New Judgements on the Artistry of Andreas: The Case of Christ III

Daniel Evans

doi:10.1515/ang-2024-0019

Article

New Judgements on the Artistry of Andreas: The Case of Christ III

Daniel Evans

Published/Copyright: June 5, 2024

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From the journal Anglia Volume 142 Issue 2

Abstract

The Old English poem Andreas has long been considered to be indebted both to the signed works of Cynewulf and to Beowulf. Recent studies have demonstrated Andreas’s debt to a number of other ‘Cynewulfian’ poems. This paper argues that the poet of Andreas likewise borrowed from Christ III (an earlier poem concerned with the Second Coming of Christ at Doomsday). The influence of the latter on the former is apparent on the basis of a large number of unique or almost unique verbal parallels listed in an appendix to this paper. The later poet does not just parrot his hypothesised source, but originally and artistically recasts his borrowings with various kinds of embellishment. The influence of Christ III on Andreas is also apparent on a thematic level. This paper demonstrates that the Andreas-poet was attracted to the twin themes of ignorance and judgement in Christ III, creating a miniature Doomsday narrative out of the conversion of the Mermedonians. In doing so, the Andreas-poet reveals himself as a sophisticated consumer of earlier poetry and an original artist, turning his Latin prose source into a novel, theologically imaginative narrative.

Key terms: Old English poetry; Old English literature; intertextuality; Cynewulf; Beowulf ; oral-formulaic theory

Acknowledgements

This article was originally submitted as an undergraduate dissertation at the University of Oxford (supervised by Andy Orchard) and has since been revised. I would like to thank the anonymous readers and Ursula Lenker as the journal’s editor for their valuable comments and insights. All errors that remain are my own.

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Appendices

Appendix A: Parallels between Andreas and Christ III

(parallels shared with other poems indicated by a dagger)

[A1†] Christ III 873–874 semninga forfehð slæpe gebundne,

eorlas ungearwe yfles genægeð

Andreas 463–464 eadig oreta, eorlas trymede,

oððæt hie semningaslæpofereode

Andreas 820 oððæt hine semningaslæpofereode

Riddle 40 10 ond mec semningaslæpofergongeþ

[A2] Christ III 876 mægen-folc micel, meotude getrywe

Andreas 984 maga mode rof, meotude getreowe

[A3†] Christ III 888–889a egeslic of þære ealdan moldan; hatað hy upp astandan

sneome of slæpe þy fæstan

Andreas 792–795a Het þa ofstlice up astandan

Habraham ond Isaac, æðeling þriddan

Iacob of greote to godes geþinge,

sneome of slæpe þæm fæstan

The Panther 40–42a þonne ellen-rof up astondeð,

þrymme gewelgad, on þone þriddan dæg,

sneome of slæpe.

[A4] Christ III 947–949 sylfa geseceð. Weorþeð geond sidne grund

hlud gehyredheofon-byman stefn

ond on seofon healfa swogað windas,

Andreas 92–93 ða wearð gehyredheofon-cyninges stefn

wrætlic under wolcnum, word-hleoðres sweg

[A5] Christ III 967 eorþan mid hire beorgum, ond upheofon

Christ III 1128 eorðan eal-greneond uprodor

Andreas 798 eorðan eall-greneond upheofon

[A6] Christ III 998–999a gehreow ond hlud wop bi heofon-woman,

earmlic ælda gedreag

Andreas 1554–1555a Þær wæs wop wera wide gehyred,

earmlic ylda gedræg

Andreas 182 earmlic ylda cwealm, æfter wyrþan

[A7] Christ III 1007–1010 Ðonne mihtig god on þone mæran beorg

mid þy mæstan mægen-þrymme cymeð,

heofon-engla cyning, halig scineð,

wuldorlic ofer weredum, waldende god

Andreas 1718–1722 Is his miht ond his æht ofer middan-geard

breme gebledsod, ond his blæd ofer eall

in heofon-þrymmehalgum scineð,

wlitige on wuldre to widan aldre,

ece mid englum; þæt is æðele cyning!

[A8†] Christ III 1022 weorþeð in worulde, þonne wuldor-cyning

Christ III 1197 weorðan in worulde, wuldres agend

Christ III 1587 on his weorces wlite, ond wuldreslean

Andreas 210 gif hit worde becwið wuldres agend

Andreas 948 weorþan in woruldeond in wuldre lean

Andreas 1715 ond þa weorðedonwuldres agend

Juliana 223 waldeð wide-ferh, wuldres agend

Juliana 416 weorðan in worulde wyrme to hroþor

[A9] Christ III 1072 berað breosta hord fore bearn godes

Andreas 1028 sendon hira bene fore bearn godes

Andreas 1613 Sende þa his bene fore bearn godes

[A10] Christ III 1111 ond of his sidan swa some swat forletan

Christ III 1446–1449a Ða ic wæs ahongen on heanne beam,

rode gefæstnad. Ða hi ricene mid spere

of minre sidan swat ut guton,

dreor to foldan

Christ III 1458 on minre sidanswatge wunde

Andreas 966–999a þa ic mid Iudeum gealgan þehte;

rod wæs aræred, þær rinca sum

of minre sidan swat ut forlet,

dreor to foldan.

