Abstract:
The aim of this thesis is to examine how medieval dream narratives continue to have relevance for a modern audience. I have chosen the tenth-century Dream of the Rood, fourteenth-century Pearl, and William Dunbar’s fifteenth-century Amang thir Freiris for close analysis. The three authors use a dream narrative to explore matters of faith that reflect issues that concerned the medieval church. The exploration, in each case, is developed by a dreamer coming into contact with at least one otherworldly guide within an emotionally disturbing dream. Each author also makes use of his dreamer’s contemporary world which allows the dreamer and the audience to apply their knowledge of the world to the dream experiences and subsequent emotional and spiritual challenges. The poems end with the dreamers accepting responsibility for their future actions. I also make use of two of Seamus Heaney’s ideas from his introduction to Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. Firstly his belief that a work of art from a previous age may: “live on in its own continuous present” that is equal to a reader’s: “knowledge of reality in the present time”, and secondly his belief that: “the radiation from the Christian vision” brought about a re-evaluation of traditional approaches to what is valued. I conclude that a twenty-first century audience is able to relate to the idea of personal responsibility towards spiritual well-being, and that a contemporary knowledge of reality can be applied to these poems. The skills of the three authors ensure that their works live on in a: “continuous present”.