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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
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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
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venez aduant dame emperiere
< … >
madame labesse
pas ne vous delesse
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pouure royne vous estez morte
< … >
dame la prieure
venez tout en leure
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duchesse venez a la feste
< … >
vous qui estez de sainte clere
dancerez per bonne maniere
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baronne venez en aduant
< … >
belle vierge honneste
venez a la feste.
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gentille fame ne vous desplaise
< … >
venez aduant ma poure vefue
< … >
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mignone bourgoyse
suiuez moy sans
pouure penitante
pas ne demourez Ie menuente
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suz venez marchande
que Ie ne vous change
fame de village :
estez vous sauuage
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< … >
< … >
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).
Note: The book has been misbound so leaf 220/221 (Carthusian, sergeant, monk and usurer) has been inserted too early.