In the poem, the scop describes that he was dreaming of a conversation with the wood of the Christian cross, the "rood" of the title. In the poem, Jesus Christ is cast in the heroic model of a Germanic warrior, who faces his death unflinchingly and even eagerly. The Cross, speaking as if it were a member of Christ's band of retainers, accepts its fate as it watches its Creator die, and then explains that Christ's death was not a defeat but a victory. The poem concludes with the poet's prayer to the Rood that he might enter into the band of Christ's followers.
The poem is one of the oldest works of Old English literature. Excerpts from it are carved on an elaborate high cross that stands at Ruthwell in Scotland, in the runic alphabet. The Ruthwell cross probably dates from around 750.