The Dream of the Rood

Question 1

Hwæt, iċ swefna cyst secgan wylle,
hwæt mē ġemǣtte tō midre nihte
syðþan reordberend reste wunedon.
Þūhte mē þæt iċ ġesāwe syllicre trēow
5on lyft lǣdan, lēohte bewunden,
bēama beorhtost. Eall þæt bēacen wæs
begoten mid golde; ġimmas stōdon
fæġere æt foldan scēatum swylċe þǣr fīfe wǣron
uppe on þām eaxleġespanne. Behēoldon þǣr enġel Dryhtnes ealle
10fæġere þurh forðġesceaft. Ne wæs ðǣr hūru fracodes ġealga,
ac hine þǣr behēoldon hāliġe gāstas,
men ofer moldan, ond eall þēos mǣre ġesceaft.
Sylliċ wæs se siġebēam ond iċ synnum fāh,
forwunded mid wommum. Ġeseah iċ wuldres trēow
15wǣdum ġeweorðode, wynnum scīnan,
ġeġyred mid golde; ġimmas hæfdon
bewriġene weorðlīċe Wealdendes trēow.
Hwæðre iċ þurh þæt gold onġytan meahte
earmra ǣrġewin, þæt hit ǣrest ongan
20-23: hypermetric
20swǣtan on þā swīðran healfe. Eall iċ wæs mid sorgum ġedrēfed;

Answer 1

Double alliteration/line-overrun alliteration (continuous alliteration)
1. immediately ‘ic’, secgan: spreading word (homiletic)
2. me- metrical emphasis on self, nihte (spiritual darkness)
3. reordberend: compound (Elene/Andreas, christian context: spread word of god, speech-barers kenning), reste wunedon (rest of the world spiritually asleep)
4. me/ic
5. lyft (air), leohte (of God, enlightened)
6. beama/beacon (variation emphasising light), superlative (unusual OE lit, 6)
7. golde (light/riches), gimmas (blood? Christology)
8-10: hypermetric
8. beautiful, surface, likewise, maybe transverse
9. crossbeam, the beautiful angles of the lord beheld
10. eternal decree, huru (certainly), wicked gallows
13. penitential state (synnum, wommum, sorgum- resolved at end), christology (kenning: sigebeam)
14. wounded sorely with sin (variation), vision
15. clothing (blood?) adorned, joys shining
16. adorned with gold, gimmas (christology)
17. cover splendidly
18. ongytan (understand)
19. wretched ancient hostility, firstly began
20-23: hypermetric)
20. swǣtan (only context this means bleed- though cognate noun swǣt=blood/moisture, captures duality), gedrefed (troubled)

Question 2

Which manuscript is Rood in?

Answer 2

The Vercelli Book

Question 3

Must mention

Answer 3

1. Exegetical poem (interpretation of scripture)
2. The rood: an allegory for the suffering of Christ?
3. Earliest dream vision poem
4. Prosopopoeia: object personified to speak to reader (popular in riddles)
5. Eschatological poem: relates to judgement/final destiny of soul
6. CHRISTOLOGY

Question 4

forht iċ wæs for þǣre fæġran ġesyhðe. Ġeseah iċ þæt fūse bēacen
wendan wǣdum ond blēom; hwīlum hit wæs mid wǣtan bestēmed,
beswyled mid swātes gange, hwīlum mid since ġeġyrwed.
Hwæðre iċ þǣr licgende lange hwīle
25behēold hrēowċeariġ Hǣlendes trēow,
oð ðæt iċ ġehȳrde þæt hit hlēoðrode.
Ongan þā word sprecan wudu sēlesta:
Þæt wæs ġeāra iū (iċ þæt ġȳta ġeman)
þæt iċ wæs āhēawen holtes on ende,
30āstyred of stefne mīnum. Ġenāman mē ðǣr strange fēondas,
ġeworhton him þǣr tō wǣfersȳne, hēton mē heora wergas hebban.
Bǣron mē ðǣr beornas on eaxlum oð ðæt hīe mē on beorg āsetton;
ġefæstnodon mē þǣr fēondas ġenōge. Ġeseah iċ þā Frēan mancynnes
efstan elne myċle þæt hē mē wolde on ġestīgan.
35Þǣr iċ þā ne dorste ofer Dryhtnes word
būgan oððe berstan, þā iċ bifian ġeseah
eorðan scēatas. Ealle iċ mihte
fēondas ġefyllan, hwæðre iċ fæste stōd.
Onġyrede hine þā ġeong hæleð - þæt wæs God ælmihtiġ,
40strang ond stīðmōd. Ġestāh hē on ġealgan hēanne,

