Carlos V's book of hours, The Women

Empress and abbess

After the three living and the three dead and the men it's time for the women. As shown by the picture to the right, there are two dancers per page.

The dance starts with a small sermon which is either the conclusion of the men's dance or an introduction to the women's.

The dance itself is far shorter than the 32-36 dancing couples that normally appear in the women's Danse Macabre, and it must be characterized as a selection.

There are an abbess and a prioress, even though these two characters don't appear in any of the old manuscripts, and made their first appearance in the printed books from 1486 and later. The baroness is presumably the same as the knight's wife in la Danse Macabre, since the baron in the men's dance replaces the knight. There is also a "penitent woman", who is not found in the Danse Macabre.

The texts are very short — often just a single line — and has nothing to do with La Danse Macabre.

Transcription by Mischa von Perger

Epilogue/prologue

poures gens mondains
qui estez tant vains
ceur plus deur que ace
soiez tous certains
que tous pour le moins
ainsy da<n>ceres
donc co<n>sideres
comment vous viurez
le temps auenir
affin quant serez
au passage amer
ne soyer pugnir

Empress

Abbess

venez aduant dame emperiere
< … >

madame labesse
pas ne vous delesse

Queen

Prioress

pouure royne vous estez morte
< … >

dame la prieure
venez tout en leure

Duchess

Clara sister

duchesse venez a la feste
< … >

vous qui estez de sainte clere
dancerez per bonne maniere

Baroness

Maid

baronne venez en aduant
< … >

belle vierge honneste
venez a la feste.

Noblewoman

Widow

gentille fame ne vous desplaise
< … >

venez aduant ma poure vefue
< … >

Darling wife

Penitent woman

mignone bourgoyse
suiuez moy sans

pouure penitante
pas ne demourez Ie menuente

Merchant's wife

Peasant's wife

suz venez marchande
que Ie ne vous change

fame de village :
estez vous sauuage

Authority

< … >
< … >

Transcription by Mischa von Perger

The rest of this section will concentrate on the printed dances of death, particularly those by Simon Vostre (those that are to be found to the left on every page on the present site).

 

The next chapter in this series is about Simon Vostre.

The previous subject was the men's dance

External links

• Charles V's book of hours can be seen at the Bibioteca Nacional de España: Libro de horas de Carlos V .

  Note: The book has been misbound so leaf 220/221 (Carthusian, sergeant, monk and usurer) has been inserted too early.

Further information

• La Danse Macabre, the women
• Manuscripts with La Danse Macabre

The dance of death Marginals Dances of death The women