Religious Backgrounds of the Middle English Lyrics Featuring Christ Speaking from the Cross
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Among the Middle English religious lyrics which have survived to the present day, there may be noted a considerable, large group dealing with the Passion. Some present Christ speaking from the Cross, some describe His sufferings on the Cross, and in others He addresses a complaint to man who is heedless of His Redemptive act. It is the purpose of this study to single out those lyrics which feature Christ speaking from the Cross, to examine them and determine, in so far as possible, the elements of similarity and variance that are found therein. Who were the authors of these pieces and what might one expect to find in the intellectual and spiritual training of these men to explain the matter and manner of these lyrics? What is there in the development of the lyric itself to provoke our interest and study? These and other questions will lead us to a study of Biblical sources, the writings of the Church Fathers, examples of Old English elegies where the same subject is treated, the contemporary literature of the Medieval period, and a consideration of the "mystical" temperament as found in the literature of the era.
Subject Area
Literature|British and Irish literature|Religion
Recommended Citation
Moore, Margaret Catherine, "Religious Backgrounds of the Middle English Lyrics Featuring Christ Speaking from the Cross" (1956). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI28673292.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI28673292
