David playing an Anglo-Saxon harp"Caedmon began to sing verses . . . in praise of God the Creator"
1. What is the Anglo-Saxon attitude toward exile?
2. How is an Anglo-Saxon warrior expected to act in times of trial?
3. What appears to be the attitude towards nature in these two poems?
4. How Christian are these two poems?
1. What heroic values do you see in this poem?
2. What are the obligations that connect a lord with his retainers? That is, what does a lord (the 'earl' in this poem) give to his warriors? What do the warriors give him in return?
Cædmon dreamed his dream and composed his Hymn nearly 1500 years after Hesiod composed the Theogony. But despite this gap of time and the apparent differences between these two accounts of inspiration, there are many shared motifs that underpin these narratives. Read both inspiration stories closely, with a critical eye, and see what common features you can identify. Pay particular attention to lines 22-34 of the Theogony.
1. The story of Cædmon presents the origin of Old English Christian poetry. How psychologically convincing do you find the story? Is it indeed the story of a vision, or does Caedmon merely have a dream?
2. How similar is Caedmon's Hymn to the version of his song presented in the story?
3. Does Hesiod's inspiration strike you as an actual experience, or does it appear to be stylized according to the poetic tradion to which he belongs? Why?
David playing an Anglo-Saxon harp
"Caedmon began to sing verses . . . in praise of God the Creator"
Apollo and a Muse
". . . it is through the Muses and Apollo the far-shooter
that there are singers and citharists upon the earth"