Question

What might be the significance of Caedmon being a simple cowherd?

Answer 1

As Bede, the writer, was a devout Christian, he used many references to Christianity in his work. Jesus Christ was considered a shepherd to his flock as he led people out of sinful lives into sin-free lives. Similarly, Caedmon is said to have led people away from their vices and toward the path to heaven through his song. A cowherd was also a person at the bottom of the social ladder. This fact might be meant to imply that through divine grace, even a man from a humble background may change many lives.