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Todt zum Ritter: HErr Ritter ihr sind angeschrieben, Ritterschafft die müssen ihr treiben, Mit dem Tode und seinen Knechten, Es hilfft weder streitten noch fechten. |
Death to The Knight Mr. Knight, you have been written down that you must practice chivalry with Death and his servants. It helps you neither to struggle nor fight |
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Der Ritter: ICh alß ein strenger Ritter gut Hab der Welt dient mit hohem Muth: Nun bin ich wider Ritters Orden An diesen Tantz gezwungen worden. |
The knight. I - as a stern knight - have served the world well with noble mind. Now I've been - against knights' order - coerced to this dance. |
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Klein-Basel, Knight. Line drawing after Büchel |
The dialogue is taken almost verbatim from Heidelberg's dance of death.
Death has put on an armour. It's not unusual for Death to imitate his victim, but if we look at the mural in Kleinbasel (to the left), Death is stark naked. The idea with Death putting on an armour in Basel must then have been a more recent addition from some later renovation.
Dances of death
Basel
Knight