Viking Age Silver Crucifixes from Gotland and Birka	King Harald’s Rune-stone at Jelling	Book Cover of the Lindow Gospels, c.870

It is an interesting fact that depictions of Christ and the Crucifixion in Western Europe during the Middle Ages seem to show a considerable change in the concept of Christ: a change from an heroic figure defiant in death, to a suffering figure who is sacrificed for the sins of Mankind.

The early medieval depictions of Christ on the cross tend to show a figure with head erect, or almost erect, staring defiantly before him (see the images above).

Such an image of Christ accords well with the contemporary concept of the hero in literature. For example, consider the picture of Christ ascending the cross as presented in the Old English poem “The Dream of the Rood” (probably composed during the 8th century):

"Ongyrede hine þā geong hæleð, (þæt wæs god ælmihtig),
strang ond stīðmōd. Gestāh hē on gealgan hēanne,
mōdig on manigra gesyhðe, þā hē wolde mancyn lysan.
Bifode ic þā mē se beorn ymbclypte. Ne dorste ic hwæðre būgan tō eorðan,
feallan tō foldan scēatum, ac ic sceolde fæste standan.
Rōd wæs ic āræred. Āhōf ic rīcne cyning,
heofona hlāford" (ll 39-45)

"The young hero stripped himself then (that was God Almighty),
strong and resolute. He ascended onto the high gallows,
brave in the sight of many, there, [since] he wished to release mankind.
I trembled when the man embraced me. However, I dared not bow down to the earth,
fall to the surface of the earth, but I had to stand fast.
I was raised [as a] cross. I lifted up the mighty king,
the lord of the heavens"

For a further discussion of this, see: “The Dream of the Rood and the Image of Christ in the Early Middle Ages” by Jeannette C Brock

Crucifixion, originally mounted on an Altar Cross, 1185 – 90	Armilla from Vladimir Cathedral, c. 1165	Crucifixion Window, Canterbury Cathedral, 12th Century

By the time of the 12th century, the figure has begun to change: the head has slightly slumped to one side and the figure is no longer rigidly straight (see the images above).

Triptych of the Seven Sacraments, Antwerp, 1445 – 50	Missal, Use of Sarum ('The Closworth Missal') England 3rd quarter 15 century	Crucifixion, 1515, Matthías Grünewald

By the end of the medieval period, the figure of Christ has become an image of total suffering: the figure is emaciated; the body contorted; blood flows from the highly visible wounds; in some cases the head lolls in death (see the images above).

Once again, this emphasis on the suffering of Christ can be paralleled in the literature. For example, “Revelations of Divine Love” by Julian of Norwich (1342 – 1416)

"AFTER this Christ shewed a part of His Passion near His dying.

I saw His sweet face as it were dry and bloodless with pale dying. And later, more pale, dead, languoring; and then turned more dead unto blue; and then more brown-blue, as the flesh turned more deeply dead. For His Passion shewed to me most specially in His blessed face (and chiefly in His lips): there I saw these four colours, though it were afore fresh, ruddy, and pleasing, to my sight. This was a pitiful change to see, this deep dying. And also the [inward] moisture clotted and dried, to my sight, and the sweet body was brown and black, all turned out of fair, life-like colour of itself, unto dry dying." (Chapter 16)

These different perceptions of Christ and the Passion seem to reflect a gradual change in the role that Christ was perceived to have played in the salvation of Mankind: from an heroic warrior, battling with the forces of death and evil, and dying in the attempt, to a suffering, sacrificial victim offered up for the sins of man.