''Christ II'', also called ''The Ascension'', is one of
Cynewulf's four signed poems that exist in the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
vernacular. It is a five-section piece that spans lines 440–866 of the
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
triad in the ''
Exeter Book
The Exeter Book, also known as the Codex Exoniensis or Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3501, is a large codex of Old English poetry, believed to have been produced in the late tenth century AD. It is one of the four major manuscripts of Old Engli ...
'' (folios 14a-20b), and is homiletic in its subject matter in contrast to the
martyrological
A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by na ...
nature of ''
Juliana
Juliana (variants Julianna, Giuliana, Iuliana, Yuliana, etc) is a feminine given name which is the feminine version of the Roman name Julianus.
Juliana or Giuliana was the name of a number of early saints, notably Saint Julian the Hospitaller, wh ...
'', ''
Elene
''Elene'' is a poem in Old English, that is sometimes known as ''Saint Helena Finds the True Cross''. It was translated from a Latin text and is the longest of Cynewulf's four signed poems. It is the last of six poems appearing in the Vercelli man ...
'', and ''
Fates of the Apostles
"The Fates of the Apostles" (Vercelli Book, fol. 52b–54a) is the shortest of Cynewulf’s known canon at 122 lines long. It is a brief martyrology of the Twelve Apostles written in the standard alliterative verse. ''The Fates'' recites the key e ...
''. ''Christ II'' draws upon a number of ecclesiastical sources, but it is primarily framed upon
Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...
’s ''Homily XXIX'' on Ascension Day.
The poem is assigned to a triad of
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
religious
poem
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...
s in the
Exeter Book
The Exeter Book, also known as the Codex Exoniensis or Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3501, is a large codex of Old English poetry, believed to have been produced in the late tenth century AD. It is one of the four major manuscripts of Old Engli ...
, known collectively as ''Christ''. ''Christ'' comprises a total of 1664 lines and deals with Christ's Advent, Ascension and Last Judgment. It was originally thought to be one piece completed by a single author, but the poem is now broken up into three parts.
Background
The poem ''
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
'' was originally thought to be one piece completed by a single author. Almost all scholars now break the poems into three parts: ''Christ I'' is focused on Advent, ''Christ II'', on the Ascension, and ''Christ III'' primarily dealing with Doomsday. The poems are the first items in the
Exeter Book
The Exeter Book, also known as the Codex Exoniensis or Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3501, is a large codex of Old English poetry, believed to have been produced in the late tenth century AD. It is one of the four major manuscripts of Old Engli ...
which is a rather large manuscript that has 123 (some sources argue 131) folios contained in it. The Exeter Book has been at the
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 140 ...
Library since 1072 where it was donated by Bishop
Leofric. No one is exactly positive where the Exeter Book originated. Some argue it was written in a monastic institution in Exeter in the 7th century while others state it originated in Canterbury or
Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
. The book contains 123 leaves, or 246 pages, with a few random missing pages because the book was unbound for a long period of time. Many other pages have holes from burns, cuts by a knife, and stains by a pot of liquid.
''Christ'' is the longest poem by far in the book if one looks at it as an entirety. ''Christ II'' has some similar themes to the rest of the ''Christ'' poem but it is also very different. All three poems have a unique identity and narrative voice that differs from the others. ''Christ II'' is clearly based on the 29th homily that
Pope Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...
wrote. Pope Gregory the Great was well known for being the father of
Roman Christianity in England, believed to have started the constitution of liturgy, and the compilation of musical service-songbooks used in the church. Gregory focused the end section of his homily on why angels didn't wear white robes at the Incarnation but did at the
Ascension.
Author
Cynewulf
Cynewulf (, ; also spelled Cynwulf or Kynewulf) is one of twelve Old English poets known by name, and one of four whose work is known to survive today. He presumably flourished in the 9th century, with possible dates extending into the late 8th ...
receives credit for writing ''Christ II'', but his inspiration came from the
23rd Psalm
Psalm 23 is the 23rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The Lord is my shepherd". In Latin, it is known by the incipit, "". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a bo ...
and a homily written by Pope Gregory. Cynewulf is one of the two only named
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
poets. His name is found as Cyniwulf, Cynewulf, and Cynwulf; he is also responsible for at least ''Christ II'', ''Juliana'', ''The Fates of the Apostles'', and ''Elene''. Scholars believe that Cynewulf did not write before 750 because he used an ''e'' instead of an ''i'' which was not established until that time. Most would assume that he was not writing after the 10th century either. Some research showed that Cynewulf's ''Elene'' corresponded with a portion of a book that was dedicated to
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
as Emperor around 800. Even though there are no certain dates to when Cynewulf lived or the Exeter Book was compiled, there is a general theory about when they were inspired.
