The Dream of the Rood & its Contexts

Read the Dream of the Rood: A Modern English Translation

Gospel Accounts of Christ’s Crucifixion:

Matthew 27
Mark 15
Luke 23 
John 19 

*On Christ’s Crucifixion

Ruthwell Cross: A Transcription

Ruthwell Cross: Images

The Golden Legend: Invention of the True Cross

The Legend of Balder, the son of Odin

C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy:

“The third glimpse came through poetry. I had become fond of Longfellow’s Saga of King Olaf: fond of it in a casual shallow way for its story and its vigorous rhythms. But then, and quite different from such pleasures, and like a voice from far more different regions, there came a moment when I idly turned the pages of the book and found the unrhymed translation of Tegnner’s Drapa and read: 

I heard a voice that cried

Balder the beautiful

Is dead, is dead—

I knew nothing about Balder; but instantly I was uplifted into huge regions of northern sky, I desired with almost sickening intensity something never to be described (except that it is cold, spacious,severe, pale, and remote) and then, as in the other examples, found myself at the very same moment already falling out of that desire and wishing I were back in it.”  ~ C.S. Lewis