Dream Of The Rood

The history of old English literature begins around 500 B.C. in Britain. In the first century B.C. the Romans conquered Britain, or Britannia, as it was known during that time. As a result, the country was converted to Christianity under the Roman rule. There is very little information regarding literature from this time period, although it is likely that most were religious texts, which were written in Latin. When the Roman Empire was experiencing their downfall, they withdrew their powers from Britain. As a result, the Britons were left defenseless and vulnerable to attacks from their neighbors. The Scots were located to the West of Britain and the Picts occupied the North of the country. They attacked Britain from both sides and left the

The poem creatively weaves the story of Christ with Anglo-Saxon ideals. The poem is represented in two variations, partially inscribed in runic characters on the Ruthwell cross, and a complete version of the poem, which is written in the Vercelli book in Italy. The circumstances that may have produced these two separate versions of the poem are up for debate. It is possible that when the Anglo-Saxons were first converted to Christianity, they used their talents of carving and the use of runic characters to praise Jesus, as they did to praise their own pagan gods. They were accustomed to this form of worship and it may have helped them familiarize themselves with

The language used in the poem is correlated to the riddles presented in the Exeter Book. The riddle genre was a highly popular form of writing in Old English and Anglo-Saxon literature. The frequent use of metaphors, similes and personification are a staple in the riddle genre. In the poem, the dreamer witnesses the cross come to life and speak words, “I beheld in sorrow the savior’s tree, / until I heard it utter a sound; / that best of woods began to speak words…” (24-26). The Dream of the Rood draws inspiration from the riddle genre by personifying the