The Rood

The Dream of the Rood is an Anglo-Saxon poem which depicts the crucifixion of Christ. It is heralded as being one of the most significant poems in Old English religious prose, in addition to being one of the most unique pieces of Germanic-Heroism literature [reference]. The poem was written as a means of propagating Anglo-Saxon intolerance towards cowardice, trepidation when faced with the concept of death, and apathy in regards to battle. Within the poem, Christ is portrayed as an ardent, fearless warrior with a combatant disposition to fulfil his destiny as being the saviour of man’s sins, which he embraces with a courageous fervour; “he [Christ] climbed up on the high gallows, brave in the sight of many, as he set out to redeem mankind.”

Combining two themes which were typical of Germanic-Heroism ideals – the concepts of dreams and battle – The Dream of the Rood certainly adhered to the [Germanic-Heroic code of morality [cite?]] in addition to the ethics of the lord-retainer relationship within Anglo-Saxon culture. Rather than portray Christ as a passive, weak, and ultimately frail victim of torture, the poet aims to inspire the reader into incorporating a purpose to follow and obey the son of God, presumably also to adhere to the heroic code towards his or her lord within Anglo-Saxon England. Indeed, in The Dream of the Rood, the crucifixion of Christ is depicted as a battle in itself, much like other Anglo-Saxon prosodies, such as The Battle of Maldon and the Battle of Brunanburh

And although the poem centres on the moral goodness that comes with the acceptance of Christ, it is not devoid of sorrow and remorse for the way in which the crucifixion was constructed: “They drove dark nails into me [the rood]; the dints of those wounds can still be seen, open marks of malice; but I did not dare maul any of them in return/ They mocked both of us. I was moistened all over with blood/” . In contrast to traditional Anglo-Saxon literature, this line creates a tone of weakness in the poem in that the poet permits for the reader to sense the sorrow and tiredness of the crucifixion; although, it is at the expense of the Rood, refraining from alluding to any indication of Christ from experiencing pain and humiliation. However, the Rood illustrates the corpse of Christ with a solemn mourning: “They laid him there, limb-wearied; they stood at the head of his lifeless body”