Answer 4

double alliteration
21. afraid, beautiful sight, fuse (eager), beacen (light)
22. change clothing/colour, bestemed (drenched)
23. (baptism?), swates (sweat/blood), gange (path/redemption), since (think back to blood gimmas)
24. licgende (present partic., emphasises lange)
25. troubled, saviour
26. until, made noise/spoke
27. begin, wood best
28. it was formerly long (emphasis) ago, gyta (still)
29. aheawen (cut down), woods on edge
30-34: hypermetric
30. astyred (removed), genaman (seized), strong, feondas (censor identity of enemies, feondas/beornas, keep emphasis on Christ: later he=subj of verbs, not obj of actions)
31. geworhton (made/created), spectable, command, their criminals lift
32.
33. fastened, much, description of Christ as GOD ‘almigtig’ (elevating/christology)
34 and 41 hypermetric lines frame cross description
34 hypermetric particularly unusual (usually in clumps)
34. approached, (elne-christ/rood/speaker), wolde: verb of intention/desire (christology)
35. dorste (tie between Christian/retainer duties)
36. bow, bifian (shake): bugan/bifian repeated later (alliterative collocation repeated)
37. sceatas (surface), mihte (might’ve)
38. gefyllan (fell/strike down)
39. undressed HIMSELF (christology- warrior nominative noun/subject of verb), God ælmihtiġ (Christology- se sonu),
contrast between geong hhæleð/God: a-line/b-line, GESTAH HE later paralleled with on heofonas astag (ascension of cross and ascension to heaven paralleled)

Question 5

mōdiġ on maniġra ġesyhðe, þā hē wolde mancyn lȳsan.
Bifode iċ þā mē se beorn ymbclypte. Ne dorste iċ hwæðre būgan tō eorðan,
feallan tō foldan scēatum, ac iċ sceolde fæste standan.
Rōd wæs iċ ārǣred. Āhōf iċ rīċne Cyning,
45heofona Hlāford, hyldan mē ne dorste.
Þurhdrifan hī mē mid deorcan næġlum. On mē syndon þā dolg ġesīene
opene inwidhlemmas. Ne dorste iċ hira nǣnigum sceððan.
Bysmeredon hīe unc būtū ætgædere. Eall iċ wæs mid blōde bestēmed,
begoten of þæs guman sīdan siððan hē hæfde his gāst onsended.
50Feala iċ on þām beorge ġebiden hæbbe
wrāðra wyrda. Ġeseah iċ weruda God
þearle þenian. Þȳstro hæfdon
bewriġen mid wolcnum Wealdendes hrǣw,
scīrne scīman; sceadu forðēode
55wann under wolcnum. Wēop eal ġesceaft,
cwīðdon Cyninges fyll. Crist wæs on rōde.
Hwæðere þǣr fūse feorran cwōman
tō þām æðelinge; iċ þæt eall behēold.
Sāre iċ wæs mid sorgum ġedrēfed; hnāg iċ hwæðre þām secgum tō handa,
60ēaðmōd, elne myċle. Ġenāmon hīe þǣr ælmihtiġne God,

Answer 5

40. modig (brave), lysan (redeem)
41. Trembled
42. ārǣred (raised), Āhōf (raised), ricne (powerful)
43. variation/apposition (heofona hlaford), hyldan (bend)
44. would visible
    47: var/app: malicious wounds, sceððan (injure)
45. mocked, dual pronoun/adj and adverb
    49: hypermetric: frames crucifixion with 59, lots of double alliteration, HE is nominative (HE SENDS his spirit, HE CHOOSES to die, christology)
    49: begoten (drenched), gast (spirit), sent forth to heaven,
    50: i on the hill have experienced much
    51: malicious fate, god of the troops
    52: severely stretched out, Þȳstro (darkness- spiritual)
    53: covered, clouds
    54: apposition: gleaming light, shadows go forth: contrast between darkness and light
    55: dark under sky, wept, creation
    56: lamented
    57: (the) eager, from far
    59: (hypermetric), sore, ġedrēfed (troubled), hnāg (bow down) to the hand of the warriors (DUTY)
    60: ēaðmōd (humble), great courage (christ, rood, speaker), Ġenāmon (seized), God rather than sonu (Christology)

