Make up blog: Dream of the Rood

The Dream of the Rood is interesting poem because the rood/tree is a very diverse character.  The rood relates both to Jesus as well as the rest of mankind.  The tree was picked out from among all other trees in the forest.  Like Christ the rood was chosen, i.e. it was his destiny, to suffer a painful experience.  “That was years ago-I yet remember- that I was cut down at the edge of the forest torn upon my trunk.” (Lines 28-30)  After the death of Christ on the rood, the rod was made special and worthy of praise and acts very Christ-like. “On me the Son of God suffered a time; therefore I now tower in glory under heaven. (Lines 83-85)  Not only is the Rood to be glorified but also it obtains authority with its new found glory.  “Now I command you, my man so dear to tell others of the events you have seen; find words to tell it was the tree of glory Almighty God suffered upon for mankind’s sins.” (Lines 95-99) This is again, mirroring the rood and Jesus when Jesus told his followers to go out and preach what they have seen after he came back from the dead.  Another similarity between the Rood and Christ is that both are essentially a vessel that leads to heaven.  The narrator of the poem says, “…and I look forward constantly toward the time the Lord’s rood which I beheld before…shall fetch me away…and bring me then where bliss is eternal to joy in Paradise.” (Lines 135-140)  It is interesting that this poem is praised like it was at the time and not seen as blasphemy.  The bible and Christians firmly believe that the only way to heaven is through the belief that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for man’s sin.

The rood especially relates to mankind and Christ’s followers.  The rood played a role in the death of Jesus.  It was him to whom Christ was nailed to and then died.  This relates to mankind in the sense that it was the sin of Adam and Eve and the behaviors that followed that led to God sending his son to die on the cross for the sins of man.