The Housebook of the Lords of Hallwil, also known as Turnierbuch,
is a combination of family chronicle, tournament book and book of
heraldry. This paper manuscript from the second half of the 16th
century probably replaces an older copy. On the inside of the cover
are found the large coats of arms of Burkhart von Hallwil and his
two wives Judith von Anwil and Margaretha von Löwenberg. Pp. 4-10
contain a late version of the poem Ring von Hallwil, a saga about
the endangerment and saving of the inheritance of the Hallwils. On
pp. 11-17 there follow texts about family history and then a
second, older version of the poem Ring von Hallwil (pp. 19-21).
After a number of empty pages, there are six empty crests (pp.
48-50), meant for the three brothers Thüring I von Hallwil (†
1386) und Katharina von Wolfurt, Walter V († after 1370) and
Herzlaude von Tengen, “Hemann” (Johannes IV, † 1386) and Anna
vom Hus. On p. 51 there is a view of the ancestral home of the
Hallwil family. It is followed by pictures of Caspar (p. 54) and
Burkhart von Hallwil (p. 55), scenes from tournaments (pp. 56-59),
and images relating to the Ring von Hallwil (pp. 60-66). At the end
of the manuscript, there are more coats of arms of the Lords of
Hallwil and their wives (pp. 68-96), the last ones only sketched
out but not completed (pp. 97-118). The manuscript was donated to
the Swiss National Museum in 1907 by Count Walther von Hallwil, the
last occupant of the castle, and his wife Wilhelmine. A second
version is held by the Basel University Library (Ms. H I 10).
Rights
e-codices - Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland
