to be committed to learning how to read English writing. Noticing how the interest to learn Latin has died in English Men, King Alfred says that he has decided to translate Latin Pastoralis, also known as Pastoral Care, into the English language. Pastoral Care was a book written by Pope Gregory I, and was to guide the bishops and pastors on how to handle and do their duties in the church. He then announces that he will send a copy of the translated manuscript to every bishop in his kingdom, and that the reading is essential to his bishops, as well as others to come. The text is ordered to be kept in the church for future use.

This is how King Alfred as a king who gave much importance to education and learning, revived the interest in learning, and also blessed the domain of English literature with his translations of some of the most major works of literature from other foreign languages.