Cædmon

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Cædmon (d. 680). An elderly uneducated herdsman at the monastery of Whitby who, in a dream, miraculously received the gift of composing vernacular religious poetry. When he awoke, he remembered his song in praise of God the creator and added more verses. Learning of his new-found ability, the abbess Hilda took him into the monastic community to receive instruction. He learned about Old Testament history, the Gospels and apostolic teachings, the Last Judgement, heaven, hell, and the judgements of God. According to Bede, what he learned he turned into vernacular poems and songs. Only a few lines survive, recorded by Bede in his Ecclesiastical History. In an age when few could read or write, much less understand ecclesiastical Latin, Cædmon must have made a valuable contribution to the propagation of the Scriptures and Christian doctrine.

Audrey MacDonald

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