[A11] Christ III 1115–1117 Eall þis magon him sylfe geseon þonne,

open, orgete, þæt he for ælda lufan,

firen-fremmendra, fela þrowade.

Andreas 758–760 weorðan wuldres god. Is seo wyrd mid eow

open, orgete, magan eagum nu

geseon sigores god, swegles agend

[A12†] Christ III 1145 cyðde cræftes meaht, ond of clomme bræc

Andreas 585 cyne-rof cyðde þurh his cræftes miht

Elene 558 cyðdon cræftes miht. Þa sio cwen ongan

[A13] Christ III 1185–1187 wendon swa þeah wundrum, þa hyra waldend for

of lic-homan. Leode ne cuþan,

mod-blinde men, meotud oncnawan

Andreas 812–814 hu he wundra worn wordum cyðde,

swa þeah ne gelyfdon larum sinum

mod-blinde menn. Ic wat manig nu gyt

[A14] Christ III 1195–1198 ðæt se earcnan-stan eallum sceolde

to hleo ond to hroþer hæleþa cynne

weorðan in worulde, wuldres agend,

eades ord-fruma, þurh þa æþelan cwenn

Andreas 110–111 Ic þe Andreas ædre onsende

to hleo ond to hroðre in þas hæðenan burg

Andreas 566–568a oncnawan þæt cyne-bearn, se ðe acenned wearð

to hleo ond to hroðre hæleða cynne,

eallum eorð-warum.

[A15†] Christ III 1246 eadge mid englum agan motun

Andreas 599 eadige mid englum, eard weardigan

The Phoenix 621 eadge mid englum, efen-hleoþre þus

The Phoenix 677 eadge mid englum. Alleluia.

Guthlac B 1192 eades mid englum. Ðu hyre eac saga

[A16] Christ III 1257–1258 þæt he hy generedefrom nið-cwale,

ond eac forgeaf ece dreamas

Andreas 1037–1038 generede fram niðe, þær he nænig<n>e forlet

under burg-locan bendum fæstne

[A17] Christ III 1342–1343 on eþel faran engla dreames,

ond þæs to widan feore willum neotan

Andreas 809–810 secan mid sybbe swegles dreamas,

ond þæs to widan feore willum neotan

[A18] Christ III 1351 on mildum sefan. Ðonne hy him þurh minne noman

Christ III 1506 moses mete-leasum. Þeah hy him þurh minne noman

Andreas 975 þurh minne naman, þeah hie morðres feala

[A19] Christ III 1372–1374 þæs ælmihtigan, þonne he yrringa

on þæt fræte folc firene stæleð

laþum wordum, hateð hyra lifes riht

Andreas 1504–1506a ea inflede, nu ðe ælmihtig

hateð, heofona cyning, þæt ðu hrædlice

on þis fræte folc

[A20] Christ III 1433 Ond fore monna lufan min þrowade

Andreas 431 ond for dryhtnes lufan deað þrowodon

[A21] Christ III 1437–1438 Swylce hi me geblendonbittre tosomne

unswetne drync ecedes ond geallan

Andreas 33–34 Syððan him geblendanbitere tosomne,

dryas þurh dwolcræft, drync unheorne

[A22] Christ III 1506 mosesmete-leasum. Ϸeah hy him þurh minne noman

Andreas 27 dydan him to mosemete-þearfendum

Andreas 136 hwæn<n>e hie to mosemete-þearfendum

[A23] Christ III 1521–1522 þæt wæs Satane ond his gesiþum mid

deofle gegearwad ond þære deorcan scole

Andreas 1688–1689 deoful-gild todraf ond gedwolan fylde;

þæt wæs Satane sar to geþolienne

[A24†] Christ III 1539 swylt þrowiað. Bið him syn-wracu

Andreas 1610 synnigra cynn swylt þrowode

Fates 71 fore sacerdum swilt þrowode

Menologium 25 æfter seofen-tynum swylt þrowade

[A25] Christ III 1564 won ond wlite-leashafað werges bleo

Andreas 1169 wann ond wlite-leas; hæfde weriges hiw

[A26] Christ III 1612 heard ond heoro-grim. Þonne hel nimeð

Andreas 1395 heard ond hete-grim. Wæs se halga wer

Andreas 1562 heard ond hete-grim; þæt is <her> swa cuð!

