HELIAND, THE, AND THE OLD-SAXON GENESIS: Until recent times the only Old-Saxon Biblical poem known was the harmony of the Gospels called the Heliand, which is found in approximately complete form in two manuscripts, one at Munich (originally in Bamberg) and the other in London. These two manuscripts give a poem of 5,983 verses; Smaller fragments are also found in manuscripts at Prague and in the Vatican, the latter being originally from Mainz, whence it was taken successively to Heidelberg and Rome. As early as 1875 E. Sievers advanced the theory that an interpolation (lines 235-851) in the Anglo-Saxon version of Genesis attributed to Caedmon (q.v.) was taken from an Old-Saxon original, and this hypothesis was confirmed when, in 1894, B. Zangemeister discovered in the Vatican manuscript already noted not only the original of the Anglo-Saxon passage, but also two other portions of an Old-Saxon version of Genesis, giving 617 verses treating of the fall of the evil angels and the fall of man (corresponding to the passage in the Anglo-Saxon Genesis), 134 verses of the history of Cain and Abel, and 177 of the fall of Sodom.

The Heliand and Genesis are closely related, both in vocabulary and in formulas; phrases of considerable length occasionally recurring, almost without alteration, in both texts. This is confirmed by the only external authority regarding the text, the Prtv fw do in librum antiquum. lingua Saxonica conscriptum, copied by Flacius Illyricus in 1562 in his Catalogue testium veritatis from a source now lost. Although

209

the value of this document is somewhat diminished by the fact that the original text has received legendary interpolations drawn in great measure from the account of Ceedmon in Bede (Hist. eccl., iv. 24; see Caedmon), its statement is at least authentic that Louis the Pious, who is represented as still living, " commissioned a certain Saxon, who was regarded as no ignoble bard by his countrymen, to translate the Old and New Testaments into the Germanic torigue." Although this passage evidently refers .to the Old-Saxon Heliand and Genesis, close investigation shows that the two poems are not by the same author, as the writer of the Prcefatio sup posed. The poet of Genesis is far inferior to the author of the Heliand not only in talent, but also in diction, style, and meter. The Old-Saxon Genesis must be regarded, therefore, as the work of a direct imitator, who prepared himself for his task by careful study of the Heliand, without being able to equal his predecessor. According to the Prce f atio, the German people had "recently" gained direct knowledge of the Scrip tures through these two poems. The Heliand and Genesis must, therefore, have been written before 840, while a terminus a quo is given by the fact that the former poem uses the commentary on Matthew written by Rabanus Maurus in 820 or 821. The date of both poems may accordingly be assigned roughly to the decade 825-835, but the place of their composition is as yet unknown, and there is no external testimony to decide whether the poet, es pecially of the Heliand, was a priest or a layman. The Biblical material of the Heliand is not taken immediately from the Gospels, but is selected from Tatian's harmony, with supplementary and ex planatory additions from patristic literature. This latter material, with a few exceptions, is derived in all probability from the four commentaries on the Gospels most immediately preceding the com position of the Heliand, Bede's exposition of Mark and Luke, Alcuin's of John, and Rabanus Mourns' of Matthew. It is evident, both from the nature of the sources and from the combination and selection of Biblical passages and the exegesis upon them, that the author of the poem can scarcely have been other than a priest or monk. Nor does the treatment of the material oppose this assumption. The author sought to compose a poem, and not a com pendium of dogmatic theology; he wished to bring before his countrymen the life and deeds of Christ, and his redeeming death and resurrection, whence the character of his work is preponderatingly epic. Only in the account of the Sermon on the Mount is the treatment essentially didactic; elsewhere the poet chose such passages as were either complete in themselves or would arouse in his audience a purely human or poetic interest, omitting such in cidents as might be offensive to his hearers. In his presentation the author of the Heliand employs the Germanic alliterative verse, and the entire coloring is equally Teutonic. The personages of the poem are essentially Germanic in character, as are the descriptions of ceremonies, feasts, natural phenomena, and the like, while the literary style is exceptionally admirable. In criticizing the Old-Saxon Genesis, the Anglo V.-14

Saxon version must be taken into consideration, since the discovery of the Vatican fragment has shown that the latter is an exact translation of the former. On the other hand, the criticism of the poem is rendered more difficult by the fact that its sources are still uncertain. It is clear that the Biblical book of Genesis is not the only source, as when the poet treats of the medieval doctrines of angels and devils, or of Antichrist or Enoch, and one portion seems to contain reminiscences of Avitus's De initio mundi and De originali peccato. The work is far inferior to the Heliand, particularly in its prolixity and in its lack of rigid structure. Words and phrases are constantly borrowed from the Heliand, while the style is halting and heavy, and the versification has neither swing nor strength.

(E. Sievers.)

Bibliography: Critical editions of the Heliand are: J. A. Schmeller, Munich, 1830, and E. Sievers, Halle, 1878. Other editions usable as handbooks are: H. Rffekert, Leipsic, 1878; K. 6imrock, Berlin, 1882; M. Heyne, Paderborn, 1&17; P. Piper, Stuttgart, 1897. Consult: H. Middendorf, Ueber die Zeit der Abfassung dee Heliand, Münster, 1882; A. F. C. Vilmar, Deutsche ALterthamer im Heliand, Marburg, 1862; W. O. E. Windisch, Der Heliand und seine Quelden, Leipsic, 1888; C. W. M. Grein, Die Quellen des Heliande, Cassel, 1889; F. Hammerieh, Die dtkak chraatliche Epik der Anpelsacheen, Gütersloh, 1874; E. Sievers, Der Heliand und die augelsdchaische Genesis, Halle, 1875; G. Keintsel, Der Retiand im Verhdltniss zu semen Quellen, Hermannetadt, 1882; E. Behringer, Zur WQrdipung des Heland, Aschaffenburg, 1891; A. Hedler, Geschichte der Heliandforechunfl, Leipsic, 1891.

A special edition of the included parts of the Genesis by E. Sievers appeared in his Der Heliand und die anpelsdchaische Genesis, Halle, 1875. Consult F. Vetter, Die neuentdeckte deutsche BibeldicAtuag, Heidelberg, 1894; P. Psohsly, Die Variation im Heliand und der altmchsiecAen Genesis, Berlin, 1899. A more extended list of literature is given in Hauck-Herzog, RE, vii. 817.