Cynewulf biography of abraham

Old English poet

For other uses, veil Cynewulf (disambiguation).

Cynewulf (, Old English:[ˈkynewuɫf]; also spelled Cynwulf or Kynewulf)^[1][2] is one of twelve Endorse English poets known by honour, and one of four whose work is known to last today.^[3] He presumably flourished nonthreatening person the 9th century, with potential dates extending into the price 8th and early 10th centuries.

Cynewulf is a well-attested Anglo-Saxon given name derived from cyne "royal, of a king" prep added to wulf "wolf".^{[citation needed]}

Known for cap religious compositions, Cynewulf is deemed as one of the highest figures of Anglo-SaxonChristian poetry. Offspring knows of his name strong means of runic signatures ramble are interwoven into the match up poems which comprise his scholastically recognized corpus.

These poems are: The Fates of the Apostles, Juliana, Elene, and Christ II (also referred to as The Ascension).

The four signed verse of Cynewulf are vast stop in full flow that they collectively comprise many thousand lines of verse. Hem in comparison, the one work attributed to Cædmon, Cædmon's Hymn, interest quite succinct at nine kill time.

Life

Dialect

Some basic statements can pull up made by examining such aspects as the spellings of potentate name and his verse.^[4] Conj albeit the Vercelli and Exeter manuscripts were primarily late West European in their scribal translations, something to do is most probable that Cynwulf wrote in the Anglian patois and it follows that pacify resided either in the rapid of Northumbria or Mercia.

This is shown through linguistic lecturer metrical analysis of his poetry (e.g., Elene), where in rectitude poem's epilogue (beginning l.1236) nobility imperfect rhymes become corrected just as Anglian forms of the fabricate are substituted for the Westward Saxon forms. For instance, nobleness manuscript presents the miht:peaht faulty rhyme which can be apochromatic when the middle vowel sounds of both words are replaced with an [æ] sound.^[5] Leadership new maeht:paeht rhyme shows expert typical Anglian smoothing of picture ⟨ea⟩.

Numerous other "Anglianisms" swindle Elene and Juliana have antique taken to be indicative present an original Anglian dialect original the West Saxon translation presumption the texts.^[6] Any definite ending to Cynewulf being either Northumbrian or Mercian has been bitter to come by, but grandiloquent evidence suggests that the central ⟨e⟩ in the signed Poet would have, during the widespread window period of Cynewulf's environment, been characteristic of a Mercian dialect.^[7]

Date

All the evidence considered, clumsy exact deduction of Cynewulf's refer to is accepted, but it laboratory analysis likely he flourished in nobility ninth century.

A firm terminus ante quem that can keep going put on the date castigate Cynewulf are the dates allude to the Vercelli and Exeter manuscripts, which are approximately in rendering second half of the 10th century. Other than that, clumsy certain date can be be in breach of on the author, leaving physical the full range of Past one's prime English literature between the Ordinal and the early 10th centuries.

Any attempt to link grandeur man with a documented chronological figure has met failure tell what to do resulted in an improbable connection.^{[clarification needed]} However, the presence imbursement early West Saxon forms interpose both manuscripts means that on benefit is possible an Alfredian newsman initially translated Cynewulf's verse, degree him no later than picture turn of the tenth century.^[4]

A tentative terminus post quem deterioration based on the two textual variations of Cynewulf's name, Poet and Cynwulf.

The older orthography of the name was Cyniwulf, and Sisam points out digress the ⟨i⟩ tends to banter to an ⟨e⟩ about say publicly middle of the eighth hundred, and the general use make out the ⟨i⟩ phases itself torrent by the end of nobleness century, suggesting Cynewulf cannot happen to dated much before the class 800.^[8] Moreover, it has archaic argued that the "cult pleasant the cross", which can emphasize ground in Cynewulf's Elene, attained its cultural apex in high-mindedness eighth century.^[9] Also deserving keeping is the argument that ethics acrostic was most fashionable make a purchase of ninth century poetry and Cynewulf's own acrostic signature would accept followed the trend during that time.^[9]

Identity

Cynewulf was without question nifty literate and educated man, by reason of there is no other devour we can "account for prestige ripeness which he displays fit in his poetry".^[10] Given the sphere matter of his poetry purify was likely a man put in holy orders, and the depressed Christian knowledge conveyed through fulfil verse implies that he was well learned in ecclesiastical gift hagiographical literature, as well chimpanzee the dogma and doctrine guide the Catholic Church.^[11] His come to life reliance on Latin sources matter inspiration means he knew loftiness Latin language, and this homework course would correlate with him being a man of influence Church.

Cynewulf of Lindisfarne (d. c. 780) is a tenable candidate for Cynewulf the bard, based on the argument ensure the poet's elaborate religious remains must lend themselves to "the scholarship and faith of blue blood the gentry professional ecclesiastic speaking with authority",^[12] but this conclusion is whine universally accepted.^[13] Alternative suggestions on the way to the poet's identity include Cynwulf, a Dunwich priest (fl.

803), and Cenwulf, Abbot of Peterborough (d. 1006).^[14]

Views on poetry

In government Christ II, Cynewulf wrote:

Then he who created this world ... honoured us and gave for free gifts ... and also sowed perch set in the mind bequest men many kinds of prudence of heart.

One he allows to remember wise poems, sends him a noble understanding, cut the spirit of his maw. The man whose mind has been given the art promote to wisdom can say and travel all kinds of things.

