18. Medieval English storytelling: myth, legend and literature

A myth is an anonymous traditional story with its roots in cultural or national folk beliefs that rely on the supernatural to explain the mysteries of the world. A legend is also a traditional tale handed down from generation to generation, but unlike a myth, a legend is believed to be based on history. Usually, a legend celebrates the heroic qualities of a national leader.

The world that Malory created for Arthur is far from the primitive world of the Celts and Anglo-Saxons. Rather, it is the world of chivalry – a world of elaborate (сложного) courtesy and high ideals, in which the knights devote their formidable skills to making life better for the poor. Thus, the historic Arthur becomes a legendary.

19. The Seafarer: peculiarities, plot, symbols

‘The Seafarer’ is another example of such secular, or nonreligious, Old English poetry. An anonymous poem included in The Exeter Book, a famous collection of Anglo-Saxon poetry compiled in about 975, ‘The Seafarer’ is especially noteworthy (примечателен) for its lyrical nature. It expresses the emotions of an old sailor who realizes the sadness of life, its difficulties, and its brief duration. In expressing his feelings the speaker also portrays the miseries and attractions of life on the Irish and North seas. Of the 123 lines that make up the complete poem, the most representative portions follow.

20. The Venerable Bede. The Ecclesiastical History of the English People as a religious work of art: plot, image of protagonist, genre peculiarities

The History tells about the Anglo-Saxon conquest & vicissitudes of the petty kingdoms that comprised A-S. England, Bede’s main theme, however, is the spread of Christianity & the growth of the English Church.

The History is a hagiography – it contains many stories of saints & miracles, meant to testify to the grace & glory of God.

Caedmon, ah illiterate cowherd employed by the monastery of Whitby, miraculously received the gift of song, entered the monastery, & became the founder of a school of Christian poetry.

21. Caedmon. Hymn: peculiarities and themes

Cædmon's Hymn is a short Old English poem originally composed by Cædmon, in honour of God the Creator. It survives in a Latin translation by Bede in his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum and in vernacular versions written down in several manuscripts of Bede's Historia.

Bede wrote about the poet and his work in the fourth book of his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum.^[1] Bede told the story of Cædmon who was an illiterate cow-herd who miraculously was able to recite a Christian song of creation in Old English verse. This miracle happened after Cædmon left a feast when they were passing a harp around for all to sing a song. He left the hall after feeling ashamed that he could not contribute a song. Later in a dream he said a man appeared to him and asked him to sing a song. Cædmon responded that he could not sing, yet the man told him that he could and asked him to “Sing to me the beginning of all things.” Cædmon was then able to sing verses and words that he had not heard of before. Cædmon then reported his experience first to a steward then to Hild the abbess. She invited scholars to evaluate Cædmon’s gift, and he was sent home to turn more divine doctrine into song. The abbess was so impressed with the success of his gift that she encouraged him to become a monk. He learned the history of the Christian church and created more music like the story of Genesis and many biblical stories which impressed his teachers. Bede says that Cædmon in his creation of his songs wanted to turn man from love of sin to a love of good deeds. Cædmon is said to have died peacefully in his sleep after asking for the Eucharist and making sure he was at peace with his fellow men.

Cædmon's Hymn is the oldest recorded Old English poem,^[2] and also one of the oldest surviving samples of Germanic alliterative verse.