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. Imm...