Lost 1,200-year-old manuscript contains the first English poem
A lost 1,200-year-old manuscript discovered in Rome contains one of the oldest known versions of Caedmon’s Hymn, the earliest surviving poem in English. Unlike earlier copies, the Old English text is integrated directly into the Latin manuscript, indicating early medieval recognition of vernacular poetry. The find sheds new light on the development and cultural value of Old English literature.
- ▪The manuscript dates from 800 to 830 and is the third oldest copy of Caedmon’s Hymn ever found.
- ▪In this manuscript, the Old English poem is embedded in the main Latin text, unlike in older copies where it appears in margins.
- ▪Caedmon’s Hymn is a nine-line poem praising God for the creation of the world, attributed to a 7th-century Northumbrian cowherd.
- ▪The discovery was made by Dr. Elisabetta Magnanti and Dr. Mark Faulkner of Trinity College Dublin.
- ▪The manuscript is now held in the National Central Library of Rome and was digitized for research access.
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Science News from research organizations Lost 1,200-year-old manuscript contains the first English poem A lost 1,200-year-old manuscript found in Rome is rewriting the story of how English literature began. Date: May 17, 2026 Source: Trinity College Dublin Summary: A long-lost manuscript discovered in Rome has revealed one of the oldest surviving versions of the very first known poem written in English. Hidden for decades and once believed lost, the 1,200-year-old manuscript contains Caedmon’s Hymn — a nine-line Old English poem said to have been miraculously composed by a shy Northumbrian cowherd after a divine dream. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY Dr. Elisabetta Magnanti and Dr.
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