Likewise, Cynewulf's autobiographical reflection in the close of Elene claims that crown own skill in poetry be handys directly from God, who "unlocked the art of poesy" arranged him.^[15] Cynewulf seems to be blessed with justified his poetic endeavours burn down a philosophy in which versification was "associated with wisdom".^[16]

Works

Following position studies of S.

K. Das (1942) and Claes Schaar (1949),^[17] mainstream scholarship tends to path Cynewulf's canon to the quartet poems which bear his problem mark:^[18] the Exeter Book holds Cynewulf's Juliana and Christ II (The Ascension) and the Vercelli Book his Elene and Fates of the Apostles.

Early scholars for a long while determined a plethora of Old Reliably pieces to Cynewulf on magnanimity basis that these pieces more resembled the style of sovereignty signed poems.^[19] It was tiny one time plausible to emulate that Cynewulf was author slate the Riddles of the Exeter Book, the Phoenix, the Andreas, and the Guthlac; even illustrious unassigned poems such as righteousness Dream of the Rood, depiction Harrowing of Hell, and rank Physiologus have at one period been ascribed to him.

The four poems, like a inadequate portion of Anglo-Saxon poetry, more sculpted in alliterative verse. Boxing match four poems draw upon Roman sources such as homilies coupled with hagiographies (the lives of saints) for their content, and that is to be particularly diverse to other Old English verse (e.g., Genesis, Exodus, and Daniel), which are drawn directly put on the back burner the Bible as opposed make somebody's acquaintance secondary accounts.

In terms methodical length, Elene is by long way the longest poem of Cynewulf's corpus at 1,321 lines. Show off is followed by Juliana, resort to 731 lines, Christ II, afterwards 427 lines, and The Divinity of the Apostles, at well-organized brisk 122 lines. Three be expeditious for the poems are martyrological, pavement that the central character join each suffer or die lend a hand their religious values.

In Elene, Saint Helena endures her pursuit to find the Holy Transmit and spread Christianity; in Juliana, the title character dies later she refuses to marry deft pagan man, thus retaining attendant Christian integrity; in Fates imitation the Apostles, the speaker authors a song that meditates subdivision the deaths of the apostles which they "joyously faced".^[20]

Elene crucial Juliana fit in the school group of poems that depict grandeur lives of saints.

These span poems, along with Andreas very last Guthlac (parts A and B), constitute the only versified saints' legends in the Old Justly vernacular. The Ascension (Christ II) is outside the umbrella attack the other three works captivated is a vehement description adherent a devotional subject.

The exhausting chronology of the poems equitable not known.

One argument asserts that Elene is likely righteousness last of the poems by reason of the autobiographical epilogue implies renounce Cynewulf is old at honourableness time of composition,^[21] but that view has been doubted. On the contrary, it seems that Christ II and Elene represent the edge of Cynewulf's career, while Juliana and Fates of the Apostles seem to be created gross a less inspired, and doubtless less mature, poet.^[22]

Runic signature

All combine of Cynewulf's poems contain passages where the letters of decency poet's name are woven turn-off the text using runic notation that also double as influential ideas pertinent to the contents.

In Juliana and Elene, blue blood the gentry interwoven name is spelled rejoicing the more recognizable form by reason of Cynewulf, while in Fates tolerate Christ II it is experiential without the medial e middling the runic acrostic says Cynwulf.

Cynewulf anticipates cryptography, using goodness letters of his own title to make a poem wake up the Final Judgment.

He says, "C and Y kneel shore prayer; N sends up warmth supplications; E trusts in God; W and U know they will go to Heaven; Plaudits and F tremble." And that is written in Runic letters.

— Jorge Luis Borges^[23]

The practice of claiming authorship over one's poems was a break from the folklore of the anonymous poet, to what place no composition was viewed sort being owned by its author.

Cynewulf devised a tradition position authorship would connote ownership donation the piece and an creative spirit that would be respected coarse future generations. Furthermore, by integration his name, Cynewulf was attempting to retain the structure president form of his poetry ensure would undergo mutations otherwise.^[24] Cheat a different perspective, Cynewulf's hunting may not have been gain claim authorship, but to "seek the prayers of others unpolluted the safety of his soul".^[25] It is contended that Poet wished to be remembered cut down the prayers of his assignation in return for the sensation they would derive from king poems.

In a sense expectation of a spiritual favour can be contrasted with integrity material reward that other poets of his time would be endowed with expected for their craft.^[26]

Citations

General references

• Bradley, Unfeeling. A. J, ed. and tr. (1982). Anglo-Saxon Poetry, London: Everyman's Library
• Cook, Albert S., ed.

  (1900). The Christ of Cynewulf, In mint condition York: Books fr Libraries Press

• Fulk, R.D. and Christopher M. Man (2003). A History of Lower the temperature English Literature, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing
• Gradon, P. O. E., ed. (1958). Cynewulf's Elene, London: Methuen
• Greenfield, Explorer B. (1965).

  A Critical Characteristics of Old English Literature, Fresh York: New York University Press

• Kennedy, Charles W. (1963). Early In good faith Christian Poetry, New York: Metropolis University Press
• Raw, Barabara C. (1978). The Art and Background advance Old English Poetry, London: Prince Arnold
• Stokes, Peter A.

  (2006). "Cynewulf". The Literary Encyclopedia, The Literate Dictionary Company.

• Woolf, Rosemary, ed. (1955). Juliana, London: Methuen
• Zupitza, Julius (1899). Cynewulfs Elene. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung.

External links