St Caedmon

Caedmon was a herdsmen who looked after the animals at a monastery in Whitby. He was notable, not for his abilities, but for his lack. As soon as the harp came out, every member of the monastery was expected to sing or recite a poem. As Caedmon was illiterate, unmusical and unpoetical, he would normally leave the hall and head towards his animals. Hiding amongst them.

On one particular evening, as everyone was singing, playing and reciting poetry, Caedmon felt especially alone. He piled up some straw and laid his head down to sleep. Then he heard a voice. A stranger told him to stand and sing.

In the dream, Caedmon opened his eyes, sat up and explained to the stranger that he could neither sing, nor read. "What can I do?", he said.

The stranger replied, "Sing the beginning of created things". Caedmon started to sing in his sleep, just as the stranger ask him to do. It was an improvised verse, full of beauty and poetic structure.

In the morning, Caedmon told the head steward of his dream. He was taken to the abbess, who asked him to sing. Her and all her learned men listened to this beautiful song and were amazed at the complete mastery of the Anglo-Saxon metre. The abbess asked Caedmon to give up his work as a herdsmen and join the monastery as a monk.

In the following years, Caedmon translated the Bible into Anglo-Saxon poetic verse. He lived out his days writing only sacred songs. No secular poems came from him.

Caedmon died peacefully in his sleep at the end of the 7th Century AD.

It was thought that nearly all the sacred Anglo-Saxon texts we have were written by Caedmon, but the more recent academic view is that they were created by several bards over a period of time.

Though having said that, we do have some text which has been attributed to him and it is called "Caedmon's Hymn".

You can hear me read it on the Tower of Adam Video Channel. Click here:

Caedmon’s Hymn

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