BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence R.H. Veenbaas METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260212T114500 DTEND:20260212T131500 DTSTAMP:20260212T114500 UID:2026/phd-defence-r-h-veenbaas@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260408T213414 LOCATION:Hoofdgebouw, Aula De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam SUMMARY:PhD defence R.H. Veenbaas X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Traditionele zanger of geleerde?

Was the poet of the Heliand a bard from Groningen? Research sheds new light on an ancient masterpiece

Who wrote t he Heliand, one of the most important literary works of the early Middle Ages? For more than a century, scholars have debated the identity of the poet behind this Old Saxon epic about the life of Ch rist. Research by Redbad Veenbaas brings this discussion back into fo cus and points in a surprising direction: the poet may not have been a learned monk, but rather the Groningen bard Bernlef, also known as the “Homer of the North Sea.”

Not a monastic poet, but a folk singer

Veenbaas’s research centers on two key questions. First, was the poet of the Heliand a clerical scholar or a traditional singer rooted in an oral storytelling culture? Seco nd, can a concrete name be linked to this profile?

His analysis reveals strong indications that the poet was a professional folk sin ger with a deep knowledge of the oral tradition. This kind of poetic craftsmanship is difficult to acquire through books or within a monas tic environment. The Latin preface to the Heliand supports this view as well: the poet is described there as “a man of the people” and a renowned singer, not as a cleric. It is clear, however, that he wa s supported by clergy, who provided access to Latin sources and commi tted his poem to writing.

Re-examining the name Bernlef

A striking element of the research is the reassessmen t of an idea first proposed in 1964: that Bernlef, a famous bard from the Frisian region around Groningen, may have been the poet of the H eliand. This hypothesis was never thoroughly investigated - until now .

By comparing sources such as hagiographies of the missionary Liudger, the Latin preface to the Heliand, and the content of the epi c itself, multiple parallels emerge. Together they depict a traveling , renowned singer active within a missionary context. This profile al igns remarkably well with what is known about Bernlef.

In Frisi an literature, scholars have long lamented that despite his fame, not a single work by Bernlef has survived. At the same time, the Saxon t radition has accepted the anonymity of the Heliand. Veenbaas’s rese arch brings these two observations together in a new way.

Boundaries drawn later

Beyond the literary puzzle, the research also carries broader societal significance. It challenge s the strict division between Frisian and Saxon identities - a contra st that was especially reinforced in the nineteenth century. In the e arly Middle Ages, such boundaries were far more fluid, and movement b etween tribes was not uncommon.

There are clear indications tha t Bernlef traveled to Saxony together with Liudger. There, he would h ave had sufficient time to acquire Old Saxon, a language closely rela ted to Frisian. The fact that the poem was ultimately written down in Saxon therefore poses no real objection - especially since this was not done by the poet himself, but by a Saxon monk.

A ne w perspective on cultural heritage

Veenbaas’s resear ch invites a reappraisal of the Heliand as shared cultural heritage o f the northern Netherlands and northern Germany. By no longer placing the poet exclusively within a monastic tradition, but instead within a living oral culture, the work takes on new meaning. In doing so, t he research contributes to a broader understanding of identity, langu age, and culture in the early Middle Ages - and to the question of wh om we recognize as the creators of our oldest literary heritage.

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Was the poet of the Heliand a bard from Groningen? Re search sheds new light on an ancient masterpiece

Who wrote the < em>Heliand, one of the most important literary works of the earl y Middle Ages? For more than a century, scholars have debated the ide ntity of the poet behind this Old Saxon epic about the life of Christ . Research by Redbad Veenbaas brings this discussion back into focus and points in a surprising direction: the poet may not have been a le arned monk, but rather the Groningen bard Bernlef, also known as the “Homer of the North Sea.” Not a monastic poet, but a folk singer Veenbaas’s research centers on two key questions. First, was the poet of the Heliand a clerical scholar or a traditiona l singer rooted in an oral storytelling culture? Second, can a concre te name be linked to this profile? His analysis reveals strong indica tions that the poet was a professional folk singer with a deep knowle dge of the oral tradition. This kind of poetic craftsmanship is diffi cult to acquire through books or within a monastic environment. The L atin preface to the Heliand supports this view as well: the poet is d escribed there as “a man of the people” and a renowned singer, no t as a cleric. It is clear, however, that he was supported by clergy, who provided access to Latin sources and committed his poem to writi ng. Re-examining the name Bernlef A striking element of the research is the reassessment of an idea first proposed in 196 4: that Bernlef, a famous bard from the Frisian region around Groning en, may have been the poet of the Heliand. This hypothesis was never thoroughly investigated - until now. By comparing sources such as hag iographies of the missionary Liudger, the Latin preface to the Helian d, and the content of the epic itself, multiple parallels emerge. Tog ether they depict a traveling, renowned singer active within a missio nary context. This profile aligns remarkably well with what is known about Bernlef. In Frisian literature, scholars have long lamented tha t despite his fame, not a single work by Bernlef has survived. At the same time, the Saxon tradition has accepted the anonymity of the Hel iand. Veenbaas’s research brings these two observations together in a new way. Boundaries drawn later Beyond the litera ry puzzle, the research also carries broader societal significance. I t challenges the strict division between Frisian and Saxon identities - a contrast that was especially reinforced in the nineteenth centur y. In the early Middle Ages, such boundaries were far more fluid, and movement between tribes was not uncommon. There are clear indication s that Bernlef traveled to Saxony together with Liudger. There, he wo uld have had sufficient time to acquire Old Saxon, a language closely related to Frisian. The fact that the poem was ultimately written do wn in Saxon therefore poses no real objection - especially since this was not done by the poet himself, but by a Saxon monk. A new perspective on cultural heritage Veenbaas’s research invi tes a reappraisal of the Heliand as shared cultural heritage of the n orthern Netherlands and northern Germany. By no longer placing the po et exclusively within a monastic tradition, but instead within a livi ng oral culture, the work takes on new meaning. In doing so, the rese arch contributes to a broader understanding of identity, language, an d culture in the early Middle Ages - and to the question of whom we r ecognize as the creators of our oldest literary heritage. More inform ation on the thesis Tradi tionele zanger of geleerde? END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR