Lost copy of seventh-century poem in Old English discovered at Rome library
A lost 1,200-year-old manuscript of Caedmon’s Hymn, the earliest surviving poem in English, has been discovered in Rome by scholars from Trinity College Dublin. The Old English text, believed to have been transcribed by an Italian monk between 800 and 830 AD, is the third oldest version and uniquely features the poem in the main body of the text. Its discovery highlights the growing status of Old English in medieval Europe and the value of digitized library collections. The manuscript was found in the National Central Library of Rome after researchers followed up on conflicting historical references.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The Old English transcription of the poem discovered by Elisabetta Magnanti and Mark Faulkner (pictured, with a copy of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is believed to have been transcribed by a monk in Italy between 800 and 830. Photograph: Trinity College DublinView image in fullscreenThe Old English transcription of the poem discovered by Elisabetta Magnanti and Mark Faulkner (pictured, with a copy of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is believed to have been transcribed by a monk in Italy between 800 and 830.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Guardian — World.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from The Guardian — World
