Arnold von Melchtal

Arnold of MELCHTAL was after the White Book of Sarnen the emissary of the Urkantons Unterwalden, who according to the legend on the Rütliwiese with the Rütlischwur founded the Old Confederation, together with Walter Fürst and Werner Stauffacher.

Origin and name

The White Book of Sarnen reported that the servants of the Vicar of Unterwalden, Beringer of Landenberg, the farmers in Melchi take away the oxen wanted. His son had resisted and struck the servant of the bailiff a finger in two. Then let the bailiff 's father dazzle and expropriate. With the " Melchi " is a meadow at Tobel the Melchaa, meant below ( north ) of Flüeli -Ranft, near the High Bridge.

Petermann Etterlin mistook in his chronicle " Kronica of the loblichen Eydtgnoschaft Jr harkommen and sust seltzam strittenn and stories " in 1507 the scene with the place MELCHTAL in the village core. Only the Swiss historian Robert Durrer (1867-1934) revealed that error and located the Melchi again in Flüeli -Ranft.

In Uri Telle game of 1513 first appears in the name Arnold on, and the common name in Obwalden Anderhalden was in the 18th century added yet.

Reception

Friedrich Schiller has taken the figure of Arnold of MELCHTAL in his William Tell and presents them under a similar story

In pictures and statues of the Rütli oath Walter Fürst as an old man, Werner Stauffacher be shown in middle-aged and Arnold of MELCHTAL as a young man.