The representations of Anglo-Saxon life we have been investigating show glimmers of light through what often seems a bleak and difficult existence.
"The Story of Caedmon" gives us an account of a stable worker who was visited by God in a dream and granted the gift of poetic inspiration. At the same time it maintains the hierarchy and power structure that was in place at this time, it also shows us a divine visitation to a lowly worker. The survival of this story becomes important to us as we understand how the Protestant Reformation will later play in Britain.
"The Wife's Lament" gives us a window into the female experience and voice, which often goes unheard until later generations of women gain wider access to literacy. At this time, when stories were preserved through the oral tradition, this poem persevered. "The Wife's Lament" confirms the difficulties of daily life and the loneliness and fear that accompanied existence in unstable times.
The class also read riddles, which were an important literary device during this period. These poems were used to celebrate the tools and resources important to everyday existence, give accounts of the concerns and fears, and trace how things came to be the way they are. Although frustrating to decipher, these little poems gave us a few laughs too, as they must have for the Anglo-Saxons around the hearth!
In the coming week, we will begin our reading of "Beowulf." As an introduction, we will use the recent animated film version, starring the likenesses of Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie to help us understand the characters and storyline.
