In 871, Alfred, a young prince from Wessex gathered his men on the field of battle at Ashdown.

A hill with a mysteriously emblazoned white horse cut into the hillside.

The enemy before him was mighty and ferocious, a band of train professional soldiers known as the Danes or Vikings.

They were notoriously violent hardened warriors, and these Vikings had held the high-grounded

ashdown that day of battle making the Saxon defeat all the more likely.

Their kinsmen had conquered every kingdom on the Anglo-Saxon continent, pillaging, raping, and cruelly

plundering the people as they went.

Even worse for Alfred, his brother, King Ethelred, had not shown up to the battle.

So Alfred stood alone with his men, a much smaller force for the initial conflict.

At just 22 years of age and with no military experience under his belt, Alfred nonetheless,

man fully called his troops to advance on the enemy position and to form the shield wall.

Of this legendary moment moment Ben Merkel writes, lacking age,

experience and the crown, Alfred had no room for indecision,

bumbling, or cowardice.

His demeanor had to be resolute, sharp, and bold.

After he had returned to his men, he wasted little time before informing them of the task at hand.

He charged them to acquit themselves like men,

to be worthy of the king they served, to remember their God and to trust in God's strength and mercy.

Then he ordered them to take up their weapons,

form their ranks, and be quick about it all.

The Wessex Army was prepared to face the oncoming crush of the Viking Horde.

Alfred joined the shield wall, standing shoulder to shoulder with his men.

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