Peasants' Brawl, From Peasant Festival or The Twelve Months, Plate 9

Fights were popular features of peasant festivals, at least in art. The trigger might be flirting or cheating at games—and too much drink, as signaled by the grapevine at left. The banner reads, “If you clobber me, I’ll stick you.” The city of Nuremberg, which had become Lutheran shortly before this engraving was made, tried to suppress such celebrations. But they also came to represent the German birthright to have a good time.