->''"Wild und frei"''
-->-- '''one of the band's mottos'''

[[http://www.saltatio-mortis.com/ Saltatio Mortis]] (latin for ''dance of death'') is a German medieval metal band. They frequently play on medieval festivals, most notably the [[http://www.spectaculum.de/ Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum]].

The band was founded in 2000 and currently consists of
* Alea der Bescheidene - vocals, bagpipes, didgeridoo, guitar, shawms
* Lasterbalk der Lästerliche - drums, davul and other percussion
* Falk Irmenfried von Hasen-Mümmelstein - bagpipes, vocals, hurdy-gurdy, shawms
* El Silbador - bagpipes, shawms, smallpipes, uillean pipes and other pipes
* Bruder Frank - bass guitars, electric upright Chapman Stick, guitar
* Till Promill - guitars
* Jean Méchant der Tambour - drums, piano, guitar, vocals
* Luzi das L - pipes, shawms

!! Studio albums
* 2001: ''Tavernakel ("Tavernacle")''
* 2002: ''Das zweite Gesicht ("The Second Face")''
* 2003: ''Heptessenz ("Seventh Essence")''
* 2004: ''Erwachen ("Awakening")''
* 2005: ''Des Königs Henker ("The King's Hangman")''
* 2007: ''Aus der Asche ("From the Ashes")''
* 2009: ''Wer Wind sät ("Who Sows the Wind")''
* 2011: ''Sturm aufs Paradies ("Rush on Paradise")''
* 2013: ''Das Schwarze Einmaleins ("The Black 101")''
* 2015: ''Zirkus Zeitgeist ("Circus Zeitgeist")'' and ''Zirkus Zeitgeist - Ohne Strom und Stecker (unplugged version of Zirkus Zeitgeist)''
* 2018: ''Brot und Spiele ("BreadAndCircuses")''

!! Live albums
* 2005: ''Manufactum''
* 2010: ''Manufactum II''
* 2011: ''10 Jahre Wild und Frei ("10 Years Wild and Free")''
* 2013: ''Manufactum III''
* 2016: ''Zirkus Zeitgeist - Live aus der Großen Freiheit''

!! Tropes featured by Saltatio Mortis
* AGodAmI: [[https://youtu.be/Vlc9rbzxxK4?t=13 "Es gibt keinen Gott, es gibt nur Lasterbalk."]] (''"There is no God, there's only Lasterbalk."'')
* AMillionIsAStatistic: Put to use in ''Nachts weinen die Soldaten'':
--> ''[[TitleDrop Nachts weinen die Soldaten]] (At night, the soldiers are crying)''\\
''nur noch Nummern, ohne ein Gewicht ([[AMillionIsAStatistic Only numbers]], [[WhatMeasureIsAMook carrying no weight]])''
* AlbumTitleDrop: ''IX'' from ''Das Schwarze Einmaleins'':
--> ''Drei mal drei ist Zauberei,\\
Die Zahl der Wollust, drei mal zwei,\\
Die Männlichkeit ist zwei plus eins,\\
So steht's im '''Schwarzen Einmaleins'''.''\\
(''"Three times three is wizardry,\\
The number of lust, three times two,\\
Masculinity is two plus one,\\
That's how it's written in '''the Black 101'''."'')
* AnAesop: "Früher war alles besser" ("Everything used to be better back then") is about the importance of letting go of the past and instead looking into the future.
* AndIMustScream: ''Koma'' (''"Coma"'')
* AnthropomorphicPersonification: ''Habgier und Tod'' (''"Greed and Death"'') brings us, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Greed and Death]]. [[TheGrimReaper Death]] also appears in ''Tod und Teufel'' (''"Death and Devil"'') and ''Hoffnung'' (''"Hope"''), which in turn also has a child who [[HopeBringer personifies Hope]]. Then there's ''Nur ein Traum'' (''"Only a Dream"''), which gives us Justice, Courage, Mercy, Unity, our Confidence and the plain Truth.
* AntiChristmasSong: ''Willkommen in der Weihnachtszeit'' (''"Welcome to the Christmas Season"'') is about [[CapitalismIsBad consumerism taking over Christmas]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and supermarkets already selling Christmas articles]] [[ChristmasInJuly when it's actually still summer]].
* AudienceParticipationSong: More like Audience Participation Concerts, to be honest, though ''Eulenspiegel'' still stands out.
* BadassLongcoat: [[http://mps-fan-blog.de/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_6368.jpg Lasterbalk's coat is pretty epic.]]
