The Image of Judgment in the Eschatological Poem Muspilli (9th Century)

This article discusses the most important source of alliterative poetry of the 9th century in Old High German, the “Muspilli” poem, in which pagan and Christian images are complicated. Special attention is paid to the Judgment Day and the figure of the Judge, as well as to the terminology of legal process at whole. On the ground of a wide range of sources (Germanic tribal law, epic and Christian poetry, glossaries of Latin and German, and the late Roman encyclopedic tradition of Isidore of Seville’ works) it is concluded that in order to preach in the vernacular language the anonym refers himself to some images of Germanic legal culture (a duel, an ordeal, a thing), providing them with new Christian significations to achieve his objectives in comparison to pagan worldview and converting Germanic tribes to the true faith.