DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.74283#0114
96
THE DANCERS
dragged them from their horses and put them to flight. The way
was cleared among the populace by the "Raue Klaider," a group
of maskers in hairy costume, and behind them came the Ldufer
in a solid troop; the pikes they carried would be their chief weapon
in the fray (f. loqr: "Jch Schwanng mein spieB"). The noise of
pipers and drums and bells in this confusion was terrific —"ein
Krausamer Hall" (f. 103V) — and the members of the Council
themselves intervened to force the Ldufer back. No quarter was
given, however, until the last "Turk" had been driven from the
town, then the attackers gathered to recount their exploits and
victories. The rallying point for protection as well as celebration
was the tavern, (f. 103V) "unsre Stuben," (f. i04r) "die Drinckh-
stuben."
The crowds of Nuremberg burghers favored the rich mummers,
perhaps because of their grand array, perhaps from an old dislike
of the Schembart privilege; the personal note introduced by the
writer of the chronicle, who, as we have seen, may perhaps be
identified as Pancraz Bernhaupt Schwenter,216 and his silent but
significant answer to the angry crowd ("BoB Rott") as he flour-
ished his pike, forms an intimate sidelight on the fracas.217 But
the triumph of the Ldufer was short-lived and came to an ignomini-
ous conclusion, for the Council sent its official to close the tavern,
force all the Ldufer to unmask and have their names recorded;
later they appeared before the Council and were given a stiff rep-
rimand. However, the right was on the side of the Ldufer, as
the Turkish pageant had been held without the knowledge of the
Council, and so they were let off easily.
The vivid chronicle of the "Scharmutzel" has enriched our
understanding of the Schembartlauf and clarified our picture of
the activities of the Ldufer. We must now turn to a group of sub-
sidiary but none the less important mummers whose proper place
in the carnival is with the fanciful figures known as "grotesques."
216 Cf. supra, pp. 15-16.
217 The phrase "Jch wardt miiht" (f. loqr) and Drescher's error in interpreting it
(in the form, "Jch, waBmueth") have already been commented upon.
THE DANCERS
dragged them from their horses and put them to flight. The way
was cleared among the populace by the "Raue Klaider," a group
of maskers in hairy costume, and behind them came the Ldufer
in a solid troop; the pikes they carried would be their chief weapon
in the fray (f. loqr: "Jch Schwanng mein spieB"). The noise of
pipers and drums and bells in this confusion was terrific —"ein
Krausamer Hall" (f. 103V) — and the members of the Council
themselves intervened to force the Ldufer back. No quarter was
given, however, until the last "Turk" had been driven from the
town, then the attackers gathered to recount their exploits and
victories. The rallying point for protection as well as celebration
was the tavern, (f. 103V) "unsre Stuben," (f. i04r) "die Drinckh-
stuben."
The crowds of Nuremberg burghers favored the rich mummers,
perhaps because of their grand array, perhaps from an old dislike
of the Schembart privilege; the personal note introduced by the
writer of the chronicle, who, as we have seen, may perhaps be
identified as Pancraz Bernhaupt Schwenter,216 and his silent but
significant answer to the angry crowd ("BoB Rott") as he flour-
ished his pike, forms an intimate sidelight on the fracas.217 But
the triumph of the Ldufer was short-lived and came to an ignomini-
ous conclusion, for the Council sent its official to close the tavern,
force all the Ldufer to unmask and have their names recorded;
later they appeared before the Council and were given a stiff rep-
rimand. However, the right was on the side of the Ldufer, as
the Turkish pageant had been held without the knowledge of the
Council, and so they were let off easily.
The vivid chronicle of the "Scharmutzel" has enriched our
understanding of the Schembartlauf and clarified our picture of
the activities of the Ldufer. We must now turn to a group of sub-
sidiary but none the less important mummers whose proper place
in the carnival is with the fanciful figures known as "grotesques."
216 Cf. supra, pp. 15-16.
217 The phrase "Jch wardt miiht" (f. loqr) and Drescher's error in interpreting it
(in the form, "Jch, waBmueth") have already been commented upon.