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Joachim Meyer

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Joachim Meyer
Born ca. 1537
Basel, Germany
Died 24 February 1571 (aged 34)
Schwerin, Germany
Spouse(s) Appolonia Ruhlman
Occupation
Citizenship Strasbourg
Patron
  • Georg Johann Ⅰ
  • Heinrich von Eberst
Movement Freifechter
Influences
Influenced
Genres Fencing manual
Language Early New High German
Notable work(s) Gründtliche Beschreibung der... Kunst des
Fechtens
(1570)
Manuscript(s)
First printed
english edition
Forgeng, 2006
Concordance by Michael Chidester
Translations
Signature Joachim Meyer sig.jpg

Joachim Meyer (ca. 1537 - 1571)[1] was a 16th century German cutler, Freifechter, and fencing master. He was the last major figure in the tradition of the German grand master Johannes Liechtenauer, and in the later years of his life he devised at least four distinct and quite extensive fencing manuals. Meyer's writings incorporate both the traditional Germanic technical syllabus and contemporary systems that he encountered in his travels, including Italian rapier fencing. In addition to his fencing practice, Meyer was a Burgher and a master cutler.[2]

Meyer was born in Basel,[3] where he presumably apprenticed as a cutler. He writes in his books that he traveled widely in his youth, most likely a reference to the traditional Walz that journeyman craftsmen were required to take before being eligible for mastery and membership in a guild. Journeymen were often sent to stand watch and participate in town and city militias (a responsibility that would have been amplified for the warlike cutlers' guild), and Meyer learned a great deal about foreign fencing systems during his travels. It's been speculated by some fencing historians that he trained specifically in the Bolognese school of fencing, but this doesn't stand up to closer analysis.[4]

Records show that by 4 June 1560 he had settled in Strasbourg, where he married Appolonia Ruhlman (Ruelman)[1] and was granted the rank of master cutler. His interests had already moved beyond smithing, however, and in 1561, Meyer's petition to the City Council of Strasbourg for the right to hold a Fechtschule was granted. He would repeat this in 1563, 1566, 1567 and 1568;[5] the 1568 petition is the first extant record in which he identifies himself as a fencing master.

Meyer probably wrote his first manuscript (MS Bibl. 2465) in 1561 for Georg Johann Ⅰ, Count Palatine of Veldenz,[6] and his second (MS A.4º.2) in 1568 for Otto (later Count of Solms-Sonnewalde).[7] Both of these manuscripts contain a series of lessons on training with long sword, dusack, and rapier; the 1561 also covers dagger, polearms, and armored fencing. His third manuscript (MS Var.82), written between 1563 and 1571 and containing a dedication at the end to Heinrich, Count of Eberstein, is of a decidedly different nature. Like many fencing manuscripts from the previous century, it is an anthology of treatises by a number of prominent German masters including Sigmund ain Ringeck, pseudo-Peter von Danzig, and Martin Syber, and also includes a brief outline by Meyer himself on a system of rapier fencing based on German Messer teachings.

Finally, on 24 February 1570, Meyer completed an enormous treatise entitled Gründtliche Beschreibung, der freyen Ritterlichen unnd Adelichen kunst des Fechtens, in allerley gebreuchlichen Wehren, mit vil schönen und nützlichen Figuren gezieret und fürgestellet ("A Thorough Description of the Free, Chivalric, and Noble Art of Fencing, Showing Various Customary Defenses, Affected and Put Forth with Many Handsome and Useful Drawings"); it was dedicated to Johann Casimir, Count Palatine of Simmern,[6] and illustrated at the workshop of Tobias Stimmer.[8] It contains all of the weapons of the 1561 and '68 manuscripts apart from fencing in armor, and dramatically expands his teachings on each.

