A Voice from Beyond the Grave: the Prose Preface to the Old English Boethius and the Cult of King Alfred

Abstract

The Prose Preface to the Old English Boethius is typically regarded by modern scholars as a muddled and unimpressive piece of writing. It has also been widely read as the work of King Alfred himself and cited as evidence for his composition of the free translation of the De consolatione philosophiae that follows. The first part of this article demonstrates how the Prose Preface purposefully draws on a wide range of earlier Alfredian writing to create an image of Alfred as a scholar-king who overcame great hardships during his reign. The second section situates the composition of the preface in the turbulent early years of Edward the Elder’s reign, a period marked by concerted efforts to promote Alfred’s image as a saintly ruler and dynastic father-figure.