The Thirty Years' War (English Translation)

Chapter 1 by rabatz16

We write this in the year of our Lord, 1625¹. It is a misty morning in September. The inhabitants of the small farm are still sleeping on their straw beds. Thirty pairs of eyes stare greedily through the dawn. They have marched for three days straight and haven't been able to make any loot. Their supplies are almost completely depleted. They hear the mooing of a cow from the barn, and pigs can be heard too. They won’t leave here hungry.

The 40-year-old Christian, the farmer of the estate, and his young, heavily pregnant second wife Catharina know nothing of this. Next door, his 18-year-old twin daughters Dorothea and Sophia sleep. Also living on the farm are the old farmhand Andreas, the cowherd Georg, the maid Hanna, and the young maid Regine.

Who is watching the small farmstead between Ostercappeln and Venne²? They are mercenaries of the Danish Duke Christian IV³. In front of the house, the dog’s hut is visible. Soft clinking of chains can be heard from there. With a signal, the leader sends a crossbowman forward. He slowly crawls against the wind towards the farm. As he reaches the picket fence, Wulf, the farm dog, comes out of his hut. He hasn't sensed him yet and won’t, as a precise shot drives the iron bolt directly into the dog’s heart. Oluf, the shooter, pulls a once-white cloth from his pants and waves to the others to advance.

¹ This was during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), a devastating conflict in Central Europe involving many of the great European powers of the time. It was primarily fought in what is now Germany and surrounding areas.

² These are small towns in Lower Saxony, Germany. Ostercappeln is located northeast of Osnabrück, and Venne is a nearby village. During the Thirty Years' War, this region saw significant military activity and suffering.

³ Duke Christian IV of Denmark (1577-1648) was the King of Denmark and Norway. He led Denmark into the Thirty Years' War from 1625 to 1629, during the so-called Danish Phase of the war, seeking to gain control over the Protestant states in Germany and expand his influence.