The Adventures of the Knight Theuerdank
The Adventures of the Knight Theuerdank
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".
Theuerdank asks his father if he may accept the invitation from Ehrenreich
Theuerdank asks his father if he may accept the invitation from Ehrenreich 
 
Theuerdank tells his father of his plan for a "journey of adventure" and how he plans to win the Queen's favor with knightly deeds. He asks his father for permission to embark on the adventure, who is filled with pride for the chivalrous character of the young knight. Despite some misgivings he allows him to embark on the dangerous journey.