The Nine Worthies are nine historical, scriptural, and legendary men of distinction who personify the ideals of chivalry established in the Middle Ages, whose lives were deemed a valuable study for as
The 14th-century carving "Nine Good Heroes" (known as "Neun Gute Helden" in the original German) at City Hall in Cologne, Germany, is one of the earliest known representations of the Nine Worthies, made after 1349. From left to right are the three Christians: Charlemagne bearing an eagle upon his shield, King Arthur displaying three crowns, and Godfrey of Bouillon with a dog lying before him; then the three pagans: Julius Caesar, Hector, and Alexander the Great bearing a griffon upon his shield; and finally the three Jews: David holding a sceptre, Joshua, and Judah Maccabee.
Statues of the Nine Worthies on the Schöne Brunnen (beautiful fountain) in Nuremberg (1385–1396). Visible on the fountain, from left to right are: Judah Maccabee, David (with harp), Julius Caesar, Alexander. The figure in the left foreground, St Mark, with his lion, is part of another group
David, in Livro do Armeiro-Mor (fl 1v), a Portuguese armorial from 1509. The book opens with ten full-page illustrations of the Nine Worthies and Bertrand du Guesclin.
Lucas van Leyden's depiction of the three Old Testament kings as exotic contemporaries, in an engraving of c. 1520 depicting the Worthies in three sections
The Livro do Armeiro-Mor is an illuminated manuscript dating back to 1509, during the reign of King Manuel I of Portugal. The codex is an armorial, a collection of heraldic arms, authored by the King
Livro do Armeiro-Mor, Arms of the King of Portugal (folio 10r)
Sanctification of the Election of the Emperor. Beginning of the chapter on the election of the Emperor of Germany (folio 30r) (See below)
Opening signed by the King