9th Century Poem "Muspilli" and the Soul after Death

 

The Christian epic poem known as the "Muspilli" survives in fragmentary form in a 9th century Bavarian manuscript; the Old German text describes what happens to the soul after death, the events of the end times, the battle between the Prophet St. Elias and the Antichrist, Second Coming of Christ with the Resurrection, and the Last Judgment.  It is possible the text was meant to be sung by bards and others, in a similar fashion to the work of Caedmon in England. 

What I find important, however, is the witness it gives to the popular and ancient Christian belief that, after death, the souls of men are disputed over by angels and demons; this belief was so deeply ingrained among Christians not only in the Middle East, or in England, but also among the Old Germans, that it found consistent expression in Latin and vernacular poems, homilies, etc.  Here is the relevant text, as well as some of the important sections:


"...his day comes, when he has to die. 

 Immediately afterwards, when the soul starts its journey

and leaves the body behind, 

then a host comes from heaven's firmament

And another from hell:  then they will fight for her [i.e. the soul].

The soul has to worry until the judgment is made, 

As to which host she is brought, 

For if Satan's retainers win her, 

They promptly lead her [the soul] to a place where pain awaits her, 

Into fire and darkness: that is a truly horrible verdict. 

But if she is taken by those who come from heaven

And is claimed by the Angels ,

They promptly bring her up to the Heavenly Kingdom 

Where there is life without death, light without darkness, 

A refuge without worry: there nobody suffers sickness. 

For if a person wins a place in Paradise, 

A house in heaven, he will find a lot of support there.  

Thus the need is great

for everybody, that his [spirit/heart] is moved 

to gladly do God's will

And firmly avoid hellfire, 

Hell's pain: there, the ancient Satan waits 

With hot fire.  Therefore he, who knows himself 

to be sinful, shall think about this with great worry."


reproduced from Bishop Enoch's Traditional Western Orthodox Christian blog

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