New copy of earliest poem in English language discovered by Trinity researchers in Rome
Summary
Trinity College Dublin researchers have discovered a ninth-century manuscript in Rome containing Caedmon’s Hymn, dating between 800 and 830 AD, making it the third oldest surviving copy. The Old English text appears within a Latin manuscript, highlighting early readers' valuation of English poetry and the role of digitisation in enabling new discoveries. The finding underscores opportunities for AI-assisted digital humanities and cross-institution collaboration to study ancient texts.