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THESE ISLES: Alfred, king of Wessex, who lived 849-99, is renowned as an English national hero for resisting the Vikings’ advance and for promoting learning and literacy. He gained the epithet ‘the Great’ as early as the 13th century, popularised from the 16th. 1/6

The question of "who are natives in a land" is such a complex one. The conflict of the English (Anglo-Saxons) v Danes sounds so stark, until one remembers that the Angles were themselves from Denmark. So was it really a conflict between 5th/6thC Danes and 9thC Danes? /1

I think I remember (senility alert) a Radio 4 programme where a historian said the population of the Frisian islands is descended from Anglo Saxons who left England and re-colonised the Frisian islands. So maybe the proper English are in German and the Dutch islands instead of England.

Interesting. I saw a film (YTube) where an expert in ancient languages, who has learned Anglo-Saxon(!), goes to Frisia where the dialect is still stong, and chats to the natives- eg walking up to a farmer and asking to buy a cow🙂, and buying food in the market. He gets by pretty well.

We need to find a YouTube clip of it!

Not sure it is same one I recall but same exercise... youtu.be/cZY7iF4Wc9I?...

This one is Eddie Izzard, the comic and actor, and yes it seems like part of what I remember, but weirdly I don't remember it being him. This is the guy I definitely remember, a dazzling linguist who travels the world talking to everyone in their own language. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Faoo...