Alfred the Great (Alfred of Wessex)
Alfred the Great was king of English kingdom Wessex between AD 871 and 899. He was the fourth of four siblings to sit on the throne, and his reign was chiefly concerned with fending off invasion by the Vikings. For such a war-obsessed time, Alfred was something of a pacifier within Northern Europe. He made a treaty with the Vikings that carved out an area for them in the North of England that was named Danelaw, and he also helped the Viking leader Guthrum convert to Catholicism, becoming his godfather. The Treaty was instrumental in bringing about longterm peace, and it also began to dissipate the hold that paganism had over the Danelands.
Alfred was so respected that the epithet "The Great" was bestowed upon him, an honor shared with only one other monarch. Alfred was at heart a merciful man and this is what inspired peace treaties rather than bloodthirsty strategizing. He was also one of the first proponents of English as a key language independent of Latin, showing an independence from the Roman Empire that was really ahead of his time, and setting the groundwork for the later Medieval monarchs who continued to pull away from Rome These qualities are shown in this work, in that he is constantly offering the Vikings the opportunity to withdraw from Wessex lands if they take over Northern lands. Chesterton clearly reveres this King, and although his description of the events has a certain degree of poetic license, it is the events rather than the character of the King himself that is to be taken with a grain of historical salt.
Guthrum
Guthrum became ruler over all of the Danish lands, although it is not known how this came to be, or how he overthrew or negotiated his way into this role. He was an avaricious collector of lands, and spread his kingdom across the entire north of England before attempting to overthrow King Alfred. Although he won the first battle, he was not able to consolidate this initial victory and gradually King Alfred managed to overpower the Viking troops. Guthrum was spared thanks to King Alfred's peace deal. Unfortunately although King Alfred stuck to the peace deal, Guthrum did not, attacking the King's lands in 877, unsuccessfully. He was captured, and after his army were thoroughly beaten the Treaty of Wedmore was signed. This established borders between the Danish lands and the English lands. Guthrum eventually converted from paganism to Christianity, taking Alfred as his godfather.
The Virgin Mary
The Virgin Mary appears to Alfred to console him. She encourages him also, promising him salvation, although never promising victory in the battle. She also appears to Alfred again at the end of the poem, as his army is all but defeated. Again, she encourages him by appearing to him.
Old Woman
The old woman, although not given a name, plays a very important role in the poem because she provokes introspection and thought in Alfred and he is humbled by the difficult life that she has lived. She gives him a cake if he promises to watch the fire, but he does a bad job of this because he is too busy daydreaming. She reminds him about the danger of pride because she is so angry about the burned cakes that she hits him. The fact a common, simple woman has the temerity to strike the King of Wessex amuses Alfred and reminds him that he should not take his success for granted.
Colan
Colan is a gael, and he sacrifices himself in battle time and again to save Alfred He is a well respected warrior and when he sees an arrow fired towards him he dodges it, showing a terrific awareness of what is going on around him. He then throws his sword towards Harold, the man who shot the arrow. The sword hits him and kills him. Colan is held up as an example of a great soldier and is generally seen as Alfred's next in command in battle, although sometimes he is more like his wing man. He is sadly killed after the men are separated.
