TheGosforth Cross is a large stone monument inSt Mary's churchyard atGosforth in theEnglish county ofCumbria, dating to the first half of the 10th century AD. Formerly part of the kingdom ofNorthumbria, the area was settled byScandinavians some time in either the 9th or 10th century. It has gained reputation for its combination ofChristian symbols with Nordic symbols, being a tangible piece of evidence of the impact of theChristianization of Scandinavia.
Thedeities depicted on the monument have been identified withSigyn attempting to protect her bound husbandLoki, a horn-wieldingHeimdallr,Víðarr in the process of defeatingFenrir, andThor in a failed attempt to captureJörmungandr. The images likely adapt scenes from thePoetic Edda. Also depicted on the monument is thecrucifixion of Jesus. The tree-like design of the base of the cross may representYggdrasil or a mythicaltree of life.
The Gosforth Cross has elaborate carvings which have been interpreted as representing characters and scenes fromNorse mythology, similarly to how theJelling stones inDenmark depict Jesus with other Norse mythological characters. Its design is modelled after the cross design that originated during the Christianization of Ireland.[1] The Gosforth Cross was first identified in 1886 by the amateur antiquarian Charles Arundel Parker in his bookThe Ancient Crosses at Gosford and Cumberland. He demonstrated that the cross showed scenes described in thePoetic Edda.[2] Those include images identified as:
It is currently debated amongst scholars whether the sources were added to the Cross out of reverence for Viking beliefs and still clinging to their own identity[3] or as a way to parallel Norse mythology (i.e.Ragnarök, the death ofBaldr) with Christian beliefs (i.e. theApocalypse, thecrucifixion ofChrist).[4] Among the parallels is Loki being bound is allegorical forSatan being bound, the death of Baldr accompanied by Hod and Nanna interchangeable with Christ's death as witnessed byLonginus andMary Magdalene, and the battleOdin has withSurtr similar to how Christ ultimately conquers theDevil.
Another is how the base of the cross has a tree-like design, looking like bark. This is a possible parallel betweenYggsdrasil and theTree of Life;[4] both featured heavily in their respective mythologies.
The cross also hasChristian symbolism, including a depiction of thecrucifixion of Jesus. The combination of Christian andNorse pagan symbolism on the cross may be evidence of the use of pagan stories to illustrate Christian teachings.[2] Christ here is depicted as a deity of power, hence why he is absent on the cross on the tip. He was popularly interpreted as a deity of power amongst Viking culture.[3]
The cross is 4.4 metres (14 ft) tall and made out of redsandstone. It is estimated to date from 920 to 950 and is still in fairly good condition. Its design shows a strong Anglo-Saxon influence and suggests that the carvers were heavily influenced by Anglo-Saxon stone carving.[5] The importance of the Gosforth Cross (as well as theIrton Cross) caused theVictoria and Albert Museum to have replicas made in 1882,[6] which are on display in the Cast Hall at the museum. In 1887, theRev. William Slater Calverley commissioned a replica life-sized copy of this cross and erected it in the churchyard atAspatria,Cumbria.[7]
The church also has importanthogback tombs, and what appears to be a fragment of another cross, showing the godThor fishing.
The following images depict the 10th-century Gosforth Cross and related artefacts at St Mary's church. The images were published byFinnur Jónsson inGoðafræði Norðmanna og Íslendinga eftir Heimildum in 1913, and the identifications of the figures are those suggested by Jónsson in 1913.
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