A Clue

Meyer has found this text that may give us a clue to who wrote Copenhagen's Dance of Death - and when.

In the back of the book "En sermon huorledis mand skal berede sin hw til døden. Mart. Lutther Fordansket aff Christern Schrock. S. MDXXXVIII" (i.e.: A sermon [about] how one should prepare one's mind to death. Martin Luther translated by Christern Schrock. Swinborgensis 1538) there's a poem illustrated with a picture of Death on the lion. The picture is one that also appears in Lübeck's and Copenhagen's dance of death books, but this is not surprising since the printer, Hans Vingaard, had bought the plates and these appear in many other contemporary books.

Døden til Læseren Jeg vancker omkring i alle land. Jeg sparer huercken quinde eller mand Wnge och gamle store oc smaa. Strax ieg komer schulle met meg gaa. Førster oc konger haffue for meg ey fred The skulle her følge almuens seed. Store slott oc meget guld. Kand icke giøre mig thennom huld. Kiøbmen oc bønder, prester oc muncke. Wil ieg alle i iorden ned siuncke. Embesmend eller huo the helst ære. Skulle icke lenge for meg være. Som tyffuen om natthen i bondens huss Gaar ind, naar hand haffuer sluct sit lius Och tager ther vdt mett en fart. Alt thet bonden vilde haffue bespart. Saa riider ieg oc til huermand i gaar. Naar hand at leffue achter mange aar. Rige oc stercke ieg helst borttager. Siuge oc arme igen her lader. Saa er ieg een vforuarendis gest. Oc suiger alle som meg tro best. Thi vochter [pa]a meg aarle oc silde Saa kunde i icke fare ilde. Di alle denn[e]m som paa Gud tro. Sender ieg til den ewige ro.

Death to the Reader I walk around in all countries. I spare neither woman nor man Young and old, great and small As soon as I come [they] must go with me. Princes and kings I never give any peace they should follow the common people's customs. Great castles and lots of gold can not make me fond of them. Merchants and peasants, priests and monks I will drop them all into the earth. Craftsmen or who they honour most should not be left alone by me for long. Like the thief in the night in the peasant's house [I] walk in when he has turned out his light and take out in haste all that the peasant would have saved. Then I ride to everyman(1) in the courtyard when he intends to live many years. Rich and strong [people] I prefer to take away. Sick and poor [people] I leave. Thus I am an unexpected guest and deceive everybody who believes in me. Therefore watch out for me early and late then you cannot go wrong. Because all those who believe in God I am sending to the eternal rest.

This poem reminds of Lübeck's dance of death: Death appears personified and speaking and he doesn't make a distinction between poor and rich, high and low, young and old etc. etc. We are also warned to be prepared for Death who comes unexpectedly(2) - as a thief in the night.

You might guess that this poem was written by Schrock and that he also wrote Copenhagen's Dance of Death about 1538. This time period fits in with the year 1536 that's written on the cover of the Danish dance of death.

External link

• The picture can be seen full size at The Royal Danish Library's site: Fra støv til guld - kunsten at dø (From dust to gold - the art of dying. Danish text)

Related information:

• How old is Copenhagen's Dance of Death?
• What was the original title of Copenhagen's Dance of Death?
• Danish article about Hans Vingaard by Lauritz Nielsen. (with a passing reference to the above book)
• Copenhagen's Dance of Death
• Other dances of death books.
• Death as a thief in the night.

Footnotes: (1) (2)

The dance of death Lübeck Books How old is Copenhagen's Dance of Death? A Clue