Why should the devil have all the best tunes? Re-examining the context of early Syriac poetry and song

A significant proportion of the earliest Syriac (Christian Aramaic) literature and theology is written in poetry and song, and this is arguably its most distinctive and valuable contribution to world literature. It exploded into existence in the 4th century, in a large variety of genres and metres, but what was the social and literary context for this? Why was it written? What were the influences upon it from pre-Christian verse, and that produced by gnostic or Manichaean poets? This paper will assess the surviving poetic texts and anecdotal evidence for poetry and song in a Syriac context, and seek to answer some of these questions.

Members of the Cluster are invited to the reserved AWRC lunch table in Hall starting at 12.30 to meet David.  David's talk in the Levett Room at 1:15 will be catered with cake and tea/coffee (all welcome).