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By mdrout, on July 11th, 2007 The fire will spread across the world, destroying cities and melting mountains. Every creature, animal and bird, will be caught by the flame. Fishes of the ocean will scorch in a sea of fire; the water will burn like wax.
There will be much tumult and lamenting among the living. Fire will burn up all worldly filth.
God will come to the mountain and shine out above the hosts. He will command humanity to rise from their graves and take up their earthly flesh, which will be made whole.
The human multitude will rise up when God loosens the bonds of death. The sky will burn and the stars fall, but spirits will pass into everlasting habitation.
Throughout middle-earth, people’s deeds will be exposed and neither will their intentions be hidden.
The trumpet and brightness and burning summon to God all human beings. They will carry with them the hoardings of their hearts and God will consider the quality of the souls. Those who bring a bright face to the Lord will be exceedingly blessed.
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By mdrout, on July 11th, 2007 Suddenly, near midnight, the Day of Judgment will come in the same way that a thief can surprise sleeping men. A great throng of faithful people will come to Mt. Sion. Angels will appear from all four quadrants of the earth and awaken all of the dead. There will also be hosts of angels and devils.
The God will appear out of the east. He will be beautiful to the good, but terrifying to the evil. Ahead of him a billowing fire will sweep across the earth. The sun will turn the color of blood, the heavens break open and the stars and moon fall. The flames will burn up all of the living and will also burn the seas with their fishes, the earth with its mountains and the shining heavens. All middle-earth will mourn.
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By mdrout, on July 10th, 2007 This part of the poem (Christ B), concludes with the famous runic signature of Cynewulf followed by exhortations to be ready for the day of judgment. We are sailing across the ocean in ships and a storm is rising, but we have the grace that God’s Son has granted us a safe harbor. That port was opened when the Rule ascended to heaven.
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By mdrout, on July 9th, 2007 Praise for God’s bestowal of glories upon heaven, particularly the sun and the moon. Solomon says that God will spring upon the mountains and redeem all the people of the world through that springing.
God’s first springing upon the earth was when he, through the Virgin, assumed human form. The second was in the birth of the Christ child. The third was when he mounted upon the Cross. The fourth was his deposition in the tomb. The fifth was the descent into hell. The sixth was the ascension into heaven.
Just as God does these wondrous things, so too should we worship him and maintain faith.
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By mdrout, on July 6th, 2007 All creation should praise the Ruler of the heavenly kingdom. The prophet Job noted that this would happen, saying that God would take the form of a bird. This bird would sometimes fly up to heaven, other times return to the world.
There then follows a “sum” catalogue passage very similar to those found in The Fortunes of Men and The Gifts of Men.
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By mdrout, on July 5th, 2007 Jesus takes his seat at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The angels say that Jesus has defeated the devil and his servants and taken the good souls out of hell. From now on there will be concord between men and angels. The Trinity will have glory without end.
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By mdrout, on June 29th, 2007 The poet compares Jesus’ entry into the world and his departure from it in Bethany, forty days after the Resurrection. Jesus spoke to his companions, telling them that he would never leave them and charging them to go forth throughout the whole world and preach and baptize.
Suddenly, singing angels appear in the sky and they call out to the people Galilee, asking them why they are standing waiting. The angels say that they have come to carry the Lord to heaven.
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By mdrout, on June 28th, 2007 O blessed Trinity: the poet praises the Trinity and speaks about the angels who worship God.
O wondrous exchange: the poet praises God for becoming incarnate through the immaculate flesh of a virgin and thus brought help to mankind.
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By mdrout, on June 27th, 2007 O King of Peace: the poet praises God’s creation of light and asks the Lord to come now and reveal His mercy. The wolf has driven the flock apart, and so we ask the God come and send the devil to hell and rise up to his own eternal kingdom.
O splendor of the world: the poet praises Mary for her purity. He tells of the prophet Isaiah and asks Mary to plead for us.
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By mdrout, on June 26th, 2007 O Dayspring, come and illuminate us: poet praises Earendel, the brightest of angels, sent to man upon Middle-earth.
O Emmanuel: poet praises God, the rule of all, and invites him to come in His own person.
O Joseph: poet praises Joseph, telling first the story of Joseph’s disbelief and anguish over Mary’s pregnancy and then celebrating Mary’s virginity.
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By mdrout, on June 25th, 2007 The poem is usually divided into three parts, Christ A, B, and C, corresponding to the Advent, the Annunciation and the Last Judgment. Christ A is comprised of sections based on the Latin Antiphons for the liturgy of Advent.
O King of Nations: the poet praises Christ for being the wall-stone that the builders had rejected but which is now the cornerstone of the hall.
O key of David and Scepter of the House of Israel: The poet blesses Christ for leading the way to heaven and then begins speaking of Mary, a young woman without sin.
O Jerusalem: The poet praises the heavenly Jerusalem.
O Virgin of Virgins: The poet praises Mary and gives Mary’s speech confirming her virginity and noting the the curse of Eve is now overcome.
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By mdrout, on June 25th, 2007 My readings of the Vercelli Book poems are now complete, so you can download the entire book from this site or from iTunes. Poems include Andreas, The Dream of the Rood, The Fates of the Apostles, Homiletic Fragment I, and Elene.
I’ll be starting the Exeter Book later today, but posting in July may be somewhat less regular than it has been since the beginning of this project (I have to record a new lecture course for Recorded Books, and we will be going on vacation for the first time in a long time), but I hope to finish the Christ poems before the International Society of Angl0-Saxonist’s conference at the beginning of August.
By mdrout, on June 22nd, 2007 Helen gathers the Jews together and urges them to follow the leadership of Cyriacus the bishop. She then calls upon all those who worship God to honor the day on which the Cross was found. The poem proper concludes with a prayer that heaven be unlocked for those who remember the festival of the Cross.
Then follows a long colophon in which the poet asks his readers pray for him. Runes which spell out CYNEWULF are used as part of a passage that has somewhat of an ubi sunt feel. The poem concludes with a brief discussion on judgment day, noting that those who are on the side of God will shine in beauty like the angels.
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By mdrout, on June 21st, 2007 Judas prays, and fire rises up out of the ground from the place where the nails are buried. The people praise God for this sign. Judas Cyriacus picks up the nails and brings them to Elene. Elene praises God and tries to determine what should be done with the nails. A wise man tells her that she should have the nails made into the bridle for Constantine’s horse so that no one will be able to defeat him in battle. Elene does this and sends the jeweled bridle made of the nails over the sea to Rome.
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By mdrout, on June 20th, 2007 Constantine tells the messenger to go back to Elene and command her to build a temple on the spot. She does, and has the Cross covered in gold and gems.
Judas, now converted to Christianity, receives baptism. Elene commands Eusibius the bishop of Rome, to come to her. He appoints Judas as bishop of Jerusalem and renames him Cyriacus.
Helen is still concerned that the nails which fastened Christ to the Cross have not been found. She asks Judas to pray for guidance. Judas does so.
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