Week 4: Heroic Christianity

This week we will be reading a series of poems that exhibit how the germanic heroic ethos was co-opted by Christianity during the conversionary period.

First up, we have the tale of Caedmon (see Anthology). This is the record of the first known poetry in English, and acts as a form of origin tale for Christian English poetry. But it is also the story of the miraculous appropriation of OE secular poetry for the purposes of religious praise, and one can see the continuity of social use, or purpose, in this narrative.

Next, we will be reading The Dream of the Rood (see Anthology), which will be the centre-piece of this week's reading (and is one of the most beautiful of OE poems).

We will also examine some of the material and multicultural contexts of the Dream, by looking at the Ruthwell Cross and the Death of Baldr (see Anthology, pp. 527-33)).  Also read Bede's tales of The Conversion of Edwin and of Caedmon (pp. 454-65, Anthology).

Ruthwell Cross images

Franks Casket images