There's a country/gospel song that's played at least once a week on the
local morning bluegrass program which tells this story, embodying a much
older Appalachian legend (the dogwood being plentiful in the mountains of
North Carolina and Tennessee, but, I believe, unknown in Palestine). If
there's interest, I'll dig up the name of the song and the artist. I think
it may have been written and first sung by the Carter family, but I may be
wrong about that.
Patrick Nugent.
>>From somewhere in the distant past, your request dredged up an old story
>that the cross was made of dogwood. As a result, the tree has grown crooked
>and fragile ever since so that it can never be so used again and its white
>flower is strained with a bloody cross. I don't recall where this came
>from. Sorry.
>
>Jo Ann
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Atchley, Clinton <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 4:37 PM
>Subject: wood of the cross
>
>
>>
>>In Capitulum 70 of *Jacob's Well* (c. 1500), the preacher tells us that the
>>cross used in the crucifixion was composed of four woods--cedar, cypress,
>>palm, and olive--which represent various things. In the 12c Old English
>>version of the *History of the Holy Rood-Tree*, we find the cross made of
>>cypress, cedar, and pine representing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
>>respectively. Can anyone tell me who started this convention of associating
>>the cross with a variety of woods? Other examples?
>>
>>Dr. Clinton Atchley
>>Department of English
>>Box 7652
>>Henderson State University
>>Arkadelphia, AR 71999
>>Phone: 870.230.5276
>>Email: [log in to unmask]
>>URL: http://www.hsu.edu/faculty/atchlec
>>
__________________________________
Patrick J. Nugent
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA
(765) 983-1413
[log in to unmask]
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