Editing Old English literature (section)

==== Original Christian poems ====
In addition to Biblical paraphrases are a number of original religious poems, mostly lyrical (non-narrative).{{sfn|Cameron|1982|p=280}}

The Exeter Book contains a series of poems entitled ''Christ'', sectioned into ''[[Christ I]]'', ''[[Christ II]]'' and ''[[Christ III]]''.{{sfn|Cameron|1982|p=280}}

Considered one of the most beautiful of all Old English poems is ''[[Dream of the Rood]]'', contained in the Vercelli Book.{{sfn|Cameron|1982|p=280}} The presence of a portion of the poem (in Northumbrian dialect{{sfn|Sweet|1908|p=154}}) carved in runes on an [[Ruthwell Cross|8th century stone cross]] found in [[Ruthwell]], [[Dumfriesshire]], verifies the age of at least this portion of the poem. The Dream of the Rood is a [[dream vision]] in which the [[personified]] cross tells the story of the crucifixion. Christ appears as a young hero-king, confident of victory, while the cross itself feels all the physical pain of the crucifixion, as well as the pain of being forced to kill the young lord.{{sfn|Baker|2003|p=201}}

{| class="wikitable"

|+ The Dream of the Rood (50-56)
! Modern English{{sfn|Hamer|2015|p=166-169}} !! West Saxon{{sfn|Hamer|2015|p=166–169|ps=, lists a number of sources: B. Dickins & A.S.C. Ross (1934), M. Swanton (1970), J.C. Pope & R.D. Fulk (2001), R. Woolf (1958), [[John Burrow (literary scholar)|J.A. Burrow]] (1959)}}
|- align="center"
| Full many a dire experience<br />on that hill. I saw the God of hosts<br />stretched grimly out. Darkness covered<br />the Ruler's corpse with clouds, A shadow passed<br />across his shining beauty, under the dark sky.<br />All creation wept, bewailed<br />the King's death. Christ was on the cross.
|
{|
| align="right"| Feala ic on þǣm beorge<br />ƿrāðra ƿyrda.<br />þearle þenian;<br />beƿrigen mid ƿolcnum<br />scīrne scīman<br />ƿann under ƿolcnum.<br />cƿīðdon Cyninges fyll.
| align="left"| / gebiden hæbbe<br />/ Geseah ic ƿeruda God<br />/ þȳstro hæfdon<br />/ Ƿealdendes hrǣƿ,<br />/ sceadu forðēode,<br />/ Ƿēop eal gesceaft,<br />/ Crīst ƿæs on rōde.
|}

|}

The dreamer resolves to trust in the cross, and the dream ends with a vision of heaven.

There are a number of religious debate poems. The longest is ''[[Christ and Satan]]'' in the Junius manuscript, which deals with the conflict between Christ and Satan during the forty days in the desert. Another debate poem is ''[[Solomon and Saturn]]'', surviving in a number of textual fragments, [[Saturn (mythology)|Saturn]] is portrayed as a magician debating with the wise king [[Solomon]].{{sfn|Cameron|1982|p=280}}