Among the monks of Streoneshalh, as Whitby was then called, the Danes
having given it its present name, there was, as St Bede the Venerable
tells us, "a brother specially renowned and honoured by Divine grace,
because it was his wont to make fitting songs appertaining to piety and
virtue; so that whatever he learned from scholars about the Divine
Writings, that did he, in a short time, with the greatest sweetness and
fervour, adorn with the language of poetry, and bring forth in the
English speech. And because of his poems the hearts of many men were
brought to despise the world, and were inspired with desire for the
fellowship of the heavenly life.... He was a layman until he was far
advanced in years, and he had never learnt any songs. It was then the
custom that, when there was a feast on some occasion of rejoicing, all
present should sing to the harp in turn. And when Caedmon saw the harp
coming near him, he would get up, feeling ashamed, and go home to his
house. Now once upon a time he had done this and had left the house
where they were feasting, and gone to the stall where the cattle were,
which it was his duty that night to attend to. There, when his work was
done, he lay down and slept, and in a dream he saw a man standing by
him, who hailed him and greeted him and called him by his name, saying:
'Caedmon, sing me something.' And Caedmon answered and said, 'I can sing
nothing, and therefore did I go from this feast, and depart hither,
because I could not.' And again he that was speaking with him, said:
'Nevertheless, thou must sing for me.'"

Then Caedmon understood, and he said in the same spirit that prompted
Our Lady's "Be it done unto me according to thy word," "What shall I
sing?" And the guest of his dream said, "Sing the Creation for me."

As soon as Caedmon had received this answer, he at once began to sing to
the praise of God the Creator verses and words which he had never heard.