(#8) Tycho Brahe
- Dec. at 55 (1546-1601)
Dutch nobleman Tycho Brahe is today remembered for his work in astronomy, particularly his precise measurements and observations. His one-time assistant, Johannes Kepler, would later use much of the data collected by Brahe in formulating his laws of planetary motion. (Brahe himself is credited with a decent number of breakthroughs as well, particularly his theory that stars - rather than being immutable and fixed objects in the heavens - were in fact moving and changing, being created and destroyed. He is also credited as the last of the important "naked-eye astronomers," who made their observations without the use of a telescope.
So, yes, all well and good, important guy, learned about stars. But how did he DIE? Well, it's kind of a funny (and sad!) story.
According to Kepler, Brahe was attending a banquet in Prague in October of 1601. Though he desperately had to use the restroom, he felt this would be a breach of etiquette and good manners. Holding it in until he got home, he then found himself unable to urinate at all. 11 days later, he died. At the time, doctors thought he had suffered from kidney stones, but it was later theorized that by failing to relieve himself at the banquet, he contracted a bladder or kidney ailment, such as uremia.
It was later suggested, after large amounts of mercury were detected in Brahe's remains, that he may have actually died from mercury poisoning. Tests to determine the actual cause of his death have been thus far inconclusive.(#2) François Vatel
- Dec. at 40 (1631-1671)
Theories and alternative variations surround the strange case of Francois Vatel's suicide. What is known with some amount of certainty is this: Vatel was the Maître d'hôtel (translated: "master of the house") for the French general and nobleman Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé. In 1671, Vatel was tasked with hosting an extravagant banquet at the Chateau de Chantilly in honor of a visit from King Louis XIV. In preparation for the event, Vatel is credited with inventing "Chantilly Creme," a sweet whipped cream with a light vanilla flavor.
What actually happened during the banquet is a matter of some debate. According to a letter written by one of the guests - Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné - Vatel, a notorious perfectionist, became distraught over the fish course being delayed in the kitchen, along with other small mishaps and human errors. He then killed himself with his sword. Because, seriously... late fish... what else was he supposed to do? (In this version of the story, he's often discovered by an aide who was running to tell him the fish was finally ready to serve.)
Many other versions of the story have floated around. In the 2000 film Vatel, screenwriters Jeanne Labrune and Tom Stoppard suggest that Vatel - a sophisticated man whose birth into a lower-class family keeps him from ever joining aristocratic society - killed himself because he secretly loved the King's latest romantic conquest.(#4) Humayun
- Dec. at 48 (1508-1556)
Emperor Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun ruled the Mughal Empire (present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of India) from 1530-1540, and again from 1555-1556. He had lost control of his kingdom in the interim, before gaining it back with the help of the Persians.
On January 27, 1556, less than a year after regaining control of his entire kingdom, Humayun was descending the staircase from his library with his arms full of books. Upon hearing the nearby mosque's call to prayer (known as "adhan"), Humayun kneeled as he always would. Unfortunately, on this occasion, he caught his foot on his robe, which sent him tumbling down the stairs. He hit his head on the stone ground, and died three days later from his injuries. He was succeeded by his 13-year-old son, Akbar.(#5) Jean-Baptiste Lully
- Dec. at 55 (1632-1687)
Jean-Baptiste Lully was a composer who worked in the court of Louis XIV of France. Though born in Italy, he became a French subject in 1661 and thereafter rose to become one of the most respected composers in the French Baroque style.
He famously became close friends with King Louis (their friendship inspired the 2000 Belgian film Le Roi Danse), and was also a noted libertine who embarked on numerous romantic affairs with men and women while in court.
In January of 1687, Lully conducted a performance of the Christian hymn called "Te Deum" to honor Louis XIV's recovery from an illness. As was the tradition of the time, Lully was keeping the rhythm by banging a long staff against the floor. He accidentally hit his toe during the performance, HARD, causing an abscess which later developed gangrene. Due to Lully's refusal to allow doctors to amputate his toe, the infection spread, causing his death a few months later.
Probably should have just given up on that toe. He had 9 more, afterall.(#3) György Dózsa
- Dec. at 44 (1470-1514)
György Dózsa was a Hungarian soldier-of-fortune (from Transylvania!) who had gained some amount of notoriety for his efforts in battle against the Ottoman Empire. When Pope Leo X authorized a crusade against the Ottomans in 1514, Dózsa was selected to staff up an army, which he did by training peasants, students, monks, and priests to fight.
Unfortunately for Dózsa, this plan had some disadvantages. Mainly that the peasants, now that they had weapons and military training, decided to use them against their old landlords, setting fire to manor houses and castles and killing thousands via cruel means like crucifixion. Even after Leo X revoked permission for a Crusade, and the King ordered the peasantry to return to their homes, Dózsa continued seizing castles and villages.
He was eventually captured in what is now Timişoara, Romania, and condemned to death. His punishment? To be burned with a smoldering iron throne, crown, and sceptre, designed to mock his supposed kingly ambitions. Plus, he was skinned alive with hot pliers, and his surviving followers were forced to eat bits of his flesh. Also, his brother Gergely was killed in front of him. Even by Crusades standards, this is a tough way to go.(#6) Nanda Bayin
- Dec. at 65 (1535-1600)
Nanda Bayin served as King of the Taungoo Dynasty of Myanmar (sometimes called Burma) from 1581 to 1599. (Very quick history lesson: The Taungoo Dynasty, in the mid-16th Century, unified what was once known as the "Pagan Empire" and briefly became the largest empire in Southeast Asia.)
According to legend, Nanda laughed himself to death in 1599 when he was informed, by a visiting Italian merchant, that "Venice was a free state without a king." This has been heavily disputed by historians, however, and it is generally agreed that Nanda merely abdicated the throne following the death of his son, only to be assassinated the following year by Natshinnaung, the new Crown Prince of Taungoo.
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About This Tool
Renaissance refers to a European ideological and cultural movement that occurred from the 14th to the 16th century. This concept has been used by Italian humanist writers and scholars in the 14th-16th centuries. Beginning in Italy, it spread to other parts of Europe in the 16th century, and its influence was reflected in art, architecture, philosophy, literature, and many other fields.
With the changes in culture and society, many bizarre deaths of famous historical figures in the Renaissance era have also been recorded or passed down. The random tool shares 9 of the strangest deaths of the Renaissance era that are from myths and legends.
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