Question 6

āhōfon hine of ðām hefian wīte. Forlēton mē þā hilderincas
standan stēame bedrifenne. Eall iċ wæs mid strǣlum forwundod.
Ālēdon hīe ðǣr limwēriġne, ġestōdon him æt his līċes hēafdum;
behēoldon hīe ðǣr heofenes Dryhten, ond hē hine ðǣr hwīle reste,
65mēðe æfter ðām miċlan ġewinne. Ongunnon him þā moldern wyrċan
beornas on banan ġesyhðe. Curfon hīe ðæt of beorhtan stāne;
ġesetton hīe ðǣron sigora Wealdend. Ongunnon him þā sorhlēoð galan
earme on þā ǣfentīde. Þā hīe woldon eft sīðian
mēðe fram þām mǣran þēodne; reste hē ðǣr mǣte weorode.
70Hwæðere wē ðǣr grēotende gōde hwīle
stōdon on staðole syððan stefn ūp ġewāt
hilderinca. Hrǣw cōlode
fæġer feorgbold. Þā ūs man fyllan ongan
ealle tō eorðan. Þæt wæs eġesliċ wyrd!
75Bedealf ūs man on dēopan sēaþe; hwæðre mē þǣr Dryhtnes þeġnas,
frēondas ġefrūnon,
ġyredon mē golde ond seolfre.
Nū ðū miht ġehȳran, hæleð mīn se lēofa,
þæt iċ bealuwara weorc ġebiden hæbbe,
80sārra sorga. Is nū sǣl cumen

Answer 6

Look for double alliteration

61. lifted, heavy torment, abandoned
62. steame (moisture/steam/blood), sharp points (description of wounds show suffering)
63. laid down, weary-limbed
64. heofones cyning (God not yet sunu), reste (litote/euphemism for death?)
65. gewinne: semantic range (fight/battle/VICTORY- battle means man, victory means god: captures dual nature- see sigora), moldern (earth-house), wyrcan (make)
66. in sight of the instrument of death, curfon (carve), beorhtan (like radiance of God spilling out)
67. sigora (victory: GOD, christology), galan (sing), sorhlēoð (song of sorrow)
68. eft (again), sīðian (travel)
69. mēðe (weary), reste (litote), mǣte (litote)- speaker copies christ later on by describing himself as alone (ana) and with (mAte werede- limited company)
70. geotende (present partic: present struggle)
71. staðole (fixed position), stefn (voice), ġewāt (depart)
72. beautiful life-house, MAN- someone (ambiguity of enemies to focus on GOD/CHRIST)
73. eġesliċ (fearful)
74. buried, MAN, pit, HYPERMETRIC (unusual single line)
75. variation (freondas), ġefrūnon (find out- they found me) missing half line (some like Swanton argue single verse lines were acceptable variants in OE verse)
76. ġyredon (covered)
77. Who is YOU? (THIS LINE PARALLELED 95)
78. I have experienced the labour of the evil-doers
79. variation on labour (painful sorrow), sǣl (time)

Question 7

þæt mē weorðiað wīde ond sīde 
menn ofer moldan ond eall þēos mǣre ġesceaft, 
ġebiddaþ him tō þyssum bēacne. On mē bearn Godes 
þrōwode hwīle; for þan iċ þrymfæst nū 
85hlīfiġe under heofenum, ond iċ hǣlan mæġ 
ǣġhwylċne ānra þāra þe him bið eġesa tō mē. 
Iū iċ wæs ġeworden wīta heardost, 
lēodum lāðost, ǣr þan iċ him līfes weġ 
rihtne ġerȳmde reordberendum. 
90Hwæt, mē þā ġeweorðode wuldres Ealdor 
ofer holtwudu, heofonriċes Weard, 
swylċe swā hē his mōdor ēac, Marian sylfe, 
ælmihtiġ God for ealle menn 
ġeweorðode ofer eall wīfa cynn. 
95Nū iċ þē hāte, hæleð mīn se lēofa, 
þæt ðū þās ġesyhðe secge mannum, 
onwrēoh wordum  þæt hit is wuldres bēam 
se ðe ælmihtiġ God on þrōwode 
for mancynnes manegum synnum 
100ond Adomes ealdġewyrhtum.