Cynewulf has been greatly studied by scholars to figure out where he exactly lived as well. Some think Cynewulf is from
Dunwich
Dunwich is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB around north-east of London, south of Southwold and north of Leiston, on the North Sea coast.
In the Anglo-Saxon period, Dunwich was t ...
because he knew a lot about the sea, but there has never been any hard evidence that verified any of these hypotheses. It has been suggested that Cynewulf was a
thegn
In Anglo-Saxon England, thegns were aristocratic landowners of the second rank, below the ealdormen who governed large areas of England. The term was also used in early medieval Scandinavia for a class of retainers. In medieval Scotland, there w ...
or retainer to a lord at probably a younger point in his life, and he certainly did not come from noble birth. Cynewulf positively learned the Latin rudiments so many assume that he probably attended the Minster School of
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
. Most people would also believe that he was either a monk or a priest, and possibly even both. He was a normal orthodox believer of his time who agreed with Gregory the Great on everything except for
Purgatory
Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...
. Cynewulf praised the Trinity as being three separate but combined parts, thought sinners may obtain a pardon from hell if they repent and turn from their sins, and assumed saints could intercede in earthly matters.
Cynewulf's identity is still largely unknown, but we can be positive that he placed his signature in four separate poems. Cynewulf signed his poems using
runes
Runes are the letter (alphabet), letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were used to write various Germanic languages (with some exceptions) before they adopted the Latin alphabet, a ...
which come from the Germanic alphabet that
Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
used before switching to the
Roman alphabet
The Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered with the exception of extensions (such as diacritics), it used to write English and the o ...
. A rune can stand for an actual letter or for the word of its name. The first rune cen(c) stands for ‘torch’ while yr(y) represents ‘bow’. These words are sometimes substituted in order to make more grammatical sense so it can be extremely difficult to search and find Cynewulf's signature. At the end of The Fates of the Apostles, Cynewulf signs his names F, W, U, L, C, Y, N. It is assumed that he did this to show that he was a sinner like everyone else or to relate to the Biblical idea that ‘the last shall be first’.
Summary
''Christ II'' begins by stating how important it is for men to seek out the truth and where it came from. Christ was born of
the Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother ...
in Bethlehem. After he was crucified and rose from the dead he spent forty days on earth before ascending back to heaven. Before Christ left he said to gathered people, “Rejoice in spirit! I shall never leave you, but I shall always continue in love towards you and give you power and remain with you for ever and ever so that by my grace you will never be wanting in virtue.”
After Christ had given his speech, a large number of angels appeared above the temple. They asked the people why they were just standing around and waiting. The angels explained to the people that they were there to escort Christ back to his home in heaven. The people were warned to be ready for the time when Christ would return to judge everyone for the deeds that they have committed. The clouds surrounded Jesus and the angels and joy rang out throughout all of heaven. But the people who had just witnessed this were very sad because of their loss. Men and women were crying and everyone's hearts were heavy.
It is extremely important that we praise God for all the blessings he has bestowed on us. People need to thank the Lord for food, possessions, weather and shelter, along with the sun and moon. Praise needs to be given for the dew and rain which supply the earth. Most of all, God needs to be thanked for the salvation that he freely gives us a chance to have. Now we no longer need to suffer in the pain and misery we once had.
Long ago, the prophet Job called the Lord's son a bird who would not be understood by many people. The bird flew from his home and came to earth in human form. After all of his work had been done by the grace of God he flew (ascended) back to his home in heaven. There the Lord created mansions for his people. He also instilled wisdom in the minds of his followers and gave others the gift of singing. The Lord also blessed some with skilled fingers for playing the harp or the ability to write down languages. He stands as an upright tree that one can cling to in a time of need. The Lord is willing to give man many gifts, including wisdom, if he can cast his own pride aside.
