The Dream of the Rood: An Outstanding Archetype of Christian Influence on Anglo-Saxon Heroism

Being a hero can mean many different things. A modern day hero might be someone who has a strong moral code or someone that has extraordinary powers and abilities but, looking back in time the meaning of a hero has changed slightly. During Anglo-Saxon times, being a hero meant being loyal to their lord and god, having a sense of duty, being selfless, having honor, being intelligent, and boasting. It also meant being brave and having courage, having a sense of justice, and having larger than life strength. A great example of an Anglo-Saxon hero is Beowulf from “Beowulf,” written by an unknown author. In this poem, Beowulf exemplifies the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon hero because he was brave and courageous, he had superhuman strength, and he had a unique sense of justice.

Kaila McGee Lindsy Krauser World Literature 30 November 2015 Points of Pride and History One central motif of The Crucible is the importance of a good name. The meaning of a good name is different for everyone in the play. John Proctor valued his good name, however he valued his name differently than Reverend Hale. All characters take pride in theirselves and their reputation. Everyone seeks to remain to keep their good name.

The expression “Jesus take the wheel” is quite common in today’s world, but just because it is a modern saying does not mean that it did not have any relevance in earlier time. Throughout the story of Beowulf, a comparison between Christianity and paganism had always been a topic discussed both within the text and spoken aloud in the classroom. Likewise, in this instance, man-made issues serves as a mirror of paganism and trust in God becomes Christianity. Many factors throughout section three revert to paganism rather than Christianity because there was no trust in God. Details such as pride, arranged marriage, and death are the major aspects of man-made issues in this section.

the Danes are being terrorized by the gruesome Grendel. Grendel attacks the people and fills them with fear. He leads them into the jaws of death. Grendel is even a descendent of Cain, making the battle between him and Beowulf a struggle between the powers of good and evil. Similarly, the dragon may symbolize Satan terrorizing our lives and trying to lead us astray and into temptation. The dragon’s primary goal is also to obtain as much gold and riches as possible, and to hoard them, protecting it with his fire and the fear he struck into the hearts of the people. Beowulf hears of the death and destruction that is happening, and decides to sail to their rescue, much like Jesus. Here Beowulf can clearly be seen as a Christ figure when he defeats Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon; he acts as their savior. He slays them all with courage and bravery, just like Jesus had no fear in Matthew 23:13-36, Matthew 21:12, 13, John 16:33, John 5:15-18; 7:14, and John 2:14-17. Jesus showed his courage and bravery throughout all these verses, and many more throughout the Bible. He showed it even when he was a child. Beowulf shows his bravery all

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.

Originating in the Anglo-Saxon period, the epic poem Beowulf portrays a legendary hero. Beowulf established the earlier form of heroism, and was then later introduced in to the English culture. Praised and admired by many people, Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined perfectly as an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero; his eagerness to seek glory and fame, rather than richness and treasures, his loyalty and graceful attitude not only to his rulers but also to his followers, and his contradictory beliefs of faith and fate

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

In Anglo-Saxon literary works, the writing usually addressed to a Christian audience but yet all commonly affirm the values of the warrior cultures in power in different matters. In the two pieces “The Dream of the Rood” and Beowulf there are two powerful kings being represented that are set in overlapping values that benefit their true courageous deeds. Both are considered good, but do they mean the same thing in Christianity and paganism contexts? Specifically, the two pieces both fuse together Christian and pagan ideals to show their two powerful kings represented in two completely different manners. In the literary work Beowulf the character Beowulf is known as the king along with many others. While in the literary work “The Dream of the Rood” Jesus Christ is known as the king since he is directly referred to as a “king” several times throughout the work.

The image of Jesus nailed to a wooden cross by the palms of his hands and with a crown of thorns wrapped around his head is one that has transcended all time barriers. It has inclusive been replicated into figure form that is utilized in various ways but whose primary function is to serve as a constant reminder of the physical suffering endured by Jesus. In The Dream of the Rood however, the perception of Jesus Christ as not only the son of God and savior of mankind but also as a human with the capacity to feel pain, is subverted when through the perspective of a personified cross he is conveyed as a warrior in the midst of combat. The portrayal of Jesus in this way immediately evokes the image of an ideal stereotypical hero who is strong,

Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic that was transmitted verbally for hundreds of years before it was written down. Around the time of its composition, Christianity was beginning to gain prominence in England and was quickly replacing the animistic religion of the Celts. As a result of the dueling religions of the time, the poem includes influences from both Christianity and paganism, leaving its readers to wonder which religion had the most sway over the poet. Beowulf is a fundamentally more Christian epic on account of Beowulf’s resemblances of Jesus Christ, its allusions to the Bible, and its intimation of a supreme, monotheistic religion.

