Theuerdank
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Theuerdank

The Illustrated Epic of a Renaissance Knight

Howard Louthan, Jonathan Green, Howard Louthan

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eBook - ePub

Theuerdank

The Illustrated Epic of a Renaissance Knight

Howard Louthan, Jonathan Green, Howard Louthan

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About This Book

Now appearing in its first English translation, Theuerdank introduces readers to the fascinating world of the Renaissance. A forerunner of the graphic novel, Theuerdank, first published in 1517, includes more than 100 woodcuts executed by leading artists of Central Europe.

Long hailed by scholars as a masterpiece of German literature, Theuerdank is a fictional account of Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I (1508– 19) and his journey to wed one of the most influential princesses of Europe, the wealthy heiress Mary of Burgundy. Through word and image, this epic poem, which casts Maximilian as Knight Theuerdank, recounts his adventures overcoming a series of challenges to reach his goal: avalanches, lightning strikes, shipwrecks, murder plots, duels, and pitched battles. From politics and propaganda to the environment and the natural world, from intimate glimpses of daily life to revolutionary innovations in warfare, Theuerdank sheds light on those critical changes transforming European society and culture in this period.

With the inclusion of an introductory essay, chronology, genealogical tables, maps, translator's note, and discussion questions, this volume is a useful tool for students of history, art history, German, and Renaissance studies.

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Information

Publisher
Routledge
Year
2022
ISBN
9780429620676
Edition
1
Topic
Geschichte
Subtopic
Deutsche Geschichte

TheuerdankThe Epic Narrative: Chapters 1‒118

DOI: 10.4324/9780429053740-4

1

DOI: 10.4324/9780429053740-5
How King Romreich’s wife passed away and left him only his one daughter, named Ehrenreich, and how his councilors urged him to see to her marriage.
When Heaven and Earth had endured for six thousand four hundred years after their creation plus another forty-four, there lived a king in the region toward the setting sun who had won many lands by his knightly hand. This king was named Romreich and was rich in lands, people, and wealth. At that time, he had no equal. God gave to him through his wife a single daughter, fine in appearance and customs, who they named Ehrenreich because she was so comely and gracious.
Not long after the birth of their daughter, the queen began to decline and was stricken with severe illness, which caused the king deep sorrow. He sent for all his doctors to see if they could help the queen, promising them great wealth as a reward. They answered, “My Lord, her life is truly in God’s hands. Let her quickly be provided for according to Christian custom.”
In haste all things were prepared that are fitting for such an occasion. When the noble queen sensed that her life would last no longer, she said to the king, “I commend your child to you so that you might raise her as you think best and arrange for her marriage at a fitting time.” With these words, her soul departed from her. The royal residence was filled with great lament from all the people, both young and old. When the queen’s dead body grew cold, she was buried in the earth with honors and expressions of mourning.
The king reigned with his daughter for many years, during which no one opposed them. In time, Ehrenreich reached the age of sixteen and became eligible for marriage. Her great beauty and refinement and her noble bearing helped the king forget all his earthly cares and sadness, for all the world spoke only of how she was endowed with every virtue and was very capable for her young age. Because of this, many great lords from lands near and far sought the hand of the young queen. Each one thought to himself, “If she were my wife, I would be the most blissful man on Earth!”
The king’s strength began to ebb, and so one day his councilors came before him with singleness of purpose. As faithful servants they beseeched him to follow their counsel and arrange for his daughter’s honorable marriage before his death so that they would know the security of a sovereign lord who would protect them, relieve them from oppression, and preserve them against all violence. For if the king were to pass away under present circumstances, many an interloper would undertake to seize his daughter by force and gain the land through war. “My dear lord, may you forestall such a thing, as many benefits for you and your lands would result from doing so.”
The king said, “Heed my words. I wish for a short time to contemplate this matter, and then before night falls tomorrow, I’ll discuss this further and hear your counsel concerning it.”
The councilors were satisfied with this. Each one bowed to the king, and then they all departed from him while he reflected upon the matter.

