Asser (d. 908/9) was a Welsh monk who became Bishop of Sherborne in 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, and not much is known about any of it.
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.