* BalladOfX: ''Ballade von der Spielmannskrone'' (''"Ballad of the Gleeman's Crown"'') and ''Galgenballade'' (''"Gallows Ballad"'')
* BargainWithHeaven: In ''Der letzte Spielmann'' (''"The Last Gleeman"''), the titular character attempts this, trying to talk {{God}} into switching places with him. He ends up rethinking this idea and instead only asks for Him to bless his next beer.
* BiblicalMotifs: ''Salome'', ''Satans Fall'', ''Sündenfall'' (''"Fall of Man"''), ''Maria'', ...
* TheBluebeard: [[spoiler:In ''Tritt ein'' (''"Enter"''), a man kills his wife for opening the [[ForbiddenFruit forbidden door]] to the room in which he killed his previous wives.]]
* BreadAndCircuses: The translation of the title of their 2018 album "Brot und Spiele"
* BreakupSong: ''Trinklied''. Sort of. [[ItMakesSenseInContext It's about breaking up with alcohol.]]
* ButtMonkey: Luzi and, occasionally, Falk
* CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys: Tends to be [[DiscussedTrope discussed]] whenever they're about to play ''Le Corsaire''.
* [[ChessWithDeath Playing Dice with the Devil]]: The set-up of ''Tod und Teufel'' (''"Death and Devil"''): A gleeman whose life is running out plays a game of dice against the Devil.
* TheChewToy: YMMV on whether Luzi and Falk are this or {{Woobie}}s.
* ChristmasCreep: ''Willkommen in der Weihnachtszeit''[[note]]Welcome to christmas time[[/note]]
* ChronologicalAlbumTitle: ''Wer Wind sät'' (''"Who Sows Wind"'') is followed by ''Sturm aufs Paradies'' (''"Rush on Paradise"''), referencing the saying "Wer Wind sät, wird Sturm ernten." (''"Who sows wind, will reap storm." Sturm'' means both "storm" and "rush / raid")
* CoverVersion:
** ''15 Jahre, 15 Bands'' (''"15 Years, 15 Bands"'') is a cover album where [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin 15 Saltatio Mortis songs were covered by 15 bands for the band's 15th birthday.]]
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXsgYryLyuU We Drink Your Blood]]", on the CoverAlbum ''Communio Luporum'' bonus disk from Music/{{Powerwolf}}'s 2018 album, ''The Sacrament of Sin''. [[MilkingTheGiantCow Alea is clearly having fun during the video for it]].
* {{Crossdresser}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liTHeTOc8Wk&list=PLTNmIqIdATeYyU7CiLWU0D8-stnnZ51iZ&index=4 El Silbador]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwYLvE0BOsQ&list=PLTNmIqIdATeYjnimghT-p47jKci_572iY&index=20 Twice]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcvBiADdJLI Alea]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLoKPZNzKNQ and]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elHWWLkaFLg Luzi]], too.
* DeadpanSnarker: Lasterbalk tends to be this.
* DealWithTheDevil: In ''Das kalte Herz'' (''"The Cold Heart"''), a young charburner makes a deal with a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]]: The demon removes his heart and exchanges it for [[EmotionSuppression one of stone]].
* DeathOfTheOldGods: ''Vergessene Götter'' (''"Forgotten Gods"'')
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJmRMzw_NT8 The video]] to ''Letzte Worte'' (''"Last Words"'').
** Also for ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEfeTmma4gI Nachts weinen die Soldaten]]'' and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmWYzcD5h9I Weiss wie Schnee]]''. Seems to be a trend for them now.
* {{UsefulNotes/Dichter und Denker}}: Name-dropped and proudly extolled in ''Wir sind Papst''.
* DontFearTheReaper: In ''Tod und Teufel'' (''"Death and Devil"''), [[TheGrimReaper Death]] calls the [[{{Satan}} Devil]] out on trying to con both himself and the gleeman, resulting in the latter being allowed to live on for now.
* EmotionSuppression: In ''Das kalte Herz'' (''"The Cold Heart"''), this is the result on the young charburner making a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with a demon]] to exchange his heart for one of stone.
* EyeScream: ''Der Sandmann'' (''"The Sandman"'') gives us ''two'' of these: The Sandman's children eat eyes and his black sand hollows them out.
* {{Fanservice}}: HoYay, mimed masturbation, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlSMnO7OKVU stripping]], {{crossdress|er}}ing, ...
