The Christ Warrior in "The Dream of the Rood"

The Anglo-Saxon poem "The Dream of the Rood" stands out from the others contained in the collection known as the Vercelli Book. The cohesive texture of this poem, as well as its vivid imagery, sets it profoundly apart from the standard Anglo-Saxon work from this period. The modern reader will notice how the unknown author of "The Rood" construes Jesus Christ as a warrior and hero. Often the stories told by the Anglo-Saxon verse were oral tales passed on from one person to another of heroic actions and events. These stories were then written down by an aspiring mind. The heroic tale of this oral tradition was then applied to the story of Christ's crucifixion.

The man who narrates the "The Dream of the Rood" never specifically identifies Jesus Christ as a warrior/hero as the "Rood" does throughout its monologue in lines 31-120 of the poem. Yet the narrator does vaguely hint at the fact that Christ is seen as a warrior for the souls of mankind. In line 13 the narrator refers to the cross as "that Token of triumph." Tokens are often prizes won or trophies gained in recognition or to recognize that a hero has accomplished some great deed. As with Beowulf after slaying Grendel and his mother he parts with gifts of treasure from Hrothgar as a token of his grand deeds for the Danish folk. This reference from the "Rood's" narrator brings to mind the question of whether or not the narrator views Christ as the warrior/hero figure. The "Token" is covered in jewels and gold, therefore a physical treasure of great beauty, while it is also a spiritual treasure in the respect that souls were saved through Christ's great deed. The narrator, after his vision of the Cross that bore Christ, begins to process what had occurred to him. He mentions that "Therein was hope renewed" (142). This line thus brings the idea that Christ, warrior and savior, renewed the hopes of those who were oppressed and needed to be saved. The hero had come to free the peoples. In a line also sounding of the tale of

Beowulf, the narrator states that "In that great deed/God's Son was triumphant" (143-144). Great deeds were completed often by great heroes, therefore pushing towards the hypothesis that the narrator sees Christ as the hero/warrior.

The narrator, beginning with line 31, embarks on his recollection of his vision of the "Rood." The Cross avidly tells of the heroic warrior Christ throughout its monologue. On several occasions the Cross uses the term "Hero" or "Warrior" when referring to Christ dying on the cross and his great deed that he completed for mankind. The Cross itself even plays a double role: one as a "Token" and the other as a strong willed spirit of its own. The Cross admits that "All foes I might fell, yet still I stood fast" (41). This line almost makes the "Rood" out to be a hero. In this case it may be pointed out that the "Rood" was adorned with treasure when it was found after the crucifixion.

The "Rood" speaks of Christ as "the young Warrior" who was "steadfast and strong" (42-43). The "Warrior" is claiming his "Token" through his brave deeds and the "Rood" becomes the "Token" when "the Hero clasped [the Cross]" (46). The "Rood" was also marked with blood "From the Hero's side" (55). The Cross, though strong of its own accord, was still the token of the Warrior Christ. Also lending to the idea of Christ as hero/warrior is in line 103, "by virtue of His great might." In comparison, Beowulf was noted to have great might that helped him fulfill his deeds as a great hero. Thus Christ's might aided him in his deed of saving humankind.

The fusion of Christianity and the heroic tale comes to head in "The Dream of the Rood." The Cross undoubtedly sees Christ in the light of the hero/warrior, and also itself as a being of strength. Its role as token also lends it a sense of triumph. The narrator, on the other hand, sees Christ as a Savior and also as a hero, although he does not specifically state that he thinks Christ is the hero/warrior type. As a final note, "The Dream of the Rood" remains a unique and wonderfully imaginative poem from the Vercelli Book.

Works Cited

Kermode, Frank, et al, eds. "The Dream of the Rood."

The Oxford Anthology of English

Literature. New York: Oxford UP, 1973. 115-118.