Hymn of Creation

The "Hymn of Creation" is a fragment of Old English poetry attributed to Caedmon, an illiterate herdsman who lived in the late 7th century. According to Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People, Caedmon was divinely inspired in a dream to compose this hymn. He later became a monk at Whitby Abbey, where he was taught scripture and converted its teachings into vernacular poetry. While he is said to have composed many religious verses, only the nine-line "Hymn of Creation" is confidently attributed to him. This hymn is significant for adapting the traditional Anglo-Saxon verse form to Christian themes, setting a precedent for subsequent English poetry.12