DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0371
Attis in relation to Christianity 305
I add a northern parallel to the Christianisation of the Phrygian tree-cult. The Gos-
forth Cross (C. A. Parker The Ancient Crosses at Gosforth, Cumberland London 1896 with
pis. and figs, of which pi. 1 =my fig. 195 and pi. 2 my fig. 196, id. The Gosforth District:
its Antiquities and Places of Interest Kendal 1904 pp. 80—92 with figs.) is a red sandstone
monolith (14^ ft high) still standing S. of the church at Gosforth in Cumberland. A fellow-
cross of much the same design formerly stood some 7 ft away, but was cut down in 1789
to serve as a sun-dial. Between the two crosses was a horizontal stone, on which was
carved the figure of a large sword. The extant shaft, which rises from a rectangular three-
stepped base, is circular in section below (40 ins round) but oblong above (6x5 ins) and
supports a wheel-shaped head (20 ins across). The whole monument is carved to look
like a tree : the bole is patterned as if half-covered with bark, and the interlaced lines
higher up are suggestive of branches. All four sides, where the trunk has been, so to say,
squared, exhibit carvings susceptible of a twofold interpretation, either Scandinavian or
Christian. G. Stephens dated them c. 680 A.D. ; but S. Bugge
assigned them to s. ix A.D., and C. A. Parker now places them
as late as c. 950—1050 A.D. The subjects represented run,
from bottom to top, as follows : (a) Western series. Loki bound
beneath snake, whose venom drips upon him : Sigyn, his wife,
catches venom in cup = Satan bound. Odhin on his horse
Sleipnir rides down to Mimir's well at one of the roots of
Yggdrasil: Heimdallr the sentinel with the Gjallarhorn keeps
back the wolf-serpents Hati and Skgll = Death on the pale
horse overcome by Christ the shepherd, who defies the powers
of evil. A wolf-headed monster, the progeny of the wolf
Fenrir, attacking the solar wheels A devil attacking the
cross, {b) Southern series. Odhin riding through the hall
of serpents on Nastrand = Christ trampling on Satan. The
wolf Fenrir and the Midhgardh-serpent attacking the hart
Eikthyrnir= The powers of evil attacking the hart, symbol
of Christ. Fenrir as a wolf-headed monster gagged by Thor's
sw ord = Leviathan tamed. Serpent attacking the solar
wheel = Devil attacking the cross, (c) Eastern series. Ser-
pents beneath the feet of Nanna, the faithful wife of Baldr :
blind Hgdhr with a lance of mistletoe stabs Baldr, son of
Odhin = The serpent's head bruised by the heel of the
woman, Mary Magdalene with her aldbaslron : Longinus the
blind soldier with his lance stabs Christ on the cross. Head-
less monster = Evil subdued. Vidharr, son of Odhin, slays
the wolf-serpent Fenrir, whose jaw he rends open with left arm and right foot — The descent
of Christ into hell. Fenrir attacking the solar wheel = Devil attacking the cross. (</) Northern
series. Endless interlacing = Symbol of eternity. Odhin on Sleipnir overcome by Fenrir
at the end of the world = Death on the pale horse overcome by Christ. Odhin battling with
the fire-demon Surtr = Christ as conqueror: Satan cast down from heaven. The solar
wheel = the cross. Several of these bilingual interpretations are far from certain. Here it is
in point to notice an alternative explanation of the central scene on the eastern face.
C. A. Parker comments: ' Baldur the beautiful, or, Odin hanging on the tree self sacri-
ficed.' The latter view, that of the Rev. W. S. Calverley, is based on Hdvamdl 138 f.,
a remarkable passage translated by H. M. Chadwick The Cult of Othi7i London 1899
p. 72 thus: ' 138. " I know that I hung full nine nights on the gallows tree (or " windy
tree") wounded by the javelin and given to Othin, myself to myself; on that tree, of
which no one knows from whose roots it proceeds." 139. "They cheered me (or
" assuaged my hunger and thirst") neither with bread nor drink ; I looked down and took
up runes, took them up crying; from thence I fell again."' Prof. Chadwick ib. p. 80
notes : ' Othin is both the person sacrificed and the person to whom the sacrifice is offered.
