English Dialects From the Eighth Century to the Present Day | Page 6

the later seventh to the early ninth century
as the Anglian Period.... Anglia became for a century the light-spot of
European history; and we here recognise the first great stage in the

revival of learning, and the first movement towards the establishment
of public order in things temporal and spiritual."
Unfortunately for the student of English, though perhaps fortunately for
the historian, the most important book belonging to this period was
written in Latin. This was the Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum,
or the Church History of the Anglian People. The writer was Beda,
better known as "the Venerable Bede," who was born near Wearmouth
(Durham) in 672, and lived for the greater part of his life at Jarrow,
where he died in 735. He wrote several other works, also in Latin, most
of which Professor Earle enumerates. It is said of Beda himself that he
was "learned in our native songs," and it is probable that he wrote many
things in his native Northumbrian or Durham dialect; but they have all
perished, with the exception of one precious fragment of five lines,
printed by Dr Sweet (at p. 149) from the St Gall MS. No. 254, of the
ninth century. It is usually called Beda's Death-song, and is here given:
Fore there neidfaerae naenig uuiurthit thonc-snotturra than him thar[f]
sie, to ymbhycggannae, aer his hin-iong[a]e, huaet his gastae, godaes
aeththa yflaes, aefter deoth-daege doemid uueorth[a]e.
Literally translated, this runs as follows:
Before the need-journey no one becomes more wise in thought than he
ought to be, (in order) to contemplate, ere his going hence, what for his
spirit, (either) of good or of evil, after (his) death-day, will be adjudged.
It is from Beda's Church History, Book IV, chap. 24 (or 22), that we
learn the story of Cædmon, the famous Northumbrian poet, who was a
herdsman and lay brother in the abbey of Whitby, in the days of the
abbess Hild, who died in 680, near the close of the seventh century. He
received the gift of divine song in a vision of the night; and after the
recognition by the abbess and others of his heavenly call, became a
member of the religious fraternity, and devoted the rest of his life to the
composition of sacred poetry.
He sang (says Beda) the Creation of the world, the origin of the human
race, and all the history of Genesis; the departure of Israel out of Egypt

and their entrance into the land of promise, with many other histories
from holy writ; the incarnation, passion, and resurrection of our Lord,
and His ascension into heaven; the coming of the Holy Spirit and the
teaching of the Apostles. Likewise of the terror of the future judgement,
the horror of punishment in hell, and the bliss of the heavenly kingdom
he made many poems; and moreover, many others concerning divine
benefits and judgements; in all which he sought to wean men from the
love of sin, and to stimulate them to the enjoyment and pursuit of good
action.
It happens that we still possess some poems which answer more or less
to this description; but they are all of later date and are only known
from copies written in the Southern dialect of Wessex; and, as the
original Northumbrian text has unfortunately perished, we have no
means of knowing to what extent they represent Cædmon's work. It is
possible that they preserve some of it in a more or less close form of
translation, but we cannot verify this possibility. It has been ascertained,
on the other hand, that a certain portion (but by no means all) of these
poems is adapted, with but slight change, from an original poem
written in the Old Saxon of the continent.
Nevertheless, it so happens that a short hymn of nine lines has been
preserved nearly in the original form, as Cædmon dictated it; and it
corresponds closely with Beda's Latin version. It is found at the end of
the Cambridge MS. of Beda's Historia Ecclesiastica in the following
form:
Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uard, metudæs maecti end his
modgidanc, uerc uuldurfadur; sue he uundra gihuaes, eci Dryctin, or
astelidæ. He aerist scop aelda barnum heben til hrofe, haleg scepen[d].
Tha middungeard moncynnæs uard, eci Dryctin, æfter tiadæ firum
fold[u], frea allmectig.
I here subjoin a literal translation.
Now ought we to praise the warden of heaven's realm, the Creator's
might and His mind's thought, the works of the Father of glory; (even)
as He, of every wonder, (being) eternal Ruler, established the beginning.

He first (of all) shaped, for the sons of men, heaven as (their) roof, (He)
the holy Creator. The middle world (He), mankind's warden, eternal
Ruler, afterwards prepared, the world for men--(being the) Almighty
Lord.
The locality of these lines is easily settled, as