Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum

“Caedmon’s Hymn” (c. 657-680), written by Bede (c. 673-735), shows a complicated relationship with earthly and heavenly matters. On the surface, it appears that earthly matters are vilified, but the hymn itself attributes earthly qualities to God. Bede feels that the earthly should be looked at in contempt, as evident with his view of Caedmon’s poetry in relation to poetry by others. From the onset, the narrator – likely Bede himself – notes that Caedmon “was never able to compose any vain and idle