Asser (d. 908/909) was a Welsh monk who became Bishop of Sherborne during the 890s. It is not certain whether his birth name was "Gwyn" (or "Guinn"), which is Welsh for "blessed" (or "blessedness"), or "Asser" (or "Asher"), which is Hebrew for "blessed" and the name of Jacob's eighth son in the Bible. Hebrew names were often given to babies in Wales at the time, but it was also common to adopt a Biblical name when becoming a monk or priest, so the question remains open. Asser was a monk at St. David's in what was then the kingdom of Dyfed, but nothing is known of his earlier life. Events Births Deaths Categories: 908 ... This article is for the year 909. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ... Arms of the Bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. ... Centuries: 8th century - 9th century - 10th century Decades: 840s - 850s _ 860s - 870s - 880s - 890s - 900s - 910s - 920s - 930s - 940s Years: 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899 900 Events Categories: 890s ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... In the Book of Genesis, Asher (אָשֵׁר, Standard Hebrew Ašer, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĀšēr) is a son of Jacob and Zilpah, and the founder of the Tribe of Asher. ... The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ... Jacob Wrestling with the Angel – Gustave Doré, 1855 Jacob or Yaakov, (יַעֲקֹב Holder of the heel, Standard Hebrew Yaʿaqov, Tiberian Hebrew Yaʿăqōḇ; Arabic يعقوب Yaʿqūb), later known as Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל Prince with God, Standard Hebrew Yisraʾel, Tiberian Hebrew Yiśrāʾēl; Arabic اسرائيل Isrāʾīl) is a biblical patriarch. ... A Bible handwritten in Latin, on display in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ... St Davids Cathedral from the gatehouse St Davids Cathedral is situated in the tiny city of St Davids in Pembrokeshire. ... Dyfed was one of the ancient kingdoms (or principalities) of Wales prior to the Norman Conquest. ...

He went to work for King Alfred the Great in Wessex, and part of his work was to help the king with the books he translated. In 893 Asser wrote his own Life of King Alfred that is the best source of information modern historians have about any early king in Britain. At some time between 892 and 900 Asser became Bishop of Sherborne -- he had already been a bishop, but whether he was Bishop of St. David's or a suffragan bishop of Sherborne while Wulfsige was its bishop is not clear, although Giraldus Cambrensis listed Asser as a bishop of St. David's in Itinerarium Cambriae, which he wrote in 1191. Alfred (849? – 26 October 899) (sometimes spelt Ælfred) was king of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. ... Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the kingdom of England. ... Events Simeon I succeeds Vladimir as king of Bulgaria. ... Events Poppo of Thuringia, count of the march in Thuringia,is deposed by the German Carolingian king Arnulf of Carinthia Arnulf of Carinthia invades Great Moravia Duke Guido of Spoleto crowned Roman Emperor in April The former Silla general Gyeonhwon attacks the city of Gwangju and declares himself king. ... Events Persian scientist, Rhazes, distinguished smallpox from measles in the course of his writings. ... Sherborne Abbey The Abbey Church of St. ... Giraldus Cambrensis (c. ... Events May 12 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. ...

During the 19th and 20th centuries, several scholars asserted that Asser's biography of King Alfred was not authentic but a forgery; at least one scholar claimed the forger was Bishop Leofric of Devon and Cornwall (became bishop 1046, died 1072). The bases for those assertions did not stand up to examination, and the Life is still acknowledged as authentic by all reputable authorities. It is readily available in various editions of books and on the Internet. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Leofric (1016 - 1072) was born in Devon, England, and died there, in Exeter, on 10 February, 1072. ... The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. ... Events First contact between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuks Martyrdom of Gerard Sagredo in Budapest Births Matilda of Tuscany (d. ... Events William I of England invades Scotland, and also receives the submission of Hereward the Wake. ...

In addition to his life of Ælfred he wrote a chronicle of England from 849 to 887.

Arms of the Bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. ...

See also

• English historians in the Middle Ages

English historians in the Middle Ages is an overview of the history of English historians and their works in the Middle Ages. ...

External links

• HTML full text of Asser's Life of King Alfred (http://www.northvegr.org/lore/alfred/index.php)
• Asser’s Life of Alfred (http://www.bartleby.com/211/0601.html), commentary from The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, Volume I, 1907–21.