Unfortunately, Meyer's writing and publication efforts incurred significant debts (about 300 crowns), which Meyer pledged to repay by Christmas of 1571.[1] Late in 1570, Meyer accepted the position of Fechtmeister to Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg at his court in Schwerin. There Meyer hoped to sell his book for a better price than was offered locally (30 florins). Meyer sent his books ahead to Schwerin, and left from Strasbourg on 4 January 1571 after receiving his pay. He traveled the 800 miles to Schwerin in the middle of a harsh winter, arriving at the court on 10 February 1571. Two weeks later, on 24 February, Joachim Meyer died. The cause of his death is unknown, possibly disease or pneumonia.[5]

Antoni Rulman, Appolonia’s brother, became her legal guardian after Joachim’s death. On 15 May 1571, he had a letter written by the secretary of the Strasbourg city chamber and sent to the Duke of Mecklenburg stating that Antoni was now the widow Meyer’s guardian; it politely reminded the Duke who Joachim Meyer was, Meyer’s publishing efforts and considerable debt, requested that the Duke send Meyer’s personal affects and his books to Appolonia, and attempted to sell some (if not all) of the books to the Duke.[1]

Appolonia remarried in April 1572 to another cutler named Hans Kuele, bestowing upon him the status of Burgher and Meyer's substantial debts. Joachim Meyer and Hans Kuele are both mentioned in the minutes of Cutlers' Guild archives; Kuele may have made an impression if we can judge that fact by the number of times he is mentioned. It is believed that Appolonia and either her husband or her brother were involved with the second printing of his book in 1600. According to other sources, it was reprinted yet again in 1610 and in 1660.[9][10]

Contents

Treatises

Joachim Meyer's writings are preserved in three manuscripts prepared in the 1560s: the 1561 MS Bibl. 2465 (Munich), dedicated to Georg Johannes von Veldenz; the 1563-68 MS A.4º.2 (Lund), dedicated to Otto von Solms; and the MS Var. 82 (Rostock), including notes on teachings from Stephan Heinrich von Eberstein and which Meyer may have still been working at the time of his death in 1571. Dwarfing these works is the massive book he published in 1570 entitled Gründtliche Beschreibung der ...Kunst des Fechtens ("A Thorough Description of the... Art of Fencing"), dedicated to Johann Kasimir von Pfalz-Simmern. Meyer's writings purport to teach the entire art of fencing, something that he claimed had never been done before, and encompass a wide variety of teachings from disparate sources and traditions. To achieve this goal, Meyer seems to have constructed his treatises as a series of progressive lessons, describing a process for learning to fence rather than merely outlining the underlying theory or listing the techniques. In keeping with this, he illustrates his techniques with depictions of fencers in courtyards using training weapons such as two-handed foils, wooden dusacks, and rapiers with ball tips.

The first section of Meyer's treatise is devoted to the long sword (the sword in two hands), which he describes as the foundational weapon of his system, and this section devotes the most space to fundamentals like stance and footwork. His long sword system draws upon the teachings of Freifechter Andre Paurenfeyndt (via Christian Egenolff's reprint) and Liechtenauer glossators Sigmund ain Ringeck and Lew, as well as using terminology otherwise unique to the brief Recital of Martin Syber. Not content merely to compile these teachings as his contemporary Paulus Hector Mair was doing, Meyer sought to update—even reinvent—them in various ways to fit the martial climate of the late sixteenth century, including adapting many techniques to accommodate the increased momentum of a greatsword and modifying others to use beats with the flat and winding slices in place of thrusts to comply with street-fighting laws in German cities (and the rules of the Fechtschule).

The second section of Meyer's treatises is designed to address new weapons gaining traction in German lands, the dusack and the rapier, and thereby find places for them in the German tradition. His early Lund manuscript presents a more summarized syllabus of techniques for these weapons, while his printed book goes into greater depth and is structured more in the fashion of lesson plans.[11] Meyer's dusack system, designed for the broad proto-sabers that spread into German lands from Eastern Europe in the 16th century,[12] combines the old Messer teachings of Johannes Lecküchner and the dusack teachings of Andre Paurenfeyndt with other unknown systems (some have speculated that they might include early Polish or Hungarian saber systems). His rapier system, designed for the lighter single-hand swords spreading north from Iberian and Italian lands, seems again to be a hybrid creation, integrating both the core teachings of the 15th century Liechtenauer tradition as well as components that are characteristic of the various regional Mediterranean fencing systems (including, perhaps, teachings derived from the treatise of Achille Marozzo). Interestingly, Meyer's rapier teachings in the Rostock seem to represent an attempt to unify these two weapon system, outlining a method for rapier fencing that includes key elements of his dusack teachings; it is unclear why this method did not appear in his book, but given the dates it may be that they represent his last musings on the weapon, written in the time between the completion of his book in 1570 and his death a year later.

