The meaning of the Swords

[Logan]

I found this old map of Edenburck (Edinburgh/Scotland) http://www.nls.uk/digitallibrary/map/early/towns.cfm?id=210
I am at a loss to the meaning of the swords and the man in the image, would anybody have the slightest idea of what it could possibly mean.

 

[Mr. Premise]

Well I am at work and don't have my German and Latin dictionaries with me but there are some sayings there in both languages about anger. "Auss zorn der Alexander gross ist, seins Freundes Cliti(?)blut Vergoss" ("As Alexander's anger was great, he forgot his friend Clitus's blood," [??} ) and "Ein zorniger thut nichts zu mahl, aussspeyen dann S.S. ohn zahl." (An angry man does nothing at the time but countless.... [??]And "Ira furor brevis ist, ingrescunt sanguine venae, Litterae serpentis triplicatur et arma ministrat." (The furor of anger is brief, blood grows in the veins, the [words? letters?] of serpents triple and bear arms).

Not sure about my translations.

Anyone else want to take a stab at this (no pun intended)?

So we have anger, Alexander the Great, arms and serpents. The swords must have something to do with the arms.

I found this old map of Edenburck (Edinburgh/Scotland) http://www.nls.uk/digitallibrary/map/early/towns.cfm?id=210
I am at a loss to the meaning of the swords and the man in the image, would anybody have the slightest idea of what it could possibly mean.

 

[Mr. Premise]

Just noticed the title of the page. It seems to be a quote from Virgil's Aeneid (which was about Arms and the Man, after all). The quote is "Vim suscitat ira" or "Anger rekindles strength," I think.

 

[Logan]

Thank you for your response Donald.

This evening i found out this about the image.

[Unusual Prospect of Edinburgh] MEISNER, Daniel.
Edenburck in Schottl. Nuremberg: Paulus Furst, 1638. 100 x 150mm.
A very unusual view, copied from the Braun & Hogenberg view published 1572. However Meisner has added a cavalier-like figure, with swords hanging in his line of sight, a quote from Virgil, 'Vim Suscitat Ira, and more lines of verse in Latin & German. Neither the figure nor the text appear to have any connection with Edinburgh. Meisner's book of townplans originally appeared in 1623

A german friend had a go at the line "Ein zorniger thut nichts zu mahl, aussspeyen dann S.S. ohn zahl." a madman( or someone really nervous) doesnt do anything when (aussspeyen doesnt exist) dann=then / SS was a nazi troop as far as i know, but i dont think they mean it/ ohne zahl means without a number.

I did find other mentions of the word aussspeyen online...
http://www.logia.org/pdf/epiph95.pdf Lutherian Theology (all new to me)
http://www.kraeuter.ch/kastanie/kastanie.htm

 

[Mr. Premise]

Your German friend probably isn't that familiar with 16th century German. There were, by today's standards, unusual spellings and different word usage. Think of Shakespeare's English as an analogy. I learned Early New High German at the same time I learned modern German (I did German historical research in archives twenty years ago), and I found that an advantage in learning the older language, in some ways. It can be hard even for a native German speaker to read the old texts if they haven't had a lot of practice.

I am home today and have my dictionaries at hand. I think Ausspeyen means 'to observe'. S.S. sure as heck doesn't mean the Nazi SS! Probably some sort of plural abbreviation (more than one 's' ). It rings a bell, but I can't remember what it stands for.

Ohne Zahl does not mean 'without a number' it means 'countless'.

Thank you for your response Donald.

This evening i found out this about the image.

[Unusual Prospect of Edinburgh] MEISNER, Daniel.
Edenburck in Schottl. Nuremberg: Paulus Furst, 1638. 100 x 150mm.
A very unusual view, copied from the Braun & Hogenberg view published 1572. However Meisner has added a cavalier-like figure, with swords hanging in his line of sight, a quote from Virgil, 'Vim Suscitat Ira, and more lines of verse in Latin & German. Neither the figure nor the text appear to have any connection with Edinburgh. Meisner's book of townplans originally appeared in 1623

A german friend had a go at the line "Ein zorniger thut nichts zu mahl, aussspeyen dann S.S. ohn zahl." a madman( or someone really nervous) doesnt do anything when (aussspeyen doesnt exist) dann=then / SS was a nazi troop as far as i know, but i dont think they mean it/ ohne zahl means without a number.

I did find other mentions of the word aussspeyen online...
http://www.logia.org/pdf/epiph95.pdf Lutherian Theology (all new to me)
http://www.kraeuter.ch/kastanie/kastanie.htm