The Rhetorical and the Preternatural: Bede’s Caedmon, Analogy, and Rhetorical Myth

ABSTRACT

This article examines the narrative of Bede’s tale of Caedmon within the broader tradition of rhetorical myths that depict preternatural encounters, arguing that the tale is part of a generic continuum extending from antiquity into the medieval period. Previous scholarship has often sought analogues to Caedmon, identifying similar narratives without rigorously analyzing the nature of analogy itself. By defining analogy within the framework of classical rhetoric, this article situates Caedmon as an extension of rhetorical myths that use preternatural interventions to convey rhetorical counsel. Bede’s narrative, like earlier myths, serves to advise rhetorical theory, reflecting an Augustinian interest in the intersection between human and divine space. Through a detailed examination of the narrative’s topological and teleological features, the article posits that Caedmon is part of a larger rhetorical tradition that has shaped the articulation of abstract rhetorical concepts through preternatural experiences.