The third section of Meyer's treatise is omitted in the Lund manuscript but present in the Munich and the 1570, and covers dagger, wrestling, and various pole weapons; to this, the Munich adds several plays of armored fencing. His dagger teachings, designed primarily for urban self-defense, seem to be based in part on the writings of Bolognese master Achille Marozzo,[13] but also include much unique content of unknown origin (perhaps the anonymous dagger teachings in his Rostock manuscript). His staff material makes up the bulk of this section, beginning with the short staff, which, like Paurenfeyndt, he uses as a training tool for various pole weapons (and possibly also the greatsword), and then moving on to the halberd before ending with the long staff (representing the pike). As with the dagger, the sources Meyer based his staff teachings on are largely unknown.

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Additional Resources

The following is a list of publications containing scans, transcriptions, and translations relevant to this article, as well as published peer-reviewed research.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dupuis, Olivier. Joachim Meyer, escrimeur libre, bourgeois de Strasbourg (1537 ? - 1571). In Maîtres et techniques de combat. Dijon: AEDEH, 2006.
  2. Naumann, Robert. Serapeum. Vol. 5. T.O. Weigel, 1844. pp 53-59.
  3. According to his wedding certificate.
  4. The influence of Achilles Marozzo's printed treatise is, however, apparent in the rapier illustrations of his 1561 manuscript and the dagger plays in his book.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Van Slambrouck, Christopher. "The Life and Work of Joachim Meyer". Meyer Frei Fechter Guild, 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Though as a prince of the Wittelsbach dynasty, he was addressed by the loftiest titles held by the family: Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of Bavaria.
  7. Norling, Roger. "The history of Joachim Meyer’s fencing treatise to Otto von Solms". Hroarr.com, 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  8. Whose members included Christoph Maurer and Hans Christoffel Stimmer.
  9. Schaer, Alfred. Die altdeutschen fechter und spielleute: Ein beitrag zur deutschen culturgeschichte. K.J. Trübner, 1901. p 76.
  10. Pollock, W. H., Grove, F. C., and Prévost, C. Fencing. London and Bombay: Longmans, Green, and co, 1897. pp 267-268.
  11. Roberts, James. "System vs Syllabus: Meyer’s 1560 and 1570 sidesword texts". Hroarr.com, 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  12. Roger Norling. "The Dussack - a weapon of war". Hroarr.com, 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  13. Norling, Roger. "Meyer and Marozzo dagger comparison". Hroarr.com, 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 orig. dolchen; all instances of "dagger" in this document are dolchen excepy when footnoted.
  15. orig. ararmschirleinn
  16. orig. stichen, "thrust"/"stab" (context dependent); instances of stabbing that use other verbs will be footnoted.
  17. orig. Armschiene - seemingly a part of the armour
  18. orig. geordinirtt
  19. orig. schießen; see here
  20. orig. findt
  21. orig. spis
  22. orig. schwertt
  23. orig. sebell
  24. 24.0 24.1 orig. kempff degen; it can mean either “combat sword” or “combat dagger” (Source 1, Source 2). See here for a painting with kempffdegen in its caption
  25. 25.0 25.1 orig. Anngreiffen; "attacking" or "grappling"; cf. angreifen
  26. orig. zimlich
  27. alt. "endure"
  28. Ittem has many potential meanings: "further", "likewise", "the same as", and also simply as a means of 'bullet-pointing' numerous items. I've found that "likewise" works as an apt translation most of the time, but for clarity I will leave it untranslated. See this article.
  29. orig. noch eines Idenn woll gefalen
  30. orig. Reren; cf. Rohre/Röhre
  31. orig. lest
  32. orig. Schranckenn
  33. orig. dringen/thringen; refers to pressing one's point into an opponent['s armour/mail], cf. modern sense of "pushing through a crowd". See this glossary for more information
  34. orig. donerschlag; a strike with the hilt of the longsword while holding the blade
