Alfred Jewel
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The Alfred Jewel is an Anglo-Saxon ornament dating from the late 9th century, first discovered in 1693. The Alfred Jewel was made in the reign of King Alfred the Great and is inscribed "AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN", meaning "Alfred ordered me made". It is about 2½ inches (6.3 cm) long, made of filigreed gold, enclosing a highly polished piece of quartz crystal beneath which is set a cloisonné enamel plaque, with an image of a man, perhaps Christ, with ecclesiastical symbols. It was at one time attached to a thin rod or stick based on the hollow socket at its base.
The jewel's purpose is unknown and remains a source of speculation. It has been suggested (not based on any factual evidence) that it could have been a pointer stick (for following words when reading a book), part of a crown, or part of a brooch. It may have been one of the precious "æstels" Alfred had sent to each bishopric with a copy of his translation of Pope Gregory the Great's book Pastoral Care.
It was discovered in 1693 at North Petherton near Bridgwater in Somerset on land owned by Sir Thomas Wroth (c. 1675–1721), where King Alfred founded a monastery. North Petherton is about 8 miles away from Athelney. The Alfred Jewel was bequeathed to Oxford University by Colonel Nathaniel Palmer (c. 1661-1718) and today is in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England. A replica of the jewel can be found in the church of North Petherton.
The Inspector Morse episode "The Wolvercote Tongue" centres on the theft of a fictional Saxon artifact based on the Jewel.
