The Runic Roods of Ruthwell and Bewcastle: With a Short History of the Cross and Crucifix in Scotland (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

James King Hewison

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0666954712 ISBN 13: 9780666954718

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Explore the art, history, and meaning behind Northumbria’s great runic monuments.

This scholarly volume traces how the Ruthwell and Bewcastle crosses came to embody early Christian sculpture on the Anglo-Scottish border, blending artifact analysis with a concise history of crosses and crucifixes in Scotland.

This edition presents the long story of the monuments, from their early context to their later demonstrations of craft, drawing on inscriptions, comparisons with contemporary art, and a careful look at dates and attributions. It combines clear narrative with detailed reference material, helping readers understand why these crosses stand out in medieval sculpture and what they reveal about movement of ideas, styles, and faith.

• Learn how rune-inscribed high crosses were made and what they signified in their time
• See how researchers measure and interpret the carvings, inscriptions, and iconography
• Discover connections to broader art influences from Egypt to the Mediterranean and how they relate to British monuments
• Read about the cross and crucifix in Northumbria and the scholarly debates around dating and origins

Ideal for readers of medieval art, church history, and Scottish-English border sculpture, this book offers a focused, readable guide to two landmark monuments and their place in the wider story of early Christian Britain.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0666954712
• ISBN 13: 9780666954718
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 258