Tale of the Cross Tree

Christian legend at least 1000 years old

The Tale of the Cross Tree was a Christian legend originating back to at least the 10th Century AD.[1] It is thought to have been a fable passed down by word of mouth, before being a written work by a Bulgarian priest, Jeremiah the Bogomil.[2] It was an inspiration for of a lot of Christian poetry and literature throughout Medieval Europe.

## Narrative

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According to tradition, the Tale of the Cross Tree's story typically involves the story of the tree used to crucify Jesus Christ of Nazareth. According to most versions of the tale, the tree was originally planted by the first humans in the Garden of Eden, and as the story unfolds it is a witness to many biblical stories of the Old and New Testaments and folklore by various cultures.[3]

## Interpretation

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Scholars are often wary before offering an interpretation of the story, however it is a majority consensus that the story is not meant to be taken literally and instead was tool for teaching people the basics of Christian religion in a format they understand.

Jeremiah, the first person to reportedly write down the tale, was a leader in a dualistic proto-protestant[4][5] sect at the time known as the Bogomils, who were said to have been in possession of many illegal apocryphal texts.[2] His version of the tale is often connect with another of his writings, the "Prayer Against Fever".

The text is similar in context to the Legend of the Holy Rood, but altogether distinct in story and tradition.[6][3]

## References

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1. ^ Andreev, Jordan Kirov; Lazarov, Ivan Kostadinov; Pavlov, Plamen, eds. (1999). Koj koj e v srednovekovna Bălgarija (2., dop. izd ed.). Sofija: Izdat. Kăšta Petăr Beron. ISBN 978-954-402-047-7.
2. ^ a b Popovich, Thomas S. (1994). Jeremija the Presbyter and his role in medieval Slavic literature (Thesis). OCLC 34755069.[page needed]
3. ^ a b "ПОВЕСТ ЗА КРЪСТНОТО ДЪРВО - [PDF Document]". vdocuments.mx (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
4. ^ Alvarez, Sandra (2011-12-12). "Bogomilism: An Important Precursor of the Reformation". Medievalists.net. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
5. ^ Brocket, L.P. (1879). The Bogomils of Bulgaria and Bosnia: The Early Protestants of the East.
6. ^ Baring-Gould, Sabine (1868). Curious Myths of the Middle Ages. Vol. 2\. Rivingtons. p. 114.