The Dream of the Rood is one of the oldest Old English poems, Rood being an Anglo-Saxon word for cross. It is a short poem describing the death of Christ from the perspective of the cross, hence The Dream of the Rood.
This is a unique perspective, from the narration coming from the cross itself to Jesus’ glory and valiant bravery being described, (as opposed to the traditional perspective of his disciples loving him and his mother grieving him.) However, this warrior-like perspective is not invalid.
When viewing Christ from a Christian perspective, people aspire to be like him and therefore do their best to find small ways in which they are similar to the Lord. They try to grow closer to him through that aspect of themselves. Which is, all in all, a healthy thing to do. It’s a path to becoming the best version of yourself. The Dream of the Rood was written by a Viking during the days in which Vikings were converting to Christianity. This group was on board with the Christian idea, but it was new and novel; a more civilized way of thinking. So in the beginning, people wanted to make sense of it. Vikings, such as the author of The Dream of the Rood, related with Christ by finding the nobility in his warrior-like qualities.
This perspective on Christ - which now seems novel to us - highlights his martyrdom, the bravery and glory of his sacrifice. This begs the question: was this a glorious and brave act on Christ's part? Yes. Vikings fought battles for their families back home, risking their lives for those in their life. Along the way, Vikings started having their own glory at the front of their minds, ultimately leading to an uncivilized mindset, and commonly, to their martyring themselves for the wrong reasons.
Christ was their ideal example of the correct way to achieve that kind of glory, by not wanting, nor seeking it. The Dream of the Rood is told from the perspective of the cross for a reason. The cross, in modern day, is the universal symbol of Christianity, a symbol of something good, even though it was a form of torture back when this poem was written.
Christ faced the burden of life’s pain and took on the responsibility of life for all its flaws. Suffering is inevitable in life, but you can run from it, and let it rule over you, or take on that burden and enjoy life despite the bad, give yourself a purpose, because that’s what makes the suffering worth it. A purpose, hope for the future. That’s what Christ is, that’s the importance of the cross.
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