* FolkMetal
* ForbiddenFruit: The [[BiblicalMotifs biblical one]] is mentioned in ''Sündenfall'' (''"Fall of Man"''). Then there's the forbidden door in ''Tritt ein'' (''"Enter"'').
* {{God}}: Who the last gleeman is talking to in ''Der letzte Spielmann'' (''"The Last Gleeman"'').
* TheGrimReaper: Death shows up a lot, including as a titular character in ''Tod und Teufel'' (''"Death and Devil"'') and ''Habgier und Tod'' (''"Greed and Death"'').
* {{Grimmification}}: ''Sieben Raben'' (''"Seven Ravens"'') is a rather dark take on the [[http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm025.html fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm]].
* HeavyMithril
* HeterosexualLifePartners: [[http://testing.saltatio-mortis.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-27-tourtagebuch-wassenberg-mps-300x225.jpg Lasterbalk and Falk]] sometimes come across as this. As do [[http://pre10.deviantart.net/25a8/th/pre/i/2011/246/c/d/alea_und_luzi_by_roky320-d48re57.jpg Alea and Luzi]].
* HopeBringer: In ''Hoffnung'' (''"Hope"''), the [[ChildrenAreSpecial child of the same name]] is this.
* HopeCrusher: Again, ''Hoffnung''. [[TheGrimReaper Death]] takes on this role.
* HopeSpringsEternal: Again, ''Hoffnung''. Just when it's really starting to look like TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, we're reminded that faith can move mountains and that hope dies last.
* HorribleHistoryMetal: ''Nachts weinen die Soldaten'', about the [[WhatASenselessWasteOfHumanLife unrelenting, inhuman carnage]] of the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI Great War]].
* IndecipherableLyrics: Sometimes happens with Latin lyrics, like the bridge in ''Dädalus''.
* InsistentTerminology: Not a particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} example, but they consistently refer to themselves as [[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gleeman gleemen]].
* IntercourseWithYou: ''Rattenfänger'' (''"Pied Piper"'')
-->''Und später unter deiner Decke\\
Winkt der Lohn für meine Müh'.\\
("And later, under your blanket,\\
Beckons the reward for my efforts.")''
* LargeHam: Lasterbalk and Alea, and they know it.
* LetsDuet: Alea and Falk in ''Dessous le Pont de Nantes'', ''Choix des Dames'' and ''Dädalus''. Alea and Doro Pesch in ''Salome''.
* LyricalDissonance: ''Der Sandman'' (''"The Sandman"'') sounds like a lullaby until you realise that the titular Sandman is a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]] who can [[DreamWeaver cause nightmares]] and whose black sand ''[[EyeScream hollows out eyes]]''. [[NightmareFuel Sweet dreams.]]
* MeaningfulName: "Lasterbalk der Lästerliche" means "Lasterbalk the Calumnious" or "Lasterbalk the Blasphemous" (also, "Laster" means "vice") and "Alea der Bescheidene" means "Alea the Humble", while "Till Promill" means "Till per mil" [[DontExplainTheJoke as in the unit blood-alcohol content is measured in]].
* MonsterClown: Their makeup to ''Zirkus Zeitgeist'' looks like this, but isn't meant to be scary.
* MrFanservice: [[WalkingShirtlessScene Alea der Bescheidene]]. Jean too, but Alea [[HoYay shamelessly embraces]] [[{{Crossdresser}} the role]].
* MurderBallad: ''Hochzeitstanz'' (''"Wedding Dance"'') is sung from the POV of a SerialKiller and [[SerialRapist Rapist]]. ''Vergiss mein nicht'' (''"Forget me not"'') and ''Tritt ein'' (''"Enter"'') aren't any better.
* MythologyGag: The second verse of ''Geradeaus'' (''"Straight ahead"'') almost entirely consists of {{ShoutOut}}s to previous songs, to the point where it approaches ReferenceOverdosed:
-->''Wir haben den '''Spielmannsschwur''' gebrochen,\\
Und '''das kalte Herz''' erwärmt,\\
Haben '''Gott''' die '''Würfel''' weggenommen'' (Gott würfelt nicht)\\
''Und mit '''Orpheus''' gelärmt.\\
Wir haben den '''Hochzeitstanz''' verstolpert,\\
Unser '''Ebenbild''' verklagt,\\
Wir haben '''Salome''' geschwängert\\
Und den '''Sündenfall''' vertagt.\\
Seitdem wir auch noch '''Idol'''e sind,\\
Leben wir in Saus und Braus!\\
Wir pissen in '''Prometheus'''' Feuer,\\
Denn statt ein, treten wir aus!\\
("We've broken the '''gleeman's oath''',\\
And warmed '''the cold heart''',\\
Took the '''dice''' from '''God''''' ("God Does Not Play Dice")\\
''And roistered with '''Orpheus'''.\\
We've stumbled through the '''wedding dance''',\\
Sued our '''spitting image''',\\
We have impregnated '''Salome'''\\
And postponed the '''Fall of Man'''!\\
Ever since we're also '''idol'''s,\\
We're living in the lap of luxury!\\
We piss in '''Prometheus'''' fire,\\
'Cause instead of a step in, we take a leak! [[superscript:1]])''\\
[[superscript:1]] The wordplay in this part is really hard to translate properly.
