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| Heidelberger block book, the nun follows Death smilingly. |
Death is disguised as a monk and the nuns follows quietly along - in contrast to the monk (letter O).
There was nothing new in the thought that good people did not fear Death - who was simply a messenger from God. Holbein probably had a copy of Heidelberg's dance of death from 1465 (picture to the right).
The accompanying text for this letter goes: »Eyn weg ist der dem menschen würd gesehen gerecht / aber syne letzten füren in zu dem todt«.
This is from The Book of Proverbs 14:12, which in Luther's version sounds: »Manchem scheint ein Weg recht; aber zuletzt bringt er ihn zum Tode«. In English: »There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death«.
Dansk 
Lübeck's dance of death
Holbein
Alphabet
Q