The Messiah in Middlegard: The Pastoral Mission of Early Medieval North Sea Germanic Christian Literature

Abstract

This project explores several works of literature composed in Northern Europe during the early Middle Ages, at a time when previously pagan, Germanic tribes were in the process of converting to Christianity. The three works that I explore each accomplish pastoral work in a variety of ways: The Heliand tells the story of Christ in terms recognizable to its previously pagan, Germanic audience; Beowulf imbues a traditional Germanic warrior narrative with Christian allegorical significance; and The Dream of the Rood offers an extra-Biblical perspective on Biblical events by giving a distinctly heroic voice and quality to the cross that bore Christ during the crucifixion. Importantly, these texts are not designed to be evangelical (i.e., to convert readers to Christianity), but instead to be pastoral (i.e., to help readers understand Church doctrine and adhere to Christian ethics in their day-to-day lives). Taken together, these texts are representative of a wider cultural program to save newly Christian souls.