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world6h ago
Lost copy of seventh-century poem in Old English discovered at Rome library
- Researchers from Trinity College Dublin discovered a ninth‑century Old English text of Caedmon’s Hymn in Rome’s National Central Library.
- The Old English version is part of the main text, showing language status in the ninth century.
- The discovery adds a third oldest known copy of the poem after Cambridge and St. Petersburg versions.
- Caedmon is described as a cattle herder whose divine visitation inspired the hymn in Whitby Abbey.
- The manuscript includes the Old English text with distinct word spacing, indicating evolving writing practices.
- Researchers published findings in Early Medieval England and its Neighbours, an open-access Cambridge journal.
- This discovery demonstrates libraries' role in facilitating new research through digitisation.
- Andrea Cappa noted the Rome library digitisation project will expand access to over 40 million images.
- Nonantola abbey and other scholars weigh in on the significance of preserving early English poetry.
- The Guardian notes the find situates Caedmon’s Hymn within the broader study of early English literature.
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