The Dream of the Rood: One of the Few Surviving Pieces of Anglo-Saxon Literature
The Dream of the Rood, one of the few surviving pieces of Anglo-Saxon literature, is a vital reference for the ambiguous culture of England's early ancestors. Argued as one of the oldest pieces of Old English Literature, The Dream of the Rood effectively embodies the blended culture, moral code, and religious values of its unknown author. In the poem the narrator recalls a vision he received in a dream, where he encounters the rood on which Christ was crucified. The rood's dictation, steeped with references to both Pagan and Christian culture, implies the subservient relationship he shared with Christ as that of a lord and thane. Furthermore, the crucifixion scene is metaphorically illustrated as a battle and elevates both Christ and the rood to the warrior status reminiscent of Anglo-Saxon heroes. This contradictory concept of Christ as a self-sacrificing victim, yet fearless warrior king, coupled with the conflicting references to Pagan and Christian culture demonstrate the blended perspective of the poem's author. Within the context of the poem, the clash between the newly emerging society of ecclesiastical ethics and Pagan tradition of heroism and warfare is evident.
The prominence of Pagan culture in The Dream of the Rood is most obviously demonstrated by the animistic characteristics of the rood, which is endowed with a living spirit. The personification of the rood is analogous to the beliefs of the ancient Celts, where nature was regarded as a living, feeling, and conscious entity. Furthermore, when the narrator first introduces the reader to the rood he describes it as though it were an idol, with it "entirely cased in gold; the beautiful gems stood/ at the corners of the earth" (6-8). The narrator later asserts that it is by "the means of the rood each soul/ who thinks to dwell with the Ruler/ must seek the kingdom from the earthy way/ I prayed to the three with a happy spirit then" (199-122). With these lines, the pious dreamer is sympathizing with
The prominence of Pagan culture in The Dream of the Rood is most obviously demonstrated by the animistic characteristics of the rood, which is endowed with a living spirit. The personification of the rood is analogous to the beliefs of the ancient Celts, where nature was regarded as a living, feeling, and conscious entity. Furthermore, when the narrator first introduces the reader to the rood he describes it as though it were an idol, with it "entirely cased in gold; the beautiful gems stood/ at the corners of the earth" (6-8). The narrator later asserts that it is by "the means of the rood each soul/ who thinks to dwell with the Ruler/ must seek the kingdom from the earthy way/ I prayed to the three with a happy spirit then" (199-122). With these lines, the pious dreamer is sympathizing with