The Dream Of The Rood Images
Krapp george philip ed.
The dream of the rood images. The dream of the rood old english lyric the earliest dream poem and one of the finest religious poems in the english language once but no longer attributed to caedmon or cynewulf in a dream the unknown poet beholds a beautiful tree the rood or cross on which christ died the rood tells him its own story. Like many poems of the anglo saxon period dream of the rood exhibits many christian and pre christian images but in the end is a christian piece. The dream of the rood and the image of christ in the early middle ages jeannette c brock 23 though the author of the book of hebrews states that jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever 1 it is clear that humankind s image of christ has changed throughout the ages. The ruthwell cross is an anglo saxon monument carved in the 7th century.
The vercelli book chapter library of the cathedral at vercelli codex cxvii. Methuen s old english library. The dream of the rood. The dream of the rood old english lyric the earliest dream poem and one of the finest religious poems in the english language once but no longer attributed to caedmon or cynewulf.
Dream of the rood. In a dream the unknown poet beholds a beautiful tree the rood or cross on which christ died. A part of the dream of the rood can be found on the eighth century ruthwell cross which is an 18 feet 5 5 m free standing anglo saxon cross that was perhaps intended as a conversion tool. This may have been a deliberate strategy to convert pagans to christianity.
The dream of the rood also provides a valuable window into early christian england. However there is a cross riddle in the exeter book riddles section that says it uses the wood of four different trees. At each side of the vine tracery are carved runes there is an excerpt on the cross that was written in runes along with scenes from the gospels lives of saints images of jesus healing the blind the. It is marked with scenes from the bible as well as pagan style engravings.
Forced to be the instrument of the saviour s death it describes how it suffered. The dream vision uses strong images of christ in order to reach members of the anglo saxon warrior culture who valued strength above humility. The dream of the rood.