Livland’s 16th century written chronicles have drawn a great deal of attention from historians. This applies to the latter half of the century in particular when events of the Russian-Livonian War became the primary theme of chroniclers. In seeking the causes for the tidal wave of chronicle writing, we should also take into consideration the general dynamic development in the writing of chronicles and history that was characteristic of all early modern Europe, including its German-speaking regions, alongside the effect of the war. To a certain extent, this tidal wave is also associated with the writing of city chronicles, including Tallinn. Tallinn’s written chronicles were rather limited prior to the 16th century. The situation changed in the 16th century, especially in its latter half. The publication of Balthasar Russow’s chronicle, a considerable part of which is Tallinn-centred, is the best known manifestation of this. Some of this period’s administrative books also contain entries that resemble chronicle notations, which admittedly cannot be compared to lengthier narrative text in terms of comprehensiveness. This article is dedicated to one such subcategory, the administrative books of Tallinn’s Great Guild and information found in them concerning historical events. These are books in which the names of participants in the Guild’s Christmas and Shrovetide drinking parties are entered, along with expenditures connected to the drinking parties, and other such entries. The ‘chronicle notices’ found in these books primarily focus on events of the Russian-Livonian War, yet in some cases, remarks are also found concerning economic difficulties and waves of pestilence. It is not so much the content of such remarks that makes them exceptional – more or less the same information can be found from other sources as well – but rather the circumstance that they were recorded at all in the guild books, while at the same time, notifications regarding important events that affected Tallinn before the Russian-Livonian War are exceedingly rarely found in these books.

The invasion of the country by the enemy in 1558, the siege of Tallinn in 1570–1571, the loss of Paide in 1573, the unsuccessful attempt to recapture Rakvere from the Russians in 1574, the siege of Tallinn in 1577, and the capture of Narva by the Swedes in 1581 are the items of war news mentioned in the Great Guild’s books. Additionally, the abandonment of Ivangorod and Koporye to the Russians in 1590 is mentioned. Only the Russians and Duke Magnus are mentioned as parties to the war. The Teutonic Order, the Swedes or the Polish are not mentioned, to say nothing of making any assessments. Indignation is admittedly expressed in regard to their own camp, so to speak, in reference to the loss of Paide and especially the failed siege of Rakvere, nevertheless without condemning anybody by name. The Tatars, who fought on the Russian side and whose forces played a decisive role in many episodes of the war, including the very outbreak of the war, are also not mentioned. The effects of the war on Tallinn are described in considerably more detail in the diary for 1560–1563 of the Oldermann (chief officer) of Tallinn’s Great Guild Gerd Kampferbeck than in the administrative books.

Entries on current events, which were of secondary importance from the vantage point of administrative management, are mostly found in the Guild’s books at times when Christmas or Shrovetide drinking parties had to be cancelled because of what had taken place. That which is written by the Guild brethren mostly overlaps with that which is known from other sources, primarily from Balthasar Russow’s chronicle. Still, relatively minor discrepancies can also be found. It similarly stands out that many important wartime events, which among other things affected brothers of the Great Guild, went unmentioned in the guild books. Since each entry on drinking parties was made by a different guild brother on each occasion, such inconsistency can perhaps be explained by the personal preferences of the writers.

Word usage in the items of war news recorded in the Guild administrative books conforms to the tradition of that time in written notifications on the topic of the Russian-Livonian War, like handbills and political correspondence. Hence for instance, the enemy is repeatedly referred to as a tyrant and archenemy. Such word usage is encountered for the first time in connection to the conflict between Livland and Russia at the start of the 16th century. The Russians had previously been referred to in sources from Livland mostly as schismatics or unbelievers. Extensive overlaps in the anti-Russian and anti-Turkish rhetoric used in 16th century Western sources have been pointed out in historical literature. Closer examination nevertheless shows that parallels with anti-Turkish writings are not always relevant in the case of numerous texts (including Russow’s chronicle).

One type of example for the wording of war news in the guild books, although not necessarily for the content of the news, could have been publications of that time, especially handbills and other small publications. Yet by comparison, news of pestilences, for instance, did not have such colourful examples. Remarks on epidemics were made in considerably more modest wording. It is possible that guild brethren did not record war news according to memory in their administrative books based exclusively on what they had personally heard and experienced, but rather that they also kept some kind of war chronicle. The Guild’s oldermanns could also have kept more diaries than those that have survived to the present.

War news in guild books was often accompanied by texts of prayers that prayed primarily for peace and the chance to continue to worship in their own faith. As the war progressed over time, shades of repentance and the interpretation of the war as God’s punishment began appearing more and more in the texts of prayers. The Russian attack is seen as God’s just punishment or as God’s inverse tool in the works of many 16th century authors, both Lutheran and Catholic, such as the chronicles of Balthasar Russow, Philipp Melanchthon, Timann Brakel or Tilman Bredenbach. It can be assumed that the content of the sermons heard in Tallinn’s churches during the war was similar, and that their mood became progressively darker the longer the effects of the war were experienced. The ‘chronicle notices’, texts of prayers, and other additions contained in the guild books, however, reflect not only wartime conditions, but also more general changes in the extent of reading and the range of the outlook of guild brethren, which created the prerequisites for composing such entries.