The Rood has everything a Germanic Pagan of the early Middle-Ages would look for in a hero including strength, loyalty, glory, and treasure. The Rood even surpasses the classic hero in that it is rewarded a god-like status, in that it can heal and is given a similar status as the Virgin Mary (87-95). Of course, the poet had to compromise on values from both sides and ultimately made an interesting case for the Christian deity, Jesus, as being so worthy a leader that the great strong Rood would follow him to death. In reality, at the time, the mostly unconverted rural peoples were more concerned with surviving the earthly realm, behind swords and shields, than hoping for a heaven in the
The Rood has everything a Germanic Pagan of the early Middle-Ages would look for in a hero including strength, loyalty, glory, and treasure. The Rood even surpasses the classic hero in that it is rewarded a god-like status, in that it can heal and is given a similar status as the Virgin Mary (87-95). Of course, the poet had to compromise on values from both sides and ultimately made an interesting case for the Christian deity, Jesus, as being so worthy a leader that the great strong Rood would follow him to death. In reality, at the time, the mostly unconverted rural peoples were more concerned with surviving the earthly realm, behind swords and shields, than hoping for a heaven in the