Answer 7

81. weorðiað (worship)
82. ġebiddaþ (pray), beacne (light), bearn (SON of God, not God himself- christology, suffering, like sunu)
83. þrōwode (suffered- christology), therefore
84. hlifige (tower), hǣlan (heal/save)
85. each one who is in awe/terror of me
86. i was MADE?, superlatives (rare, only 6 in poem)
87. syntactical parallel, superlative, life way
88. correct, open (a way), speech-barers (religion)
89. the lord of glory worships me
90. holtwudu (other/trees of the forest), guardian of…
91. just as
    95-100: homiletic diction (telling exegesis to the people)
92. hate (command), warrior
93. say to man
94. variation (emphasis on SAYING, WORDS, sharing- in contrast with insular opening vision: hwat, i,)
95. unusual ON emphasis (vocalic alliteration with ælmihtiġ, emphasises Christ was on rode), þrōwode (suffered)
96. deed of old/former

Question 8

Dēað hē þǣr byriġde; hwæðere eft Dryhten ārās
mid his miċlan mihte mannum tō helpe.
Hē ðā on heofenas āstāg, hider eft fundaþ
on þysne middanġeard mancynn sēċan
105on dōmdæġe Dryhten sylfa,
ælmihtiġ God ond his enġlas mid,
þæt hē þonne wile dēman, se āh dōmes ġeweald,
ānra ġehwylcum swā hē him ǣrur hēr
on þyssum lǣnum līfe ġeearnaþ.
110Ne mæġ þǣr ǣniġ unforht wesan
for þām worde þe se Wealdend cwyð.
Frīneð hē for þǣre mæniġe hwǣr se man sīe,
se ðe for Dryhtnes naman dēaðes wolde
biteres onbyriġan, swā hē ǣr on ðām bēame dyde.
115Ac hīe þonne forhtiað, ond fēa þenċaþ
hwæt hīe tō Criste cweðan onġinnen.
Ne þearf ðǣr þonne ǣniġ anforht wesan
þe him ǣr in brēostum bereð bēacna sēlest,
ac ðurh ðā rōde sceal rīċe ġesēċan
120of eorðweġe ǣġhwylċ sāwl
ēo þe mid Wealdende wunian þenċeð.

Answer 8

101. byriġde (tasted- he is NOM so Christ actively tastes death- christology, ALSO presents crucifixion as reverse of original sin tasting the fruit), aras (arised)
102. great power
103. ascended on heaven, set out (FUTURE TENSE STARTS BEING IMPLIED)
104. transverse allit, wishes to judge, ah (possess), power of judgement
105. transverse allit, headstave ‘he’ (God), ǣrur, (before) hēr (here)
106. ġeearnaþ (earn), lǣnum līfe (frequently collocated, popular theme of transience in OE poetry)
107. unforht (unafraid), wesan (be)
108. Frīneð (ask), in the presence of many
109. (who), the name of the lord
110. onbyriġan (taste)
111. forhtiað (fear), little think
112. (little think of what they would begin to say to Christ)
113. þearf (to have need), anforht (terrified)
114. bereð (carries/bears)
115. but through the cross (1. only through crucifixion is mankind redeemed, 2. only through imitating Christ- Elne Micle- can man enter heaven on J Day)
116. each soul ^must ^search the earthly path to ^the kingdom, eorðweġe (kenning for LIFE on earth, sense of WAY or PATH suggestive of life as journey to heaven)
117. (he who thinks/purposes to dwell with the Lord)

