The Dream of the Rood – notes

Basic information
full title: The Dream of the Rood
author: unknown (possible authorship: the Anglo-Saxon poets Cædmon and
Cynewulf)
genre: dream vision
language: Old English
creation date: possibly 8th century (its runes were found on the Ruthwell
Cross – a free-standing Anglo-Saxon cross, possibly a conversion tool;
considered as one of the oldest works of Old English literature) (OLD
ENGLISH PERIOD)
creation place: England
first published: manuscripts, one of them survived in the Vercelli Book, Italy, alongside with five other religious
poems and some homilies
setting time and place: Jesus’s times, possibly the Holy Land
style: poem divided into three parts (Introductory Section, Speech of the Cross, Closing Section), alliterative line,
enjambments, kennings:
It seemed that I saw a most wondrous tree
born aloft, wound round by light,
brightest of beams. All was that beacon
sprinkled with gold. Gems stood (…)

Key terms
dream vision = dream allegory
a kind of narrative (usually, but not always in verse) in which the narrator falls asleep and dreams the events of the
tale; the story is often a kind of allegory, and commonly consists of a tour of some marvelous realm, in which the
dreamer is conducted and instructed by a guide (Divine Comedy – Dante led through hell by Virgil); it was much
favored by medieval poets, and e.g. Chaucer devoted much of his early work to dream visions – in the medieval
approach, the dreamer received some kind of knowledge or truth while sleeping
prosopopoeia = personification
a figure of speech by which animals, abstract ideas, or inanimate things are referred to as if they were human; the
figure or trope, known in Greek as prosopopeia, is common in most ages of poetry, and particularly in 18th century; it
has a special function as the basis of allegory; in drama, the term is sometimes applied to the impersonation of non-
human things and ideas by human actors

Plot overview
The narrator begins by saying what he saw during the night as he dreamt; before him was the cross, hovering in the
air. It was covered in gems, gold, and treasure adorned. The speaker also states that through the glint of gold, he sees
a wretched hostility and blood on the right side. As time passes, once again the dreamer states that the cross changes
appearance from well-adorned to filled with blood. In the second part, the dreamer changes and seems to be speaking,
in the first person, from the perspective of the Rood who gives his account of what happened.
After transforming from tree to cross, the Rood is put on a hill where Jesus is crucified onto its limbs and where he
fights for the salvation of mankind. The Rood relates how he fought with Jesus by not bending down and not fighting
the wicked. After these events, the Rood narrates how the dead body was detached from him and buried. After this,
the cross narrates how he ascended into the heavens, decorated so that everyone could see him. In the last part of the
poem, the narrator is once again in the present, having relayed the details of his dream. He praises Jesus and has hope
for eternal life.

Character list
the narrator
 possibly the author of the poem, appears in the first and the last section of it
 he beholds the Rood in his dream and is impressed by its appearance (he describes it as giant, powerful,
adorned with gold and gems – he feels weak and small next to it)
 after the Rood has finished his account, the narrator is moved by it and prays to meet the Rood one more time
– the story strengthens his faith
 he has many dead friends (Anglo-Saxon times), so the story brings him hope and internal calm, he is consoled
and finds internal peace
 an eager Christian, admires the Lord and prays for eternal life at the end of the poem
the Rood
 the personified Cross on which Jesus died, tells the story of crucifying him from its own point of view
 it is adorned with gems and gold, which impresses the narrator, but has also human-like wounds on its right
side (parallel to Jesus’s cuts done by the Roman soldiers)
 the story of the Rood starts by the description of it being a tree, then being cut and made into a cross (it
thought he was being prepared for some criminals)
 the Rood is intimidated by Jesus which is to be hanged on it, and that event unite the Rood and Jesus
 the Rood witnesses the death of Jesus and is left alone after he is taken to the grave, it feels sorrow
 there is some comparison between the Rood and Jesus: they are both mocked and humiliated, then they both
experience glory and ascension to Heaven
 the Rood is honored and becomes important in Heaven, it is made up for being loyal
 it shares the story and tells the others to share it further, praises the Lord and gives the vision of Doomsday,
when God will deem people
 its monologue had its aim: to strengthen faith in people and to convert the pagans (Anglo-Saxon times, the
Vikings living in Britain)
Jesus
 he is mentioned in the story of the Rood, and is a very positive person in the poem
  the Rood recalls his death, resurrection and ascension; also how Jesus fought sin and evil
 Jesus is shown as an aggressive, medieval Anglo-Saxon warrior, as he boldly confronts and defeats sin – it is
much different from the common Christian depiction of him
 the warrior-like picture had its aim: it could be easier for the Vikings to convert to Christianity, if Jesus was
shown as a warrior, which they were used to (cult of power, strength, battle and wars)
 in that perspective, Jesus in The Dream of the Rood is similar to the Old English Beowulf

Themes
Courage & Heroism
 psychological aspects admired by the pagan Vikings – they influenced the British culture then
 courage – the Room was commanded by Christ to stay firm for him
 heroism – the marks of conflict (wounds on the right side) on the Rood meaning it fought in some battle,
sacrificed itself; heroism is also seen in the death of Christ and defeating the sin
 these both themes are highlighted in the poem because Jesus was to be depicted as the King – and back then,
kings were recognized by their deeds and not by their ancestry
 the idea of Comitatus – loyalty of the warrior to his king to death – the Rood stays with Jesus till the end and
is rewarded for that
Paganism and Christianity
 the poem was created by Christian monks in the times when Christianity was firmly established among
Anglo-Saxon aristocracy
 despite its obvious Christian orientation, there are plenty of elements which derive from Anglo-Saxon
(=pagan) traditions: the form of the poem, the motif of personified tree, Jesus presented as a warrior
 these things were introduced to make the poem (and the idea of Passion) more home-like for the Anglo-
Saxons (and the Vikings), because then it sounded more appealing to them and there were not so many
completely new elements in Christianity
 the poem serves as an example of smooth transition from paganism to Christianity in England in 8th century –
there are new, religious themes, but merged with plain old ones well-known to the society
 the form of the poem is Anglo-Saxon – alliterative lines, kennings (voice-bearers) and frequent enjambments;
it is not until Geoffrey Chaucer when the new types of lines emerge

Symbols
tree
 in many cultures (including pagan Anglo-Saxon culture) tree is seen as the primary symbol of worship (the
Tree of Knowledge, the Tree of Life)
 the Rood in its story begins with describing his life as a tree, to underline that it is sacred and the cross it has
been converted into deserves respect and attention
 this connection between the tree and the cross may have been created to encourage people to adore the Holy
Cross and convert to Christianity more smoothly