The Cross in the Life and Literature of the Anglo-Saxons (Volume 23)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 edition. Excerpt: ... find any reason for its being there. It comes sometimes in the middle of a charter, and it occurs frequently on the margin, especially on a line which contains the name of a king.1 It appears sometimes in the middle of a word, especially 'cru+cis, ' and always in the middle of the word in the sacramentary where a sign of the cross is to be made, as, for example, 'bene+dicere, ' 'sancti+ficare.' It appeared also in literary documents, a custom that long survived the Conquest, the manuscript of the Morality Everyman, for example, beginning with a cross. In the manuscript of the 'Nine Herbs Charm, ' also, the cross is on the margin on a line with the word 'worm, ' perhaps for the same reason that the writer would have crossed himself at the name of the devil. Nor was it restricted to writings on parchment; it is found preceding inscriptions on stone slabs and crosses, and on inscribed rings and jewels.4 Apparently in all of these the use of the cross is a sort of invocation or ' saying grace, ' a pious custom without rules or restrictions. Possibly it may have been used merely as a sign of good luck. (d) The Cross on Coins The cross had been stamped on the coins of Christian emperors of Rome from a very early time, and its use in Anglo-Saxon England was probably introduced with the establishment of the Faith. At all events, it appeared upon coins as early as the sceata of Egbert, King of Kent (665--674). These crosses were small and in relief, and therefore are evidently not applied for the purpose of dividing the coins into fragments, as was the case with the penny of later times. The significance of the cross on Anglo-Saxon coins 1 Codex Dipl. 2. 296-7. 'e. g. Egbert, Pontif. 7. 'e. g. Ibid., 16-17. 4e. g. Ruthwell Cross, Minster Lovel...