Essay Questions

The "Vercelli Book" was found in Italy at a site of a former hospice but was written around the 11th century in Old English. How can this religious text location be explained in the historical context?

The hospice the book was found at was known from other sources to especially cater towards English pilgrims. The content of the book, in its random assembly, also suggests that the individual stories were meant to be told to the pilgrims to help them in their journey or to ease their pain in sickness. The fact that the book was written in Old English already is evidence that the audience was meant to think about the words in their own terms, rather than be used in Catholic mass, which was only held in Latin at the time. The location in Italy is logic, as many pilgrims would have found their way through the town of Vercelli on the way to Rome, the most holy city of the Catholic faith.

The poem "The Dream of the Rood" within the "Vercelli Book" is a very early example of a Christian religious vision. Which reassuring information would the poem give to any pilgrim coming or staying at the hospice in Vercelli?

The poem contains three main points. The first point is the existence and glory of God. The cross appears to the narrator of the poem in a holy light adorned with jewels and gold, symbolizing the higher power. The appearance is described as a factual encounter of the person narrating the story, giving tangible evidence for the existence of God. The second point can be found in the recount of the passion, through the voice of the cross. Christ's suffering is a central concept of Christian belief and its recount here reminds the believer of what Christ has done for them personally. This gives the pilgrims the option to consider this sacrifice for their own life. The third point is the mention of the good Christian and the last judgement. This gives the pilgrim a reason for the pilgrimage and a reason to feel good about doing this spiritual journey. The know that ones own sacrifice in the arduous journey will be rewarded in the afterlife.

The "Vercelli Book" was probably transcribed from different other sources and compiled over a period of time. Which evidence can be found in the text that supports this theory?

The first and best proof for this theory can be found in the seemingly random assembly of the different homilies and poems. The stories are not interrelated in content and no obvious order can be discerned within the book. A second piece of evidence can be found in the original text. The different stories show very different versions of Old English, seemingly coming from different dialectal regions with also very different conventions on punctuation. The third piece of evidence can be found within the different stories themselves. Some of the homilies are written in the typical style of sermons, other are simple stories of a saints life. The interspersed poems also tell completely unrelated stories of people and visions.