‘The Dream of the Rood’ has been marveled as one of the finest religious poems from the Anglo-Saxon time period. The poem itself shows the contrast between the Pagan religion and Christianity and the overlap of religious symbols between them. It follows the crucifixion of Jesus and the dreamer’s journey to finding faith. The rood is seen as the backbone of the crucifixion and is depicted as being praised more than Christ. Using the literary devices of kenning and alliteration the author highlights the heroic nature of the rood, the dreamer’s gradual progression to optimism and the struggle of the people of the time to remove Pagan traditions in literature.

The last battle that Beowulf partook in was perhaps the most heroic of all. Although the battle ended his life, it proved that of all the men in the story, Beowulf was the only true Anglo-Saxon hero. All of his troops proved to be fickle. They abandoned him in a time when they were needed the most. Though his men lived, they lived as cowards, yielding to the dragon apprehended by all the Geats. Never the less, Beowulf’s strength of heart and mind gave him the will to fight the dragon, although none of his men were there to help him. In this part of the tale, Beowulf was older and his physical strength had dwindled. But despite this, his tremendous heroism remained. He fought the dragon to his death and died with a pride, gallantry and chivalry that no man at the time had

In the 11th Century, cultures in Europe were experiencing cultural diffusion. The previously Pagan values were being replaced with the rapidly expanding Christian faith. Although this change was occurring, the literature still held on to Pagan values. Previously, literature was based on the prominent warrior culture. Cultural diffusion caused the writers to include more Christian values into their works while also referring elements of Pagan values and the Warrior’s code. Two literary works in particular, Beowulf and the “The Dream of the Rood” are influenced by this culture shift. In Beowulf, the main character is a hero who slays beasts and rules his people, applying to both the Warrior’s code of the Pagan culture and Christian values. In “The Dream of the Rood,” the narrator dreams of Christ’s crucifixion which exemplifies the values of Christian culture by telling the story of the most important event in Christian beliefs, along with subtly including Pagan values to apply to the audience of their time. Among the many traits of Pagan and Christian values, heroism is most prominent.

The stories of Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales are two that have been compared for centuries. Based in two different time periods, both novels describe religion, loyalty, and distinguish social classes through characters. In the novel Beowulf, the character Beowulf is known as the “hero of all heroes,” strong, courageous, and a warrior who is willing to risk his life for his ideals. In The Canterbury Tales, there are twenty-four tales describing characters from a knight to a monk’s tale. As the stories are written in two different time periods with different themes and voices, they can be compared in many ways. Both novels describe religion through their warriors, Beowulf and the Knight from The Canterbury Tales.

The consequence of their loyalty leads the warriors of the Maldon to death. Likewise, the Rood also follows Christ in his suffering and to his death. It states, ¡°standing in a sweat of blood/ I was all wounded with shafts¡±(The Rood, 57). Indeed, that ¡°sweat of blood¡± belongs to the Rood and its ¡°wounded¡± body identifies with that of the Christ¡¯s. In fact, while having the knowledge of the inevitable tragedy, the heroes of the Anglo-Saxon literature neglects to heed to their fear of death. What defines a hero in this period pertains to facing the ¡°wierd.¡± Rather than a resignation in giving up their lives, they participate actively in order to live out their given role, to fulfill what they have promised to do. Indeed, the heroes of the Maldon are ¡°fated [to] fall¡±(Maldon, 4). In the face of their inevitable doom, these heroes state ¡°in right good time dost thou recall us to our allegiance¡±(Maldon,232). This ¡°allegiance¡± to serve the lord cannot be forfeited even when the lord no longer lives. Regardless of the tragic consequences, these heroes choose to suffer. The Rood indicates, ¡°wry wierds a many I underwent¡± in revealing its active role in its fate (The Rood, 56). The Rood states that ¡°[it] underwent],¡± have chosen to suffer with Christ.