2

DOI: 10.4324/9780429053740-6
How King Romreich held council and chose a prince as a husband for his daughter, but would not reveal the prince’s name before his death.
When dawn broke the next day, the king rose from his bed and summoned the council. All his councilors came quickly, and he said, “Yesterday you asked and fervently implored me to give my daughter a husband. Indeed, it’s essential that after my death, all of you should have a man of noble virtue who can courageously defend you, my daughter, and her hereditary lands. You’re all familiar with the suitors, so I exhort you by the oaths by which you are bound to me to advise what is best for me and the land according to your understanding.”
The councilors spoke as one, “Our Lord, allow us to gather in one place, and then we will deliberate your words as the situation requires and then speedily tell you what we have determined.”
The king said, “An excellent plan! Now go and reach your decision in due course. When you’re finished, I’ll hear your answer and make my mind known to you without delay.”
The councilors bowed, left the king’s presence and then sat together, weighing first one possibility and then another for which one of the twelve suitors the queen should take as a husband. Finally, they resolved among themselves that they would leave the decision up to the king’s free and unimpeded judgment so that he might choose one of the twelve, who all sought and desired his daughter. And so they went to the king.
When the king became aware of the councilors, he bid them come forward. One councilor said, “My lord, we have heard your views concerning the marriage, and now we are ready to respond and make known our counsel to you, but first we will present the names of all twelve suitors.”
With this, the councilors assembled, and one of them said, “Our dear lord, you have learned in various ways and recognized throughout your days the might and power of these suitors. They all possess great wealth and are of suitable status to marry your daughter. Whichever of them you now choose will be well pleasing to us.”
After the king had heard them, he sat in silence for a short while and considered matters carefully, as a wise man should, because he was uncertain about his choice. He hesitated because the suitors were so numerous. But finally he said, “Loyal councilors, I clearly understand your counsel in this matter. There are twelve suitors who all desire my daughter. Now I’d like to choose the best from among them, someone who’d be full of virtue and love honor, to be my successor. I still want to consider this matter for a short time. If it should come to pass that my last hour is at hand, I’ll declare by my own mouth or in my testament which of them I’ve named as husband to my daughter. She is to prefer him above all others. Unless I’m mistaken, you’ll be pleased by what I tell you.”
The councilors said, “Our dear lord, we hope Your Grace’s final hour may yet be far off, but we will gladly accept whichever one you name to us. We also hope your daughter, the queen, will not resist your decision.” And with this, the council was concluded, and each of the councilors returned to his house.

3

DOI: 10.4324/9780429053740-7
How King Romreich wanted to spend the last hours of his life in a garden, and before his death named the one whom he had chosen as husband for his daughter.
Once the king was lying on his bed, he thought, “Now the day has come when I should put my affairs in order, because I’ve grown old and weak. I can feel it in me clearly. But I hope I don’t die lying on a feather bed, because then there’d be little to say in times to come about my death. I know of a beautiful garden not far from here that’s charmingly encircled by a moat. I long to let my last days draw to a close within it.” With this thought in mind, he rode off.
When the king entered the garden, he felt that his life and bodily vigor were quickly declining, so he first wanted to inform his councilors whom he wanted his child to have as a husband. He drew up his testament properly, then called several councilors without delay and said, “You’ll find in my testament the one man in the entire world whom I’ve chosen as a husband for my child. Therefore, tell her that if she wants to escape God’s wrath, she should obey my command, and then she will be protected from all reproach. She should prefer that man alone above all others for her husband.” All his councilors heard it. With that, the king spoke not another word and gave up the ghost.
All the people expressed their sadness. Among them was an honorable man who took possession of the king’s testament to bring it before the queen in order to make known to her what it said and what the old king had entrusted to him on his deathbed. He prepared himself, set out on his way and rode until he came to the royal court.

4

DOI: 10.4324/9780429053740-8
How King Romreich’s old knight announced the king’s death to his councilors, who made it known to his daughter, and in what manner the king was buried.
When the old knight arrived at court, he hurried to the councilors and said, “I bring you sorrowful news, for our lord has just now departed the world in death. But before that, he recorded his last will and testament, as is proper. I have brought it with me to show the queen whom she should have for her husband.” He also told them what the king had said to him in his final hour.
The councilors were stunned and said, “We ask you to wait a brief moment so that we can go to our queen in all due haste and gently present the matter as we have heard it.”
The knight agreed, and the councilors went to the queen and said, “Your Grace, we have no doubt that with your good breeding and maidenly customs, you desire to concern yourself only with that which eternally cannot be restored in any way or through any human measure here on Earth. Because we are aware of this, we wish to tell you of something that may rightfully bring you sorrow, yet we hope that your sorrow might be attended by understanding, for the highest reason teaches that one should forget that which can never return at any time. A man who was one of your father’s councilors has told us that our lord the king is dead, and that the king gave him his testament while of sound mind before the end of his life. By his own voice, the king placed him under command to tell you what you should do and what command he was given by the king. For this, he asks Your Grace that you might hear him mercifully.”
The queen was burdened with anguish when she heard the news that her lord and father had died. Tears ran from her eyes, for the news pierced her heart more deeply than anyone else’s. Filled with deep sorrow and pain, she said, “Although we should all be well pleased by the ways of God, yet until the present day I have desired my father’s recovery, if it had been possible, and his continued life. But because things must be as they are, I will hear the knight—but only after my father’s body is mourned and buried according to royal custom. After that, in that selfsame hour, I will have you inform the territorial lords of my land in writing that they are to appear before me in council. When they have assembled, you may bring the council to me to hear my father’s wish.”
The councilors praised her wisdom and said, “Our lady, we are always prepared to act according to your command. May these matters be directed by God, who is able to set all things right.” The office was sung in the kin...

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