Füssen, The child

The child

Death to the child
der todt. Der Jugett thue ich nit verschonen, Die kündlein nem ich wie die bluomen. Kom hehr mein liebeß kündelein, Vergiß der muetter ietz bist mein.	Death. I do not spare the youth. I take the children as the flowers. Come here, my dear little friend, Forget the mother, you are mine now.
The child
daß kündt, Schaw schaw mein liebeß muetterlein Do gehtt ein langer man herein. Der zuicht mich fortt vnd wil mich hon Mueß tantzen schon, vnd kan kaum gohn.	the Child. Look, look, my dear little mother There goes a tall man in here. He drags me away and will have me. I must dance already and can hardly walk.

Basel: Child

Basel: Mother and children

In Basel, the child had long ago been removed from the dance, and we only know the image from a colored gouache (the image on the left). It is not known how accurate this picture is, but it is strange that right here there are two deaths, while there is only one in Füssen.

In Füssen, Death drags two children away, one of whom is still in its cradle, while the children's mother prays plaintively in the background. It is reminiscent of the mother in Basel, who also has a large child and a cradle (picture to the right), and where Death says:

Basel: The death to the mother
ACh Fräwlein lassen ewer Klagen, Tantzen dem Kind nach mit der Waglen: Dann jhr möcht mir hie nicht entfliehen, […]
Alas, little Madam, cease your complaining. Dance after the child with the cradle, for here you cannot flee from me. […]

Zimmern's book of transience

Although the little boy has hardly learned to walk, the pictures both in Füssen and in Basel still show that he has a hobby horse. The verse is the same as in Basel, and the other dances in The Upper German 4-line Dance of Death. The child calls Death a tall man; in Basel it is a dry man; and in Heidelberg's block book it is a black man.

The scene in Füssen is similar to the same scene in Count Zimmern's Book of Transience (picture to the right).