Gentle reader
Dead men's music
Death to the pope
Death to the emperor
Death to the king
Death to the queen
Death to the cardinal
Death to the bishop
Death to the nobleman
Death to the priest
Death to the stargazer
Death to the physician
Death to the jurist
Death to the merchant
Death to the townsman
Death to the monk
Death to the hermit
Death to the maiden
Death to the dancing master
Death to the fencing master
Death to the hunter
Death to the chef
Death to the soldier
Death to the innkeeper
Death to the servant girl
Death to the pedlar
Death to the watchman
Death to the peasant
Death to the Jew
Death to the miser
Death to the Turk
Death to the lovers
Death to the old man
Death to the old woman
Death to Harlequin
Death to the children
Death to the beggar
Christ's victory over Death
Psalm. 90 Chap. 12 v.
The entire text (1762)
The entire text (1814)
Inspiration for Døde=Dands
Døde=Dands in Swedish
Niels Prahl (1724 - 1792) was an author and translator with a voluminous production, but most of his work was anonymous. His last — unfinished — work was a translation of Schummel's "Der kleine Voltäre" (i.e. The Little Voltaire). This had to be completed by others, but library secretary Frederik Ekkard took the occasion to write a eulogy for Prahl: An introductory chapter with a biography, where he also attempted to track down and list all the anonymous works originating from the industrious Prahl. We find Døde=Dands on this list (page XXV).
The Human life's Flight or Døde=Dands was printed in Copenhagen in 1762. On the title page above one can see the name Thomas Larsen Borup, and it is believed that it was he who published the book and for all we know he might also have designed the woodcuts. But as mentioned, the author was in all probability Niels Prahl.
The rhymed introduction is signed Thomas Larsen Borup, but was doubtlessly written by Niels Prahl as well. The author tells how he himself has created the woodcuts: »Jeg dem møysommelig i Træ udgravet har, Naar mig en Times Tid fra andet øvrig var« (i.e. I have painstakingly excavated them in tree, when an hour or so was free from other work). He also states that he believes to be the first to ever have printed a dance of death in Danish:
Danish | Translation |
---|---|
Jeg, kjære Læsere! har ogsaa havt for Øje Med dette lidet Verk, at gavne og fornøje; Vi ingen Dødedands, saavidt mig er bekjendt, I vores danske Sprog har forhen havt paa Prent. | I, dear readers! have also had in mind with this small work to benefit and to amuse; We no dance of death, as fas as I am aware, In our Danish language have so far had in printing. |
This is not quite true, since there was already Copenhagen's dance of death, Dødedantz, Den Lybekske Dødning-Dantz and Typus Omnium Morientium.
After this introduction and a concert with dead men's music come the individual dances: Death to the dying (12 lines), the person's answer (12 lines) and the author's conclusion (4 lines).
Death makes no bones (pun intended) about telling that he is God's messenger. This sometimes results in a rather condescending language. Particularly towards the (Catholic) pope and the "infidel" Jew and Turk.
Døde=Dands was reprinted in 1770 and 1814. However, this number of editions pale against the number of Døde=Dands in Swedish.
Read more about: Døde=Dands in Swedish and Inspiration for Døde=Dands.
The 1814-edition can be downloaded from the Royal Danish Library: Det menneskelige Livs Flugt eller Døde=Dands (PDF)
The 1762-edition was re-printed in 1967 by a company aptly named Wormianum (8=
This reprint is available from Google Books: Det menneskelige Livs Flugt: eller Døde=Dands
The entire text in Danish (1762-edition): Døde=Dands
The entire text in Danish (1814-edition): Døde=Dands