Color plates scanned from the Taschen Facsimile of Maximilian I's Theuerdank, 1517.
Written in the style of a medieval epic poem, Theuerdank is a fanciful and allegorical autobiography of Emperor Maximilian I.
Chapters are loosely based on events from the Emperor's life and tell the story of his alter ego "Theuerdank" and the various perils he overcomes on his journey to marry "Erenreich", Maximilian's fictional character for Mary of Burgundy.
The descriptions I give for each chapter are paraphrased from Stephen Fussel's "Emperor Maximilian and the Media of His Day, The Theuerdank of 1517, a Cultural-Historical Introduction".
Romreich consults with his advisors
The king requests the help of his advisers in choosing one of twelve suitors, who agree to trust his judgment in making a final decision. Romreich promises to pick the most noble and virtuous of the twelve, but will only reveal who it is at the hour of his death or in his testament.