The creation of the Caedmon's Hymn Flashcards
Earliest surviving poem of the English Language
Caedmon’s Hymn
How was this story found?
It was found in margins of the manuscripts of Bede’s work
How was the hymn created? (Step 1)
Caedmon was at a social gathering where a harp was going around for people to sing, and since he couldn’t sing he left
How was the hymn created? (Step 2)
An angel came to him in a vision, and asked him to sing about the creation of the world
How was the hymn created? (Step 3)
Miraculously, Caedmon started to sing 9 lines about the creation
How did Old English emerged?
It came as a branch of the Germanic languages spoken on Northern Eurioe
What is the main characteristic of Old English poetry?
The noun compunds, known as ‘kennings’
What did the Germanic languages and Old English have in common?
auxiliary in the future tense and STRONG and WEAK verbs.(nowadays, irregular and regular)
What is the main feature of the Old English sound?
The consonant clusters (consonanats that may or may not be voiced)
What does the hymn show?
It shows how the techniques of Old English verse were adapted to Christian contexts
What was King Alfred main contribuition?
He brought scholars to his court to produce and translate manuscripts into Old English (West-Saxon dialect)
West-Saxon dialect was spoken in ____ and ________
court / schools
What linguistic phenomenon does West-Saxon has?
Breaking (vowel sounds became diphthongs before other consonants)
Which other language influenced Old English dialects?
Scandinavian
Was OldEng poetry written in rhyme?
No, it was alliterative!!!!!
What are some patterns that we can find on OldEng poetry?
Repetition, echo and interlacement in the verse
What is a a constant call out in OldEng poetry?
It calls out the wrought quality of things in this world
Puzzles whose individual answers contribute to an understanding of the world and the ambiguities of linguistics
Riddles
Exercises of poetic virtuosity or schoolroom prudence that lie at the heart of OldEng literary aesthethic
Riddles
