Genesis

The Genesis poem is a 2,936-line Old English paraphrase of biblical stories, found in the Caedmon manuscript. While originally attributed to Caedmon, modern scholarship suggests it was written by multiple authors over different periods. The poem includes two accounts of the fall of angels and the Fall of Man, with a section known as Genesis B being a translation from Old Saxon. The remaining parts, Genesis A, cover the narrative up to the sacrifice of Isaac.1

The Caedmon manuscript also contains other religious poems, such as Exodus, Daniel, and Christ and Satan. Exodus is noted for its dramatic power and intricate diction, while Daniel is a more scholarly work. Christ and Satan focuses on the sufferings of Satan. These poems, along with others like The Dream of the Rood and Judith, demonstrate the adaptation of native verse forms to Christian themes in Old English literature.12