After Christ had returned to heaven, many of his church followers faced tough oppression. Pagan governments were in charge and they didn't allow them to worship. The pagans destroyed and burned God's temple and killed many. The Lord will redeem His people and all the problems that they have faced.
King Solomon
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
gives hope to the people when he sang, “(the Lord) will garland the hills and heights with his glory; he will redeem the world, all earth’s inhabitants, by that glorious spring.”
The poem then focuses on the six leaps that Christ has already made. His first leap () was when he descended to the earth through the Virgin Mary. The second spring () was when he was born in the manger. His third leap (), Christ ascended the cross (''he on rode astag''). His fourth spring () was when he abandoned the cross () and entered the tomb. His fifth leap () was when he went to hell before his resurrection. The sixth leap () was when the Lord ascended into the heavens with the joyous jubilation of the angels. The motif of Christ's leaps derives from
Pope Gregory’s "Twenty-ninth Homily on the Gospels" (or "Ascension Homily") of . The motif is a mystical interpretation of the
Song of Solomon (
Canticles
A canticle (from the Latin ''canticulum'', a diminutive of ''canticum'', "song") is a hymn, psalm or other Christian song of praise with lyrics usually taken from biblical or holy texts. Canticles are used in Christian liturgy.
Catholic Church
...
2.8) and is found as early as the third century in the work of
Hippolytus.
[James W. Marchland, "The Leaps of Christ and ''The Dream of the Rood"'', in ''Source of Wisdom: Old English and Early Medieval Latin Studies in Honour of Thomas D. Hill'', ed. by Charles D. Wright, Frederick M. Biggs, and Thomas N. Hall (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007), pp. 80-89 (p. 83).]
Works cited
;Editions and translations
*Treharne, Elaine (ed.). ''Old and Middle English c.890-c1400: an anthology''. 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004.
*Brooks, Kenneth R. (ed.) “Christ II.” ''The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records: a Collective Edition.'' Vol 3 (1961): 15–27.
*Krapp, George Phillip & Elliot Van Kirk Dobbie, eds. ''The Exeter Book''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1936.
*
Chambers, R. W., Max Forster,
Robin Flower
Robin Ernest William Flower (16 October 1881 – 16 January 1946) was an English poet and scholar, a Celticist, Anglo-Saxonist and translator from the Irish language. He is commonly known in Ireland as "Bláithín" (Little Flower).
Life
He w ...
(eds.). “The Exeter Book of Old English Poetry.” ''The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records: a Collective Edition''. Vol 3 (1933).
*Bradley, S.A.J. (trans.). ''Anglo-Saxon Poetry''. London: Dent, 1982.
*Cook, Albert S. ed. ''The Christ of Cynewulf; A poem in three parts: The advent, the Ascension, and the Last Judgment''. Freeport, NY: Books for Library Press, 1970.
;Secondary sources
* Breeze, Andrew (1989). "The 'Leaps' That Christ Made". ''Ériu'' 40: 190–93.
*Bjork, Robert E. ''Cynewulf: Basic Readings''. New York: Garland Pub., 1996.
*Bjork, Robert E. “Cynewulf.” In ''Medieval England: An Encyclopedia''. New York: Garland Pub., 1998.
*Connor, Patrick. “Exeter Book.” ''Dictionary of the Middle Ages''. Supplement 1. New York: Scribner, c1982-c1989.
*Marchland, James W. "The Leaps of Christ and ''The Dream of the Rood''." In ''Source of Wisdom: Old English and Early Medieval Latin Studies in Honour of Thomas D. Hill'', ed. by Charles D. Wright, Frederick M. Biggs, and Thomas N. Hall. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007. Pages 80–89.
*Roberts, Jane. “Cynewulf.” ''The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England''. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991.
References
External links
The Old English poems, ''Christ I-III''A Modern English translation(
PDF
Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
), by Charles W. Kennedy. From
In Parentheses.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christ 2
Old English poems
Depictions of Jesus in literature
Cultural depictions of Mary, mother of Jesus