Death and the Maiden Origins

From the Dance of Death by Michael Wolgemut (1493)Death by Michael Wolgemut (1493) Dance of Death, also variously called Danse Macabre (French) is an artistic genre of late medieval allegory on the universality of death: no matter one’s station in life, the Dance of Death unites all. The Danse Macabre consists of the dead or personified Death summoning representatives from all walks of life to dance along to the grave, typically with a pope, emperor, king, child, and peasant. They were produced to remind people of the fragility of their lives and how vain were the glories of earthly life. Its origins are postulated from illustrated sermon texts. In Folklore compiled from Wikipedia

The deathly horrors of the 14 th century – such as recurring famines; the Hundred Years’ War in France; and, most of all, the Black Death – were culturally assimilated throughout Europe. The omnipresent possibility of sudden and painful death increased the religious desire for penitence, but it also evoked a hysterical desire for amusement while still possible; a last dance as cold comfort. The danse macabre combines both desires: in many ways similar to the medieval mystery plays, the dance-with-death allegory was originally a didactic dialogue poem to remind people of the inevitability of death and to advise them strongly to be prepared at all times for death. Pieter Brueghel the Elder, The Triumph of Death (c. 1562) in the Museo del Prado, Madrid compiled from Wikipedia

Usually, a short dialogue is attached to each victim, in which Death is summoning him (or, more rarely, her) to dance and the summoned is moaning about impending death. In the first printed Totentanz, Death addresses the emperor: Emperor, your sword won’t help you out Sceptre and crown are worthless here I’ve taken you by the hand For you must come to my dance At the end of the Totentanz, Death calls for the peasant to dance, who answers: I had to work very much and very hard The sweat was running down my skin I’d like to escape death nonetheless But here I won’t have any luck compiled from Wikipedia

The String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, known as Death and the Maiden, by Franz Schubert, is one of the pillars of the chamber music repertoire. Composed in 1824, after the composer suffered through a serious illness and realized that he was dying, it is Schubert’s testament to death. In Music compiled from Wikipedia

From the violent opening unison, the first movement runs a relentless race through terror, pain and resignation, ending with a dying D minor chord. “The struggle with Death is the subject of the first movement, and the andante accordingly dwells on Death’s words,” writes Cobbett. After a scherzo movement, with a trio that provides the only lyrical respite from the depressing mood of the piece, the quartet ends with a tarantella – the traditional dance to ward off madness and death. “The finale is most definitely in the character of a dance of death; ghastly visions whirl past in the inexorable uniform rhythm of the tarantella,” writes Cobbett. compiled from Wikipedia

Hans Baldung Grien, Der Tod und das Mädchen, 1517 The Maiden: Pass me by! Oh, pass me by! Go, fierce man of bones! I am still young! Go, rather, And do not touch me. And do not touch me. Death: Give me your hand, you beautiful and tender form! I am a friend, and come not to punish. Be of good cheer! I am not fierce, Softly shall you sleep in my arms! compiled from Wikipedia

In Paintings Egon Schiele Edvard Munch compiled from Wikipedia