Alfred Was Often Sick

Alfred frequently complained of stomach pain. Sometimes it was so terrible that he was forced to spend days or weeks at a time in his room. According to reports, he frequently experienced diarrhea, severe cramps, and other gastrointestinal issues. His bad health has been attributed by some historians to what is today known as Crohn's disease.

The nature of King Alfred's severe sickness has been the subject of great conjecture among Anglo-Saxonists. King Alfred, often known as "England's Darling," lived from 849 to 900. We are lucky to have a contemporaneous account of the king's symptoms written by Asser, a Welsh bishop and friend of King Alfred. Many theories about the nature of the king's illness have been sparked by the study of Asser's book, "The Life of King Alfred." Numerous illnesses have been suggested as potential causes, including neuritis, epilepsy, a sexually transmitted disease linked to homosexuality, a psychological condition, and more. These conjectures provide a pretty colorful image of a morbidly worried adolescent who is too sensitive.