Pieśni nabożne o piekle - unikatowy druk staropolski o tematyce eschatologicznej

Abstract

The article analyses an anonymous 17th-century printed text in Polish, which includes both poems and prose. The eschatological theme of this collection (the juxtaposition of horrifying eternity in hell and joyful eternity in heaven) revealed moralising objectives. The author of this article comes to the conclusion that the Old Polish writer signed as S.W. — most probably a member of Catholic lower clergy — broke with the convention of 17th-century eschatological moralistic writings in a particular manner. Namely, not only did he present the sinners’ suffering in the afterlife, but also he referred to the idea of “fire of God’s love,” promoted by mystical texts, and put an emphasis on the Christian values preached by Saint Augustine, one of the Church Fathers.