Brilliant Minds Neded: a Multi Barrel Illustration of 1511

[Matchlock]

I can read the Gothic print type quite well but to me, as in many contemporary books, it seems a bit bewildering and does not give any clue to the illustrations. Also, the text states that the book is about knighthood and the virtues of noble personalities whereas the illustrations depict mercenaries at siege work and fantabulous devices of variuos kind. It is true that some of them wear parts of knightly armor but none is shown to wear a suit of armor. We know from many contemporary illustrative sources that that was the usual Landsknechts' mixed wear: parts of armor or a mail shirt combined with the "buntes Wams", the traditional colorful mercenaries' clothing and the feathered beret.

In the late Middle Ages, colorful clothing was a strict privilege of the nobility and the clergy, while brown and grey clothes were allocated to mercenaries and peasants. At the middle of the 15th century an interesting kind of cultural revolution was started, combined with a radically new aplomb of the mercenaries. They became aware of the fact that wars and land could only be won by their social group, the commons, and that the nobility were reliant on them.

That understanding led to a completely new self confidence of the mercenaries. As free lancers, they could choose for themelves what war lord to serve. Their weapons and clothes were their own property and the more skillful they were in the use of their weapons the higher was their pay. The war booty being part of their pay, many of them used parts of armor and better weapons to improve their own defense and increase their value when bargaining with another war lord for their next pay.

All in all, I do not think that an actual understanding of the text is necessary. In my opinion it is the close study of the illustrations that is most important.

Michael