How Does The Crucifixion In The Dream Of The Rood

Although the Bible’s description of Jesus and his crucifixion has not been changed, the perception of the people about Jesus has been changing throughout the ages. The poem “The Dream of the Rood” is good example of a unique view of Jesus and his crucifixion. The poem is referred as “one of the first and most successful treatments of the crucifixion” in Old English poetry (Burrow 123).

Another common element in both tales is the resurrecting of the dead. Jesus has the ability to resuscitate the dead and demonstrates this ability multiple times in the Bible. “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” (New Revised Standard Version, John 11:11) In this demonstration, Jesus addresses those grieving the death of Lazarus but expresses to them he is only sleeping and will awake again

The Bible has been translated into 451 languages, sold over 6 billion times, and depicted in over 40 movies. The Bible and the crucifixion of the Messiah are prominent aspects in cultures all around the world today. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has been translated, dramatized, televised, adapted, and cartooned. In “The Dream of the Rood,” translated by R.M. Liuzza, the Biblical cross comes to life to tell its own version of Christ’s death and resurrection. The author recreated the Biblical account to appeal to the Anglo-Saxon warrior group to effectively convert them. However, the story from the cross’s perspective matches the crucial material of the Biblical account of the crucifixion without defaming Christ.

Old English literature establishes the elements of the heroic code, to which its society ascribed. A man must live, or die, by his honor. In The Dream of the Rood the crucifixion of Christ is depicted as the ultimate symbol of heroism, as all mankind bewailed Christ's death and prepared a gilt cross

The characteristics of a hero are simultaneously interwoven throughout the text in form of adjectives which include “strong,” “stouthearted,” and “bold.” When employed, these words trigger the formation of a mental visual that encompasses the components of a romanticized warrior or what some perceive to be a hero’s prime attributes. Additionally, specifically describing the gallows as “high” dramatizes the martyrdom enhancing in this way the image of a person who approached the site of his inevitable death dauntlessly. The capitalization of terms including “Hero” and the explicitly stated “Warrior” suggests that these are not mere words that are applied only to describe an honorable person but are also additional titles that can be used to refer to Jesus. Just as the “Father” the “Son” and “Holy Spirit” are thought to be titles pertaining to God, “Hero” and “Warrior” are titles that in this case are given to Jesus. Capitalizing both terms is also used to draw a parallel between them which suggests that the two are complementary to each other and as a result can be used interchangeably. Lastly, the capitalization of these two terms in particular is implicative of how much value placed on warriors who in turn were perceived as heroic during the Middle Ages which is when the poem is thought to have been composed.

In analysis of this poem, we find the symbolic association the Little Lamb and Jesus Crist, The Lamb of God.

The portrayal of Christ as a warrior fighting for his people in "Dream of the Rood" is a very powerful picture of a hero and savior. Christ is described here as a young hero, a warrior fighting to save his people. Christ and the tree are drenched in blood, covered with markings, and yet they stand strong and have courage. This is truly the mark of a hero in Anglo-Saxon

Incorporating traditional Anglo Saxon beliefs of heroism with the image of Christ on the cross allows the poet of The Dream of the Rood to effectively communicate the benefits of Christianity to pagan warriors. By comparing characteristics, duties, and treatment of heroes in Beowulf and the Battle of Maldon to the depiction of Christ in The Dream of the Rood, it becomes evident that the image of Christ is altered to mirror that of heroic warriors. Through this melding of heroic beliefs and Christianity, the poet of Rood is able to show how Christ can become the ultimate ring giver or Lord.

In The Dream of the Rood, the poet has added elements of the idealized heroic death (as exemplified in Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon) to the crucifixion. He has also eliminated details of the story that tend to render Christ as a figure of pathos, in order to further Christ's identification with the other glorious warriors Anglo-Saxon poems.

The ethical paradigm traditionally associated with the treasurehouse model of mentality in Old English poetry—the sapiential economy of the accumulation and then distribution of mental valuables— converges in The Dream of the Rood with the poet’s religious ideal of the Christian faith as universally acknowledged and collectively practiced in the form of devotion to the Cross”(Mize Britt, pg 177). The rood's description, had a deep connection and references to both the Christian and Pagan culture, also indicating the obedient relationship he had or shared with Jesus Christ as that of a Lord and thane.

The film also depicted that crucifixion was typically a form of death that was harsh, violent, and humiliating, which is accurate in comparison to crucifixions in history. In the film, Jesus was spit on, and the Romans mocked him, saying that if were really the king, that he would save himself. This picture of the Jesus’ crucifixion, and the violence that forced upon him, that was displayed in the film, The Passion of the Christ was an accurate description of what actually happened during crucifixions during the ancient times (Religions).

Jesus had to carry his own cross, that probably weighed two times his size, all the way up to wear the crucifixion was going to take place. Already beaten and bloody, they lay him down onto the cross shaped piece of wood and begin by nailing his hands and feet into it and standing the cross up into the air. What a brutal sight it must have been for God to see his only son tortured like this, but the good news is that he knew what his plan was for Jesus and for his people and he knew what was going to happen after all this was over. Jesus died hanging from that cross, washing all of our sin away and paying the ultimate sacrifice. After he died he was wrapped in a white cloth and placed into a tomb with a boulder sealing the door to the outside world. Three days after being placed in there, the people went to check up on the tomb to find that the boulder was pushed aside and the white cloth was folded neatly where Jesus was laying. The son of God, the Messiah, rose again from the dead to fulfill his mission so that we may have everlasting life in God’s kingdom. God’s plan for our life and through Jesus he teaches us that if we follow in God’s word and make him our most prized possession and ask for him to be in our hearts that we may to “escape the penalty that God will execute upon all who have broken His

Writers for many centuries have depicted the greatest event of history, Christ's sacrifice in many ways. Fantasy writers, especially, have symbolized it as either the sacrifice of a lion on the Stone Table, a mighty warrior battling a red dragon, or less obviously, the destruction of a ring, and numerous other ways. However once writers chose to directly write about Christ's sacrifice without using symbols. Nonetheless even these writers differed greatly in their portrayal of Christ's sacrifice. Among these, William Langland, who wrote Piers Plowman, and the poet who penned “Dream of the Rood” both discuss Christ's sacrifice vividly and poetically. While Piers Plowman and “Dream of the Rood” share many similarities in their portrayal of Christ

The Dream of the Rood is a work which inspires one to think, to contemplate, and to begin to better understand one’s own faith. The Rood tells us of its life, from being a tree to being the instrument in Christ’s death to its visions after Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. I felt the Rood’s agony as it became an unwilling participant in the death of the Lord. The purpose of this poem is to bring the glory back to God, reflecting on his goodness and his purposes in the earth. The dreamer, who heard and recounted the Rood’s story, ends with hope in Christ and a hope in the future of everlasting life in heaven.

Many people believe that there is only one account of the Passion of Jesus Christ or they believe that each story is the same; whereas there are four separate Gospel accounts of the Passion of Our Lord. Each of these Gospel accounts supplements the others, however each gospel account of the crucifixion of Jesus is unique, not only in how the story is told but also in the events and features themselves. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John clearly present different portrayals of the death of Jesus Christ. By examining each account the reader discovers the evangelist's understanding of the death accounts of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. The reader must examine and compare all of the Gospel accounts to have a full and