** And then later, in the same song, we have:
-->''Ihr sagt, "'''Früher war alles besser'''!"\\
("You say, ''''Back then, everything was better'''!'")''
** And
-->''Wir sind mal '''Herren''', sind mal '''Knechte''','' (Keines Herren Knecht)\\
''Manchmal '''Schatten''', manchmal '''Licht''''' (Licht und Schatten)\\
''("Sometimes we're '''lords''', sometimes '''servants''','' ("No Lord's Servant")\\
''Sometimes '''shadow''', sometimes '''light''' ''("Light and Shadow")'')''
** And, at last
-->''Und '''werft den ersten Stein'''.'' (Wirf den ersten Stein)\\
''("And '''throw the first stone'''.")''
* Literature/Nibelungenlied: ''Brunhild'' is about one of the most prominent characters from the Nibelungenlied.
* NobodyLovesTheBassist: Being more of a quiet type than the rest of the gleemen, people just tend to sort of forget about Bruder Frank (unless he happens to be playing the bassline to [[Music/TheWhiteStripes Seven Nation Army]]). The fact that he's always standing in the back of the stage doesn't really help.
* NonAppearingTitle: ''Heuchler'' (''"Hypocrite"''), ''Der Ruf'' (''"The Call"''), ''Equinox'', ''Traumreise'' (''"Dream-Journey"''), ''Erwachen'' (''"Awakening"''), ''Am Scheideweg'' (''"At the Crossroads"''), ''Dädalus'', ... They're pretty fond of this trope, actually.
* OdeToIntoxication: A lot of their songs mention drinking, but ''Trinklied'' takes the cake. The title ''literally means'' "Drinking Song".
* OneWomanSong: ''My Bonnie Mary''
* OnlySaneMan: Frank and Till must feel this way during concerts. Even Jean has joined in the craziness, like [[https://youtu.be/lcvBiADdJLI?t=14 when he helped Alea put on a bra.]]
* OurDemonsAreDifferent: They take your heart and exchange it for [[EmotionSuppression one of stone]].
* OverlyLongName: [[InvokedTrope Deliberately invoked]] by Falk Irmenfried von Hasen-Mümmelstein as a reference to real life nobility.
* ProtestSong: ''Wachstum über alles'', though [[SarcasmBlind some people]] [[PoesLaw took the lyrics a little too literally]]. ''Krieg kennt keine Sieger'' (''"War Knows No Victors"'') and ''Nachts weinen die Soldaten'' (''"At Night the Soldiers Cry"'') qualify too, as they're anti war songs.
* {{Pun}}: ''Tavernakel'' is a portmanteau of "Taverne" ("''tavern''") and "Tabernakel" ("''tabernacle''").
* ReligionRantSong:
** ''Krieg kennt keine Sieger'' (''War knows no winners'') is primarily anti-war, but states religion as one of the reasons for war.
** ''Vergessene Götter'' (''Forgotten gods'') is a more straight ReligionRantSong
* RockstarSong: ''Spielmannskrone'' and ''Gossenpoet''
* SailorsPonytail: Has been known to happen to long-haired gleemen, [[http://www.debing.de/wp-content/uploads/yapb_cache/imgp0729.8ddkmqny434sgws80w8swcw40.f0oyc4ywb9s8w4c8ks84kkg0g.th.jpeg like Elsi]].
* {{Satan}}: One of the main characters in ''Tod und Teufel'' (''"Death and Devil"''). Also mentioned in other songs, such as ''Hoffnung'' (''"Hope"''), ''Des Königs Henker'' (''"The King's Hangman"'') and ''Nur ein Traum'' (''"Only a Dream"'').
