Due Mar 4
Christian Warrior Culture
Preparatory: Several years ago, I made a short video introduction to get students in the right mind frame for this week’s reading and film: watch here. (In the last 30 seconds I make a remark about the movie’s final scene. If you hate spoilers, hit stop at 7:45.)
Reading: The Dream of the Rood, (.pdf on the course Blackboard site).
Viewing: Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 classic, The Seventh Seal: link. Make sure you turn on the English subtitles!
Writing: Respond to ONE of the following prompts. Keep your response short, posting as a reply under the appropriate heading in the comments section:
- Besides warfare, The Dream of the Rood makes frequent mention of precious metals and gemstones. Quote a line that does so and comment on what these materials seems to signify for our anonymous writer.
- Bergman’s film centers on the experience of the Black Death, which ravaged Europe in the Late Middle Ages. Focus our attention on a scene which features characters grappling with that ongoing tragedy, and comment on what the film seems to suggest about that “type” of person.
- Not every scene in the film focuses on the specter of death. Describe a scene that focuses elsewhere and comment on what it seems to be saying.
- Bergman’s movie is famous for its cinematography: “every frame a painting,” as the saying goes. Pause the movie at a vital moment and write a rich description of what you see. Then add a brief comment on what makes it visually striking or thematically powerful.
Gold and gemstones in The Dream of the Rood
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The line that stood out to me was, “I saw the tree of glory honored in garments, shining with joys, bedecked with gold; gems had covered, worthily the creator’s tree” ( Prescott, Qualls, Waters). I believe that these materials symbolize the divine glory, and they transformed the cross from a symbol of suffering to one of honor and victory. For the poet, gold and gems reflect both spiritual triumph and the idea that what is most powerful signifies power and reverence.
I agree that the gold and and gemstones present on the cross help emphasize the notion that the cross isn’t just a symbol of suffering, but a symbol of divine honor and victory. However, I think the gemstones themselves extend to more than just generalized divine glory, they reflect Anglo-Saxon heroic tradition. Specifically, the gems help depict Christ as a warrior-like figure whose crucifixion on the cross is framed as a victorious conclusion, more so than a defeat.
I agree with your point that the materials of the cross represent its divinity and connection to spirituality, emphasizing its role as a divine object. By representing the cross as being beautifully adorned, it juxtaposes the death of Christ, reclaiming his death as a victory.
I agree with you that the cross is more than a symbol of suffering, but rather a symbol of honor and victory. The gold and gems together act as spiritual clarity, however I am not too clear on what the gold specifically symbolizes. I am certain the gems hold some clear spiritual meaning due to the nature of gemstones, however I am curious about the gold in this context.
A line that stood out to me was, “All that beacon was
covered in gold; gerns stood fair at the earth’s corners, and five there were up on the cross-beam”. The gems are supposed to signify honor, glory, and spiritual worth. The poet portrays Christ’s cross as a kind of treasure, and is supposed to turn the idea of the cross into something that is about honor and beauty.
A time where the poem mentions precious metals and gemstones is after Jesus gets crucified on the cross and, “They dug for us a deep pit, yet the lord’s thanes, / friends found me there… / adorned me with gold and silver” (“The Dream of the Rood” 74-76). Following Jesus’s crucifixion, his friends found the cross and decorated it in precious metals. The use of gold and silver in this case creates a tension between the things that take place in the poem. The cross was effectively used for murder and is covered in blood, tainting its appearance with physical evidence of the sin that was committed. For that same cross to then be covered in gold and silver, metals considered precious and pure, creates a deeply contrasting image of purity and sin coexisting on the same canvas. I’m not entirely too sure of this, but I think it could be expanded further to highlight the dynamic on Earth of purity and sin taking up the same space.
One line that mentions precious materials is “All that beacon was covered in gold; gems stood fair at the earth’s corners, and five there were up on the cross-beams.” (Line 5). The gold and gemstones mentioned suggests that the cross is something sacred and glorious rather than shameful. By describing the beacon with valuable materials, the writer emphasizes that Christ’s crucifixion is a victory and a holy event which then turns the cross into a symbol of honor and salvation.
Characters grappling with death
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A scene that features characters grappling with the black death is when they focus on the woman who was believed to have slept with the devil; and thus, she is the cause of the plague. They bound her ankles to the stocks, and explain to Antonius not to speak to her when he attempts to make conversation. The woman, young in appearance had a solemn, lifeless expression on her face, as she lay. The constable who was watching over the stocks explains that she would be hanged tomorrow for her transgression. After this, woman begins to scream in agony from the realization of her plight. This scene represents how society deems those who have any affiliation with ungodliness or heresy with little to no mercy or even leniency. Too, this woman, in her desolate situation was singlehandedly blamed for the plague that was ravaging the nation. The repercussion of this was death, and all of this likely without concrete evidence. This shows how society during this time needs someone to fall back on and to blame when things go wrong or when the natural world goes against what is the norm.
Scenes that focus on stuff other than death
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The scene where the Knight shares strawberries and milk (around the 56-minute mark) is a rare moment of light in a dark film. Instead of focusing on death, this scene focuses on human connection. The Knight says he will cherish this memory like a bowl of milk, suggesting that he can find temporary peace in simple, and the company of an innocent family. This shows most of the common people’s wishes and lives that if there would have no more fights and death been happened, this should be the knight’s life as well.
“Every Frame a Painting”
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