Charles IV as the Servant of the Antichrist? : Image of the Emperor in the Anonymous Play Des entkrist vasnacht
Abstract
The anonymous play Des entkrist vasnacht was found in the collection of carnival plays (Fastnachtspiele) composed in Nuremberg in the 15th century (manuscript cgm 714, part II, no. 53). Nevertheless, the extraordinary extent of the play, its linguistic features, and peculiar elements in its content suggest that it actually originated in Zurich in the mid-14th century.
Therefore, since the late 19th century, the character of the emperor, who takes his courtiers' vicious advice and yields to the Antichrist, has been associated with Emperor Charles IV (who sided with the Habsburgs against the Zurich burghers). This hypothesis is supported by several mentions in the play - his being the son of a Czech king (verse 301), or the name of one of the bishops Gugel weÿt (verse 392), which seems to be a reference to one of the most influential dignitaries in Charles' court, Dietrich von Kugelweit / Kagelwit(t) (Dětřich of Portice).
There are several other character names that could be identified with contemporary figures, but that remains a subject for further study.