* ScatterbrainedSenior: Falk, at least according to Lasterbalk. Though he really does have a bit of a problem with remembering the lyrics to ''Dessous le Pont de Nantes''...
* SigningOffCatchPhrase: They always bow out calling themselves "die (unglaublich) gutaussehenden, (überaus) wohlriechenden, immer, überall und allseits potenten Spielleute von Saltatio Mortis" (''"the (amazingly) handsome, (exceedingly) sweet-smelling, always, anywhere and all-round potent gleemen of Saltatio Mortis"'').
* SilverFox: [[http://christinakoppe.deviantart.com/art/Lasterbalk-der-Laesterliche-164778225 *cough*]] [[http://img.fotocommunity.com/lasterbalk-der-laesterliche-52df3ab0-06c9-43f3-b021-4d3c9077dc5b.jpg?width=1000 Lasterbalk]] [[http://flow.bberger.info/300/10718993524294825a71f76-2.jpg *cough*]] Also, Jean seems to be approaching this.
* SingerNamedrop: Accidental example: The song ''Gott würfelt nicht'' (''"God Does Not Play Dice"'') contains the latin phrase ''Alea iacta est.''
* SnarkBall: Gets passed around, but most frequently found in Lasterbalk's possesion.
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Happens on stage when the other gleemen start snarking back at Lasterbalk.
* TheSomethingSong: ''Trinklied'' (''"Drinking Song"'') qualifies. Also, ''Palästinalied'' (''"Palestine Song"''). ''Ode an die Feindschaft'' (''"Ode to Animosity"'') too, sorta.
* StageNames:
** All of them:
*** Alea der Bescheidene
*** Lasterbalk der Lästerliche
*** Luzi das L
*** El Silbador
*** Jean Méchant, der Tambour
*** Falk Irmenfried von Hasen-Mümmelstein
*** Bruder Frank
*** Till Promill
** As well as all former members:
*** Dominor der Filigrane
*** Die Fackel
*** Ungemach der Missgestimmte
*** Thoron Trommelfeuer
*** Magister Flux
*** [[AerithAndBob Herr Schmitt]]
*** Mik El Angelo
*** Cordoban der Verspielte
*** Herr Samoel
* StreetMusician: They started out as street musicians, and some of them still play in the streets from time to time.
* TakeThat: ''Miststück'' (''"Bitch"'') and ''Falsche Freunde'' (''"False Friends"'')
* TakeThatCritics: ''Geradeaus'' (''"Forward"'') has a few lines about this, see TheyChangedItNowItSucks
* TallDarkAndSnarky: Again, Lasterbalk. He's a 2m (6' 7") tall, wisecracking bundle of snark.
* TitleTrack:
** ''Heptessenz'' (''"Seventh Essence"'')
** ''Erwachen'' (''"Awakening"'')
** ''Des Königs Henker'' (''"The King's Hangman"'')
* TrueMeaningOfChristmas: According to [[AntiChristmasSong ''Willkommen in der Weihnachtszeit'']] (''"Welcome to the Christmas Season"''), it's [[MoneyDearBoy profit]].
* UnpluggedVersion: ''Zirkus Zeitgeist - Ohne Strom und Stecker''
* UnusualEuphemism: [[https://youtu.be/zfTnkYmsxmE?t=131 Luzi's little Sea Serpent]]
* VitriolicBestBuds: Lasterbalk and Falk, Lasterbalk and Luzi, ... Aw, hell, [[DeadpanSnarker Lasterbalk]] and everyone, at some point.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: [[https://d.wattpad.com/story_parts/104559424/images/13c4105969dfffc4.jpg Alea]], [[http://www.laut.de/Saltatio-Mortis/Fotogalerien/Summer-Breeze-2011-4913/saltatio-mortis-summer-breeze-2011-luzi-l-122195.jpg Luzi]] and [[http://www.wiwe.ch/kreativ/data/media/69/DSC_0485-aus.jpg Lasterbalk]] all seem to be allergic to shirts.
* WanderlustSong: A lot of their songs have shades of this, but ''Wieder unterwegs'' (''"On the Road Again"'') is made of this trope.
* WarIsHell: ''Krieg kennt keine Sieger'' (''"War Knows No Victors"'') and ''Nachts weinen die Soldaten'' (''"At Night the Soldiers Cry"'')
* WhatASenselessWasteOfHumanLife: Expressed in the song ''Nachts weinen die Soldaten'', about {{UsefulNotes/World War I}}.
%%* WhenImGoneSong: ''Letzte Worte'' (''"Last Words"'')
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