Question 9

Ġebæd iċ mē þā tō þan bēame blīðe mōde, 
elne myċle, þǣr iċ āna wæs 
mǣte werede. Wæs mōdsefa 
125āfȳsed on forðweġe; feala ealra ġebād 
langunghwīla. Is mē nū līfes hyht 
þæt iċ þone siġebēam sēċan mōte 
āna oftor þonne ealle men, 
well weorþian. Mē is willa tō ðām 
130myċel on mōde, ond mīn mundbyrd is 
ġeriht tō þǣre rōde. Nāh iċ rīċra feala 
frēonda on foldan, ac hīe forð heonon 
ġewiton of worulde drēamum, sōhton him wuldres Cyning, 
lifiaþ nū on heofenum mid hēahfædere, 
135wuniaþ on wuldre, ond iċ wēne mē 
daga ġehwylċe hwænne mē Dryhtnes rōd 
þe iċ hēr on eorðan ǣr scēawode 
on þysson lǣnan līfe ġefetiġe 
ond mē þonne ġebringe  þǣr is blis myċel, 
140drēam on heofonum, þǣr is Dryhtnes folc

Answer 9

122. Ġebæd (prayed), beame (light), blīðe (friendly)
123. elne mycle (christ/rood/speaker), ana headstave (see later), vocalic allit
124. mǣte werede (like weorode earlier when christ laid down after crucifixion, also variation emphasising alone)
125. āfȳsed (impelled), forðweġe (kenning maybe?), feala (much), ealra (all), ġebād (suffer/endure)
126. langunghwīla (spiritual desires), hyht (hope- of life)
127. sigebeam (kenning), might seek
128. ana/ealle emphasis
129. weorþian (honour, V)
130. mundbyrd (protection)
131. ġeriht (directly), ricra (powerful), feala (many)
132. forth from hence
133. ġewiton (departed), hypermetric line on its own to emphasis loneliness of speaker in contrast with friends who have departed the joys of the world
134. dwelling in glory VARIATION (^live in heaven), wene (hope)
135. scēawode (beheld/examined)
136. ġefetiġe (fetch/should fetch)
     139-142: þǣr anaphora (typical of Latin homiletic rhetoric), shows certainty in heaven but also is DEICTIC and therefore speaker doesn’t have all knowledge)

Question 10

ġeseted tō symle, þǣr is singal blis,
ond mē þonne āsette þǣr iċ syþþan mōt
wunian on wuldre, well mid þām hālgum
drēames brūcan. Sī mē Dryhten frēond,
145se ðe hēr on eorþan ǣr þrōwode
on þām ġealgtrēowe for guman synnum.
Hē ūs onlȳsde ond ūs līf forġeaf
heofonlicne hām. Hiht wæs ġenīwad
mid blēdum ond mid blisse þām þe þǣr bryne þolodan.
150Se Sunu wæs sigorfæst on þām sīðfate,
mihtiġ ond spēdiġ þā hē mid maniġeo cōm,
gāsta weorode, on Godes rīċe,
Anwealda ælmihtiġ, enġlum tō blisse
ond eallum ðām hālgum þām þe on heofonum ǣr
155wunedon on wuldre þā heora Wealdend cwōm,
ælmihtiġ God, þǣr his ēðel wæs.

Answer 10

141. symle (AS warrior hall motif- christology), everlasting
142. (the rood set me?), after can
143. dwelling in glory, fully with the saints
144. brūcan (to enjoy), si (is)
145. þrōwode (suffered- Christ as man on cross, contrasts to Wealdend sigora, God of victory)
146. onlȳsde (redeemed), forġeaf (gave)
147. ham (heaven as final destination? where we return after battle), hope was renewed
148. blēdum (glory), contrast between a/b-line, endured fire (hell)
149. sunu (like bearn god- not almighty, identify as second person of the trinity), sigorfæst (triumphant: sigor means victory- CHRISTOLOGY), sīðfate (journey: Harrowing of Hell- Jesus descend into hell to rescue and free good people)
150. qualities of a hero? (Christ the warrior- symle?), maniġeo (multitude)
151. company of angels
152. An- emphasis on singular God, to the bliss of the angels and…
153. hālgum (saints)
154. dwelled in glory, WHEN the lord came
155. ēðel (homeland: heaven as a homeland suggests Christian soul on earth is ultimately on a journey to get ‘home’, back to God)

Question 11

Themes/dichotomies

Answer 11

passive/active, man/divine, victim/hero, earth/heaven