There is no indication that Othin was also the sacrificer or that the sacrifice was voluntary
C. II.
20
I add a northern parallel to the Christianisation of the Phrygian tree-cult. The Gos-
forth Cross (C. A. Parker The Ancient Crosses at Gosforth, Cumberland London 1896 with
pis. and figs, of which pi. 1 =my fig. 195 and pi. 2 my fig. 196, id. The Gosforth District:
its Antiquities and Places of Interest Kendal 1904 pp. 80—92 with figs.) is a red sandstone
monolith (14^ ft high) still standing S. of the church at Gosforth in Cumberland. A fellow-
cross of much the same design formerly stood some 7 ft away, but was cut down in 1789
to serve as a sun-dial. Between the two crosses was a horizontal stone, on which was
carved the figure of a large sword. The extant shaft, which rises from a rectangular three-
stepped base, is circular in section below (40 ins round) but oblong above (6x5 ins) and
supports a wheel-shaped head (20 ins across). The whole monument is carved to look
like a tree : the bole is patterned as if half-covered with bark, and the interlaced lines
higher up are suggestive of branches. All four sides, where the trunk has been, so to say,
squared, exhibit carvings susceptible of a twofold interpretation, either Scandinavian or
Christian. G. Stephens dated them c. 680 A.D. ; but S. Bugge
assigned them to s. ix A.D., and C. A. Parker now places them
as late as c. 950—1050 A.D. The subjects represented run,
from bottom to top, as follows : (a) Western series. Loki bound
beneath snake, whose venom drips upon him : Sigyn, his wife,
catches venom in cup = Satan bound. Odhin on his horse
Sleipnir rides down to Mimir's well at one of the roots of
Yggdrasil: Heimdallr the sentinel with the Gjallarhorn keeps
back the wolf-serpents Hati and Skgll = Death on the pale
horse overcome by Christ the shepherd, who defies the powers
of evil. A wolf-headed monster, the progeny of the wolf
Fenrir, attacking the solar wheels A devil attacking the
cross, {b) Southern series. Odhin riding through the hall
of serpents on Nastrand = Christ trampling on Satan. The
wolf Fenrir and the Midhgardh-serpent attacking the hart
Eikthyrnir= The powers of evil attacking the hart, symbol
of Christ. Fenrir as a wolf-headed monster gagged by Thor's
sw ord = Leviathan tamed. Serpent attacking the solar
wheel = Devil attacking the cross, (c) Eastern series. Ser-
pents beneath the feet of Nanna, the faithful wife of Baldr :
blind Hgdhr with a lance of mistletoe stabs Baldr, son of
Odhin = The serpent's head bruised by the heel of the
woman, Mary Magdalene with her aldbaslron : Longinus the
blind soldier with his lance stabs Christ on the cross. Head-
less monster = Evil subdued. Vidharr, son of Odhin, slays
the wolf-serpent Fenrir, whose jaw he rends open with left arm and right foot — The descent
of Christ into hell. Fenrir attacking the solar wheel = Devil attacking the cross. (</) Northern
series. Endless interlacing = Symbol of eternity. Odhin on Sleipnir overcome by Fenrir
at the end of the world = Death on the pale horse overcome by Christ. Odhin battling with
the fire-demon Surtr = Christ as conqueror: Satan cast down from heaven. The solar
wheel = the cross. Several of these bilingual interpretations are far from certain. Here it is
in point to notice an alternative explanation of the central scene on the eastern face.
C. A. Parker comments: ' Baldur the beautiful, or, Odin hanging on the tree self sacri-
ficed.' The latter view, that of the Rev. W. S. Calverley, is based on Hdvamdl 138 f.,
a remarkable passage translated by H. M. Chadwick The Cult of Othi7i London 1899
p. 72 thus: ' 138. " I know that I hung full nine nights on the gallows tree (or " windy
tree") wounded by the javelin and given to Othin, myself to myself; on that tree, of
which no one knows from whose roots it proceeds." 139. "They cheered me (or
" assuaged my hunger and thirst") neither with bread nor drink ; I looked down and took
up runes, took them up crying; from thence I fell again."' Prof. Chadwick ib. p. 80
notes : ' Othin is both the person sacrificed and the person to whom the sacrifice is offered.
There is no indication that Othin was also the sacrificer or that the sacrifice was voluntary
C. II.
20