Siegmar von Willing

Knight of the Realm and Castellan Siegmar Götz Eberhard von Willing und zu Siegmarsburg was a Yonderian Knight of the Realm, mercenary and writer of the middle- and late sixteenth century. Siegmar led the mercenary band die Schwarze Kompanie (the Black Company) which famously took part in the Great Confessional War and countless conflicts all through Levantia in the latter half of the sixteenth century.

Reichsritter und Burgherr Siegmar von Willing und zu Siegmarsburg
Siegmar von Willing, 17th century copper engraving
Born	c. 1522 Willing, Vollardie County, Yonderre
Died	February 18, 1607(1607-02-18) (aged 84–85) Siegmarsburg, Vandarcôte County, Yonderre
Resting place	Schöntal Abbey, Schöntal, Yonderre
Occupation	Knight of the Realm Mercenary
Years active	1537-1589
Known for	His iron prosthetic hand
Children	9 See Issue
Parents	Killian von Willing (1481-1537) (father) Margarete von Thessen (d. 1550) (mother)

During a career lasting 52 years from 1537 to 1589, Siegmar fought several wars and took part in numerous personal feuds of which 18 were his own against such people as the bishop of Toubourg, the cities Sainte-Cateline, Stretton and Castruppe and even the Grand Count of Yonderre Joanus II de Donne. He was excommunicated by the Catholic Church twice and declared lawless thrice by the Grand Counts of Yonderre Joanus II de Donne and Falco I Sentinelleau.

Siegmar specified the exact recipe for Chevalier Vert in 1602 which remains in use to this day. During the Great Confessional War, Siegmar also coined the term Anglei's final warning. Siegmar left behind a manuscript for an autobiography still in print as My Feuds and Life which covers as diverse topics as his childhood, military tactics, poetry and brewing recipes.

Titulation and name

From 1566 Siegmar von Willing carried both the titles Reichsritter (Knight of the Realm) and Burgherr (Castellan) as well as the suffix zu Siegmarsburg, signifying his lordship over Siegmarsburg. His full name and title in the East Gothic language at his time of death was Reichsritter und Burgherr Siegmar Götz Eberhard von Willing und zu Siegmarsburg, in Burgoignesc Chevaleuer de Royaume et Castelain Siegmar Götz Eberhard de Willing et de Siegmarbourg.

Biography

Early life

Siegmar Götz Eberhard von Willing was born c. 1522 as the third child of five and only son of Killian von Willing (c. 1481-1537) and Margarete von Thessen (d. 1550) in the city of Willing, Vollardie, Yonderre. As Captain of the Town Watch, Killian von Willing had sufficient funds to pay for an education for Siegmar who was thus made literate and taught of history, poetry and of warfare. In 1537 aged 15 Siegmar entered the service of Steward Giles of Willing as a guardsman and partook in fights against banditry. By 1540, Siegmar had left the services of Giles of Willing and instead served the Count of Vollardie, and by 1542 had joined the ranks of the Knights of the Realm. By 1545, Siegmar formed the mercenary outfit that would eventually become the Black Company.

Black Company and First Potato War

Having loaned 500 Levantine Talers from a wealthy Koop merchant, Siegmar along with Knights of the Realm Giles de Gabion and Henry de Famichez recruited 25 men of various backgrounds to be their retinue. These formed the core of what would eventually become the Black Company. Initially primarily performing escort services for wealthy merchants travelling between cities, chasing high profile bounties and protecting settlements from banditry, the Black Company grew in size to be a 100 strong by 1549. With his trusted Lieutenants Giles de Gabion and Henry de Famichez each able to handily lead detachments of the force, the Black Company was able to cover several tasks and duties at once, greatly increasing revenue.

Legacy

Autobiography

A scene concerning sieges from the original manuscript of Lebenserfahrungen und Erinnerungen des Reichsritters Siegmarns von Willing, written and illustrated by Siegmar von Willing

Siegmar was in the process of finishing his autobiography when he died; the manuscript was first published in 1609 as Lebenserfahrungen und Erinnerungen des Reichsritters Siegmarns von Willing (Life experiences and memoirs of Knight of the Realm Siegmar von Willing) by his widow, having been minimally edited by a Gabion scribe. The original manuscript is known to be one of the few works to have been saved from the collections of the University of Collinebourg which was otherwise lost in the Great Fire of Collinebourg in 1728. A 1771 reprint entitled Mein Fehd und Leben (My Feuds and Life) became the new de facto title of the work for future prints. The book received considerable interest during the early Yonderian Golden Age of the 1820s which sparked a renewed interest in Siegmar's life. Yonderian playwright Hieronymus d'Olbourg wrote the play "Siegmar the Iron-Handed" in 1833 based on a Gothic 1825 print of the book.

Issue

Siegmar von Willing married thrice; to Helena Carlstochter (m. 1539-1544 (her death from childbirth)), Henriette Mathiastochter (m. 1545-1549 (divorced)) and finally Anne-Marie of Schöntal (m. 1553-1607 (his death)). Siegmar von willing had nine children between 1540-1569, three sons and six daughters. One son, Killian, was stillborn while a daughter, Karolina, died soon after birth. Two children, Eberhard and Simona, died before the age of three.

• Helena Carlstochter (1520-1544)
  • Viktoria (1540-1613)
  • Katrine (1540-1593)
  • Killian (1544†)

• Henriette Matthiastochter (1522-1585)
  • Eberhard (1546-1548)
  • Hansine (1548-1612)

• Anne-Marie of Schöntal (1533-1611)
  • Killian (1554-1625)
  • Simona (1556-1559)
  • Karolina (1560†)
  • Ingrid (1562-1635)