Relic of Old English Orthodoxy

[Joseph D]

This is a poem from 8th century England. I thought it germane to the upcoming Veneration of the Cross. For more information, do a search on the Ruthwell Cross of Dumfriesshire. Did the poem or the cross come first?

Translation from the East Anglian by A. S. Cook, Oxford Press, 1905.
(Formal note: the final paragraph alludes to the Harrowing of Hell.)

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THE DREAM OF THE ROOD

Ascribed to Cynewulf

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Listen! I wish to tell the best of dreams, what I dreamt at midnight after human beings

were at rest. It seemed to me that I saw a marvelous tree surrounded with light move on high, the
brightest of crosses. All that sign was covered with gold; lovely gems stood on it by the surface
of the earth, and so, too, there were five more up on the shoulder-beam. All the angels of the
Lord, fair through all time, gazed upon it there: truly that was no cross for the wicked, but holy
spirits looked at it, men upon the earth, and all this glorious universe.

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The cross of victory was wonderful, and I, stained with sins, was sorely wounded with

evil deeds. I saw the tree of glory, decorated with streamers, shine joyfully, adorned with gold;
gems had worthily covered the tree of the Lord. Nevertheless through that gold I could perceive
the ancient strive of miserable men, that it formerly had bled on the right side. I was completely
troubled with sorrows; I was afraid because of the beautiful vision. I saw the hastening sign vary
in hangings and colors: at times it was wet with moisture, stained with the flow of blood, and at
times adorned with treasure.

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So, lying there for a long time, I looked, sorrowful, at the cross of the Saviour, until I

heard that it uttered a sound; then the best of trees began to speak works:

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“It was long ago – I still remember that – that I was cut down at the verge of the wood,

taken from my stem. Strong foes seized me there, made me into a spectacle for them, ordered me
to lift up their criminals. There men carried me on their shoulders, until they placed me on a hill;
enemies enough fastened me there.

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“Then I saw the Master of mankind hasten with great courage to mount me there. I did

not dare to bend or break contrary to the Lord’s command, when I saw the surfaces of the earth
tremble. I could have killed all the foes, yet I stood fast.

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“The young Hero – that was God almighty – stripped Himself, strong and resolute; He

ascended the high cross, bold in the sight of many, when He wished to redeem mankind. I
trembled when the Hero embraced me, yet I did not dare to bend to the earth, fall to the surface
of the ground, but I had to stand fast. I was set up as a cross; I lifted up the powerful King, the
Lord of heaven. I did not dare to bow down.

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“They pierced me with black nails; the scars are visible on me, the open, malicious

wounds. I did not dare to harm any of them. They mocked us both together. I was all wet with
blood, shed from the Man’s side, after He had given up His spirit.

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“I endured many cruel experiences on the hill: I saw the God of hosts violently extended.

Darkness with clouds had covered the dead body of the Lord, that bright splendor. A shadow
came forth, black under the clouds. All creation wept, mourned the fall of the King: Christ was
on the cross.

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“Still eager ones came to the Lord from far away; I saw all that. I was deeply troubled

with sorrows, but still I bowed humbly to men’s hands with great zeal. They took God almighty
there raised Him from heavy torture. The warriors left me then to stand covered over with blood.
I was all wounded with darts. They put him down, weary of limb; they stood at the head of His
body, there they beheld the Lord of heaven, and He rested for a time, tired after the great
struggle. Then men began to make Him a tomb in the sight of the murderers; they cut it out of
shining stone; in it they put the Lord of victories. They then began, wretched in the evening, to
sing a dirge, when they were to go exhausted from the noble Lord. He rested there with no
companions.

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“So we crosses stood dripping there in the place for a long time after the cry of the

warriors went up. The dead body grew cold, the lovely abode of the soul. Then people began to
cut us down completely to the earth – that was a fearful experience! They buried us in a deep
hole. Still the disciples of the Lord, friends, found me; they lifted me then from the earth, and
adorned me with gold and silver.

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“Now, my dear man, you can hear that I have endured evil pain, grievous troubles. The

time is now come when men on earth and all this noble creation do me honor far and wide; they
pray to this sign. The Son of God suffered on me for a time, and therefore I now tower glorious
under heaven, and I can save every on e who is fearful of me.

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“I long ago became the most sever of tortures, most hateful to the people, before I opened

the true way of life to men. Then the Prince of glory, the Lord of heaven, honored me above the
other trees of the forest, just as God almighty for the sake of mankind also honored His mother
Mary above all the race of women.

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“Now, my dear man, I order you to tell this vision to men: make clear with words that this

is the tree of glory on which God almighty suffered for the many sins of mankind and for Adam’s
deeds of old.

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“He tasted death there; yet again the Lord arose with His great strength as a help to men.

He then ascended into the heavens. The Lord Himself then ascended into the heavens. The Lord
Himself will come here to this earth again to visit mankind on the day of doom, God almighty
with His angels with Him, an dHe who has the power of judgment will then judge everyone as he
has already deserved in this transitory life. No one there can be fearless because of the word
which the Lord will say: He will ask in the presence of the throng where the man is who is
willing to taste bitter death for the Lord’s name, as He Himself did earlier on the cross; but then
they will be fearful and think little about what they should begin to say to Christ. No one needs to
be timid there who already carries in his breast the best of signs, but every soul who proposes to
dwell with the Lord must seek the kingdom away from earth through the cross.”

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Then I prayed to the cross with great zeal, happy in mind, there where I was alone with no

company. The heart was ready for departure; it had often endured all kinds of longings. Now
there is hope of life for me that I alone can seek the cross of victory more often that all men, and
honor it well; the desire for that is great in my soul, and my life is directed to the corss. I do not
have many powerful friends on earth, but they have gone away form the pleasures of the world,
have sought for themselves the King of glory, live now with God the Father in heaven, and on
each day I look for the time when the cross of the Lord, which I formerly saw here on earth, will
fetch me from this transitory life, and then bring me where there is great joy, happiness in
heaven, where the Lord’s people are placed at the feast, where there is continual bliss; and will
set me then where I can afterwards live in glory, enjoy pleasure fully with the saints. May the
Lord be a friend to me, He who suffered here on earth on the cross for the sins of men. He
redeemed, and gave us life, a heavenly dwelling.

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Hope was renewed with blessedness and with joy to those who had earlier suffered from

fire. The Son was victorious on the journey, powerful and successful, when He came with a
multitude, with a company of spirits, into the kingdom of God; to the joy of the angels and of all
the saints who had earlier lived in glory, He, the almighty Ruler, their King, God almighty, came
where His native land was.