English Literature / Unit 3 ENL 0212 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Dream of the Rood
Captions available
The idea
In this dream vision the rood, or cross, speaks, telling how it was cut from the forest and how Christ, a young warrior, climbed onto it bravely. Verses of it were carved in runes on the Ruthwell Cross; the full poem survives in the Vercelli Book.
In practice
The cross tells the Crucifixion as a battle.
Where people slip
Christ is a hero here, not a victim.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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