The Ruthwell Cross and its Texts: A New Reconstruction and an Edition of The Ruthwell Crucifixion Poem

The Ruthwell Cross Is One Of The Finest Anglo-saxon High Crosses That Have Come Down To Us. The Longest Epigraphic Text In The Old English Runes Corpus Is Inscribed On Two Sides Of The Monument: It Forms An Alliterative Poem, In Which The Cross Itself Narrates The Crucifixion Episode. Parts Of The Inscription Are Irrevocably Lost. This Study Establishes A Historico-cultural Context For The Ruthwell Cross’s Texts And Sculptures. It Shows That The Ruthwell Crucifixion Poem Is An Integral Part Of A Christian Artefact But Also An Independent Text. Although Its Verses Match Closely With Lines Of The Dream Of The Rood In The Vercelli Book, A Comparative Analysis Gives New Insight Into Their Complex Relationship. An Annotated Transliteration Of The Runes Offers Intriguing Information For Runologists. Detailed Linguistic And Metrical Analyses Finally Yield A New Reconstruction Of The Lost Runes. All In All, This Study Takes A Fresh Look At The Ruthwell Cross And Provides The First Scholarly Edition Of The Reconstructed Ruthwell Crucifixion Poem—one Of The Earliest Religious Poems Of Anglo-saxon England. It Will Be Of Interest To Scholars And Students Of Historical Linguistics, Medieval English Literature And Culture, Art History, And Archaeology.-- Kerstin Majewski. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [371]-390) And Index.