Grimm’s Law
Unvoiced stops: /p t k/ > /f θ x/
Voiced stops: /b d g/ > /p t k/
Oral poetry elements
- Recited/sung
- Performative
Formulas in Old English poetry
Use stock phrases, recurring elements, have a ‘filler’ function.
Typescenes in Old English poetry
Scenes/actions found in multiple poems (almost cliche) e.g. beasts after battle, warrior puts on armour.
Alliteration in Old English poetry
- Makes it easier to remember
- Consonants only with themselves, vowels with all other vowels.
- First stressed syllable of second half line determines alliteration
Variation/apposition in Old English poetry
Repetition in different words of an element of a sentence.
Purpose: gives more information about subject, gives audience a chance to catch up.
Grammar in Old English poetry
- Word order rules do not apply
- Omission of subjects, objects, prepositions
- Verse specific forms of pronouns
Kennings in Old English poetry
One word riddles to describe something or someone.
How many lines of Old English poetry have survived?
ca. 30.000
Four key points of Old English poetry
- Authorship nearly always unknown
- Poems had no titles (in 19th c.)
- Date of composing is unknown (sometimes manuscript is dated but poem is older)
- Survival rates are very low, most only survived in one manuscript
Four genres of Old English poetry
- Heroic: warriors, heroic ethos, fighting for glory
- Religious: Bible stories, blending of cultures (Christian and Pagan)
- Elegiac: monologue by speaker who’s suffered (lamenting), focus on transience of life and earthly glory (balancing cold, joyless present with warm and happy past)
- Wisdom poetry: don’t tell a narrative, but express how the world works
Anglo-Saxon
Term applied to the English-speaking inhabitants of Britain around the middle of the fifth century until the time of the Norman Conquest.
Vocabulary in Old English poetry
- Verse specific
- Lots of synonyms to allow for more easy alliteration
A large number of words are found exclusively, or almost, in poetry. Some are dialectal in original. These are common words (mearh horse), or ‘warrior’ related words (guma man, warrior), compounding words (gumrinc man-warrior).
The Miracle of Cædmon, and Bede’s misunderstanding
Bede introduces Cædmon as a religious and skilled poet, capable of inspiring his audience to love good and despise evil. Early in his life, he did not know any poetry, which led him to leave the hall every time there was being sung. One time, he fell asleep and dreamt that a person appeared before him, challenging him to sing (about the beginning of life). Cædmon began to sing in verses he had never heard before, and even his teachers learned these verses. He was encouraged to take monastic vows
Who is Caedmon and what was he known for? And why was it significant?
One of the earliest known English poets who contributed greatly to English poetry. He was Northumbrian monk (7th century) at the Abbey of Whitby. He is known for his Hymn, a nine-line alliterative poem praising the Creator; one of the earliest surviving examples of Old English poetry.
Caedmon’s Hymn is significant because it represents a departure from the oral poetic tradition. Can be found here; Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Tanner 10 (T). Written by Bede.
Why would Bede describe the end of Caedmon’s life as beautiful?
The beauty of his death comes from his lifelong dedication to God.
