Exciting news this morning out of London, as researchers at the University of Winchester claim to have discovered King Alfred’s pelvis in a box of bones. This will no doubt spawn a rash of prank phone calls to the U of M’s archaeology department.

Caller: “Do you have King Albert’s pelvis in a box?”
Archaeologist: “Yes.”
Caller: “Well give it back!”

King Alfred, for the overwhelming majority of us here in America who have no clue, was a 9th Century king who kept the Vikings out of England and who was apparently big on education, among other things.

Alfred, a Saxon king who ruled from 871 to 899, is known for blocking repeated Viking incursions, reordering his nation’s finances and reforming its legal code. He’s also remembered as an educator, inviting scholars from across the continent to his court, directing young English freemen to learn to read and even translating several works on his own.

“He’s one of England’s most famous kings,” said Simon Keynes, a University of Cambridge historian who is an authority on the monarch. “He’s the only one that’s called ‘Great.'”

At a press conference at the University of Winchester, researcher in human osteology Dr Katie Tucker provides some sort of estimate to reporters based on the pelvis (which appeared to intimidate if not downright terrify her).

Tucker went on to say that “this may explain why Alfred was referred to as ‘the Great’.”

Well, snow has returned to my area this morning. Looks like we’ve gotten a couple of inches so far, on our way to six, they say. It will then stop snowing and the temperature will drop to about zero. A little something to look forward to.

Thank goodness Monday is a holiday.