[A27†] Christ III 1613 wær-leasra weorud, ond hi waldend giefeð

Andreas 1069 wær-leasra werod wæpnum comon

Genesis A 67 wær-leas werod. Waldend sende

[A28†] Christ III 1629 caldan clommum. Hy bræcon cyninges word

Andreas 1212 cealdan clommum; cyð þe sylfne

Seafarer 10 caldum clommum, þær þa ceare seofedun

Appendix A (b): Nominal and Adjectival Compounds Unique to Andreas and Christ III

hell-fus [Andreas 50a and Christ III 1123a]; sige-dema [Andreas 661b and Christ III 1060b]; þeod-bealo/u [Andreas 1136a and Christ III 1267a]

Appendix A (c): Nominal and Adjectival Compounds Shared with One or Two Other Poems

æþel-cyning [Andreas 1679a, Christ III 906a, Elene 219a]; cild-geong [Andreas 685a, Christ III 1425a, and Maxims I 48a]; heafod-gimm [Andreas 31b, Christ III 1330a, and Maxims I 44a]; hyge-þanc [Andreas 817b, Christ III 1330b, Riddle 35 4b and Psalm 74 12b]; mod-blind [Andreas 814a, Christ III 1187a, and Elene 306a]; swegel-dream [Andreas 720a, Christ III 1348a, Guthlac B 1125a]; ðeod-sceaða [Andreas 1115b, Christ III 1595a and 1609b, Beowulf 2278a and 2688a]

Appendix B: Parallels between Andreas and Christ I

Christ I is composed of twelve lyrics. As such, I have indicated in brackets the relevant lyric number after the line number of quotations from Christ I.

[B1] Christ I 89–91 (4) Hwæt is þeos wundrung þe ge wafiað,

ond geomrendegehþum mænað,

sunu Solimæ somod his dohtor?

Andreas 1664–1666a folc of firenum? Is him fus hyge

gað geomriende,geohðo mænað

weras wif samod.

[B2] Christ I 136 (6) ealra cyninga cyning ond þone clænan eac

Andreas 978 eallra cyninga cining, þone clænan ham

[B3] Christ I 173b–175a (7) God eaþe mæg

gehælan hyge-sorge heortan minre,

afrefran fea-sceaftne.

Christ I 368 (10) afrefre fea-sceafte, þeah we fæhþo wið þec

Andreas 367–368 frefran fea-sceafte ofer flodes wylm

þæt hie þe eað mihton ofer yða geþring

[B4] Christ I 168 (7) deope gedrefed, dome bereafod

Andreas 394 deope gedrefed. Duguð is geswenced

Andreas 1529 deope gedrefed; duguð wearð afyrhted

[B5] Christ I 308 (9) æþelic ingong. Eal was gebunden

Andreas 888 æðelic onginn,^[14] næs þær ænigum gewinn

[B6†] Christ I 334–335 (9) lioþu-cægan bileac, lifes brytta

Iowa us nu þa are þe se engel þe

Andreas 822–823 Þa gelædan het lifes brytta

ofer yða geþræc englas sine

Genesis A 122 lifes brytta, leoht forð cuman

Genesis A 129 lifes brytta. Leoht wæs ærest

[B7] Christ I 343 (10) þæt he us ne læteleng owihte

Andreas 800 Ne dorston þa gelettanleng owihte

[B8] Christ I 396 (11) onsyne wear<di>að, ecan dryhtnes

Andreas 721 Fore onsyneecan dryhtnes

[B9] Christ I 401–407 (11) þa word cweþað, ond wuldriað

æþelne ord-fruman ealra gesceafta:

‘Halig eart þu, halig, heah-engla brego,

soð sigores frea, simle þu bist halig,

dryhtna dryhten; a þin dom wunað

eorðlic mid ældum in ælce tid

wide geweorþad.

Andreas 539–544 wuldres waldend, ond þus wordum cwæð:

‘Wes ðu gebledsod, brego man-cynnes,

dryhten hælend! A þin dom lyfað

ge neh ge feor; is þin nama halig,

wuldre gewlitegad ofer wer-þeoda,

miltsum gemærsod!

[B10] Christ I 434 (12) He him þære lisse lean forgildeð

Andreas 387 lifes leoht-fruma, lean forgilde

Published Online: 2024-06-05

Published in Print: 2024-06-04

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ang-2024-0019

Keywords for this article

Old English poetry; Old English literature; intertextuality; Cynewulf; Beowulf; oral-formulaic theory