Lübeck's Dance of Death

Lübeck's dance of death

Ludewig Suhl	Translation
Still, Vermessener! du seyest auch wer du seyest der du durch manch unnüzes Wort diesen heiligen Ort entweyhest. Hier findest du keine Plauter=Cappelle(1) sondern im Todten Tanz deine gewisse Stelle. Still demnach, still! Laß das Mahlwerck stummer Wände mit dir reden und wo möglich vor dem Ende dich über= reden, daß der Mensch sey und werde Erde.(2) Px. Ho. 1463 Renov. ult. Ao 1701.	Quiet, presumptuous one! You may be whoever you are, who desecrates this holy place with so many useless words. Here you will find no Chatter Chapel(1) but your own certain place in the Dance of Death. Quiet, then, quiet! Let the painted work of silent walls speak to you and, if possible, persuade you before the end that man is and will become earth. Anno 1701.

der Tod Heran ihr Sterblichen, das Glas ist aus, heran, Vom Höchsten in der Welt bis auf den Bauersmann. Das Wegern ist umsonst, umsonst ist alles Klagen, Ihr müsset einen Tanz nach meiner Pfeife wagen.	Death Come on, you mortals, the glass is out, come on, from the highest in the world down to the farmer-man. Refusal is in vain, in vain are all objections. You must attempt a dance to my pipe.

Photo from the 20^th century

Added words by Suhl

The old text from 1463 has presumably started with a preacher, like most other dances of death, and like the sister-painting in Tallinn. Schlott has instead written a solemn admonition.

The texts vary a bit. On the right picture I have marked those words that have been added by Suhl. There's a lot of variation, particularly towards the end. In his book Eine Hand-voll Poetischer Blätter (1702) Nathanael Schlott lets the introduction end like this:
»und wo möglich vor dem Ende dich überreden / daß der Mensch sey und werde Erde«.

In his book Gründliche Nachricht from 1713 Jakob von Melle gives precisely the same text — except that he ends it with "N.S.", which presumably stands for "Nathanael Schlott".
»und wo möglich vor dem Ende dich überreden / daß der Mensch sey und werde Erde. N.S«.

Suhl adds the mysterious "Px. Ho. 1463" (picture to the right and above), which started the rumour that the painting had been created by Hans Holbein ("Pinxit Holbein"):
»und wo möglich vor dem Ende dich überreden / daß der Mensch sey und werde Erde. Px. Ho. 1463. Renov. ult. Ao 1701«.

The "Px. Ho. 1463" later disappeared again, as if it had never existed(!) Suhl is the only person to ever have reported it.

As the photo to the left shows, the words "wo möglich" — reported by all three sources did not exist, while they have all overlooked another word: »und vor dem Ende dich über reden, daß der Mensch sey und seyn werde Erde. Anno 1701«.

Thomas Nugent
I. Death Ye mortals, up! your glass is out, Both high and low; for do not doubt, But tyrant kings, at my command, Shall take a beggar by the hand. I'll tune my pipe, as they advance, And make them partners in a dance.

Footnotes: (1) (2)

Plauderkapelle...: See the page about the chapel.

Genesis 3:19, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.