Kristi mordere

Jøder i danske passionsberetninger fra middelalderen

Abstract

The image of the Jews as the killers of Jesus has its origins in the Gospels where Jews are portrayed as responsible – directly or indirectly – for the Crucifixion. The enduring myth of the Christ-killer has evolved over nearly two millennia to find a variety of expressions in religion, politics, philosophy, literature and drama. In this article, I examine how Jews are portrayed as murderers in late medieval descriptions of the Passion found in Old Danish sermons and devotional literature. The influence of the saints Augustine of Hippo, ThomasAquinas and Birgitta of Sweden is examined as also is the question of Jewish culpability in each of the texts and what this would have meant to the audience and readers. The Christ-killer motif is shown to be an effective and flexible tool for the Church in marking the boundaries of vita christiana and in teaching empathy and spirituality to its members.