"His dearworthy blood descended down into Hell and broke the bonds"
In Chapter 12 Julian reflects upon her fourth showing, the blood from Christ's scourging:
"And after this I saw, beholding the body plentiously bleding in seming of the scorgyng, as thus: The faire skynne was brokyn ful depe into the tender flesh with sharpe smyting al about the sweete body. So plenteously the hate blade ran oute that there was neither sene skynne ne wound, but as it were al blade."
My translation:
"And after this I saw, beholding the body, plenteous bleeding in the furrows of the scourging. The fair skin was broken very deeply into the tender flesh by sharp blows all about the sweet body. So plenteously the hot blood ran out that neither skin nor wound could be seen, but it was as though all were blood."
One of Julian's reflections about the blood from Christ's scourging jumps out at me:
"The pretious plenty of His dereworthy blade desendith downe into Helle and braste her bands and deliveryd al that were there which longyd to the curte of Hevyn."
My translation:
"The precious quantity of His dearworthy blood descended down into Hell and broke the bonds and delivered everyone there who belonged to the Court of Heaven."
In some iconographic traditions, the blood of Christ dripping from the cross is depicted as flowing through a crack in the earth into hell. For example, note the dark hole at the foot of the cross with the skull and bones:
It's an image Julian beholds in her showings: the blood of Christ flowing down into hell, breaking the bonds of the captives and setting them free.
