The Dream of the Rood

By James T. Majewski ( bio - articles - email ) | Apr 01, 2026 | In Catholic Culture Audiobooks (Podcast)

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“Come—I sing of a splendid dream,
a mighty marvel, that came at midnight
when the tongues of men are silent.
A strange tree—most wondrous strange!—
stretched forth branches in a blast of light.”

The Dream of the Rood is an ancient Anglo-Saxon poem, composed as early as the 8th century. It takes the form of a dream-vision in which the narrator sees the Cross on which Christ was crucified, and most of the poem consists of a speech given by the personified Cross, telling the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, with the Wood sharing in the glory of the Word.

The virile style and the warrior ethos of Anglo-Saxon verse took on a Christian form in this poem, with Christ depicted as a heroic warrior and the Cross as his loyal retainer, gaining the victory by self-sacrifice rather than a contest of arms.

James Majewski gives a dramatic reading of The Dream of the Rood, as recently translated by Tessa Carman and J.C. Scharl.

-The Dream of the Rood: A New Translation full text

Theme music: “2 Part Invention”, composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.