Medieval Swiss Battle Mysticism: Brutality and Spirituality in the Burgundian Wars

A historical analysis examines the intertwining of extreme violence and religious mysticism among Swiss Confederates during the Burgundian Wars, particularly the Battle of Murten on June 22, 1476. The Swiss gained a reputation for brutal, fearless warfare, often committing massacres and taking no prisoners. Contemporary accounts describe rituals such as drinking blessed Johanniswein and praying with outstretched arms before battle. Zurich captain Hans Waldmann noted men who had never seen death, yet they stormed Burgundian artillery positions. After the battle, leaders like Waldmann and 23-year-old Marx Röist were knighted as war heroes; both later became mayors of Zurich. Röist, a future commander of the Papal Swiss Guard, likely owned or copied a mystical manuscript, 'Extendit manum,' detailing Christ's Passion in graphic, naturalistic terms. Historian Kurt Ruh finds it plausible that the young Röist copied the text in 1476. The article also discusses Niklaus von Flüe, a hermit and former captain who advocated mercy, and contrasts his peaceful mysticism with the ecstatic, death-defying fervor of Swiss fighters, which contemporary humanists like Thomas More found alarming.