Level 10-Day 45
The Life Of Caedmon
3-24-17
Caedmon. Caedmon was the first English Christian poet, whose hymn to the creation remains a
symbol of the adaption of the aristocratic- heroic Anglo- Saxon verse expression to Christian themes.
Although Caedmon has been referred to a lot in medieval literature, it is the “Father of English
History”, who is the Venerable Bede who firstly refers to Caedmon in his seminal work of 731 AD,
Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum.
According to Bede, Caedmon tended to some animals which belonged to the Northumbrian
monastery of Streonaeshalch, (which later became Whitby Abbey) during St Hilda’s times at Abbess
between 657 and 680 AD.
One evening when he fell asleep among the animals he was caring for, it is said that Caedmon had
dreamt that an apparition appeared before him, telling him to sing of the principium creaturarum, or the
‘beginning of greater things.’ Suddenly, which seemed to be a miracle Caedmon actually began singing.
Now though it was only a dream that memory of him singing actually stayed with him, allowing him to
recall the holy verses for his master, which were Hilda and the members of her inner circle.
When Caedmon was actually able to write religious poetry he decided that this gift was a blessing
from God.
Later he decided he wanted to become a monk. So he went to go take his vows to become a monk, he
learned his scripture’s and the history of Christianity from Hilda’s pupils and doing all the beautiful
poetry as they did.
No matter where Caedmon went or who you came upon, he remained a devout follower of the Church
for the rest of his life.
Caedmon later died in 680 AD because of a short illness.
It was said that Caedmon died around the time of a great fire at Coldingham Abbey, which is said to
be taken place between 679 and 681 AD.
Although no one ever formally recognized him as a saint, Bede writes that Caedmon was granted a
premonition of his death following a short illness. The premonition was an honor which is usually
reserved for the most holy of God’s followers.
Getting granted the premonition allowed him to receive the Eucharist one last time and to arrange for
all of his friends to be with him.
Through all his work the only thing that is left of Caedmon’s poetry is the nine line poem, known as a
Caedmon’s Hymn, which Bede includes in his writing’s and is written in Latin.
The reason they wrote the hymn in Latin was because, they figured that the world-wide audience
would be unfamiliar with the Angle-Saxon language.
So yes, it was a miracle that he wrote that poetry.
But, though everyone thought and called Caedmon this “Great Poet” he was none other than a simple
man, who could not sing nor knew no poetry. And because of this, he would get embarrassed among his
more literate peers.
He knew for him to not be embarrassed he would quietly depart the mead hall whenever the harp was
being passed around, so to not embarrass himself in front of his more literate peers.
Because so to say, Caedmon was not an actual poet at all.
HANNAH - [email protected]