  35. orig. vnnd las Inn vorverthobenn; messy ink makes it difficult to transcribe; possible alt. "and read above beforehand"
  36. A blunt strike, as opposed to a cut or slice. See here.
  37. orig. versezen; alt. "parrying"
  38. Unclear.
  39. orig. ansezen; most likely means "pinned", "planted" (in the sense of placing your weapon or hand against an opponent, in a grappling sense); alt. "attacking" (cf. modern ansetzen). See this glossary for more information
  40. orig. erlang
  41. see nachreissen
  42. 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 42.4 42.5 42.6 orig. stehenn; often coupled with ansezen in this section; alt. "stand against"
  43. orig. uchsen
  44. orig. Gelenck. Refers to joints in armour, but also body parts - in the context of armoured fencing, it is most likely referring to the joints in the armour
  45. orig. greifest
  46. 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 orig. brich
  47. orig. anbrichen
  48. 48.00 48.01 48.02 48.03 48.04 48.05 48.06 48.07 48.08 48.09 48.10 48.11 orig. stos
  49. orig. goch
  50. 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 50.4 50.5 50.6 orig. schlag
  51. 51.0 51.1 51.2 see absetzen
  52. orig. drissel; cf. thrissel
  53. orig. schlag dein beidt vnder dein Recht achsell. From interpretation, the word schlag here doesn't make much sense: it's possible that beidt was intended to be said or written as bindt, as in "put your grip under your right shoulder".
  54. orig. Achsell
  55. 55.0 55.1 see Ringen
  56. 56.0 56.1 see arbeiten
  57. 57.0 57.1 57.2 57.3 57.4 57.5 orig. streich, cf. schlag
  58. 58.0 58.1 58.2 58.3 58.4 58.5 58.6 58.7 orig. inndes
  59. alt. "attacks"
  60. orig. last Er dür die seitten
  61. 61.0 61.1 orig. Ring; alt. lists
  62. orig. vergesezsten
  63. 63.0 63.1 63.2 see abzucken
  64. orig. fies
  65. 65.0 65.1 see gleich
  66. unclear transcription; possibly nim, ergo "take the weight"
  67. Unclear.
  68. orig. zwerchs
  69. 69.0 69.1 orig. degen; see kempffdegen
  70. orig. hawen. A cut or slice, as opposed to a blunt strike. See see here.
  71. 71.0 71.1 71.2 orig. bickell; most likely referring to the artificial, "mason's hammer", pickaxe shape of the crossguard in armoured fencing
  72. orig. klos
  73. orig. Stuck
  74. orig. knefftiglich, interpreted as krefftiglich
  75. orig. verfelen - described earlier in 1561 as a feint whereby you wait for your opponent to react to a strike, then change the direction of the strike
  76. orig. entgehenn
  77. orig. faren/auffaren; cf. fahren
  78. originally transcribed as knefftiglich, but krefftiglich (lit. "powerfully") seems more likely, in my opinion
  79. orig. gerecht; possible mistranscription/misspelling of gemecht, lit. "groin" or "genitals"
  80. 80.0 80.1 80.2 orig. las dein bindt fahren, lit. "let your grip drive"; alt. "release your grip and drive"
  81. Possibly "hauberk"(?).
  82. 82.0 82.1 orig. ausnemen; alt. "take out [the blade with a parry]"; "deflect"(?)
  83. orig. verzoblen; cf. verzögern
  84. lit. oben hutt; contrast Oberhutt
  85. orig. heutt; possible verb form of hutt
  86. orig. überwegest
  87. 87.0 87.1 orig. schlagen. Probably means "place" in this context.
  88. orig. sez; no accompanying adposition but I assume he means ansezen
  89. listen
  90. orig. Bundtschlag, lit. "grip strike"
  91. orig. fertt
  92. orig. wie nechst
  93. orig. oder Aber fus gesicht, lit. or but foot face, possible alt. "or his foot or face"
  94. orig. wendt
  95. orig. Reüb
  96. orig. geschmidt, lit. smithed. Possibly misspelling of Geschmeidt, which means "jewellery" - perhaps slang for gemecht ("genitals)".
  97. orig. steßen
  98. orig. abgewünnen
  99. Note that he uses the word degen but seems to refer to the aforementioned "threefold" dagger, which he referred to using the word dolchen.
  100. orig. feder
  101. orig. spietzen
  102. Reference in the left margin to picture on page 61.
  103. orig. auf dz schlos am Rucken; alt. "clasp of the back"
  104. orig. Wappenrock
  105. Unclear whether die refers to the dagger or the heart, here
  106. orig. kurz halbenn; alt. "short edge"
  107. orig. concordiren
  108. This word overwrites an initial die.
  109. The first 10 lines of this paragraph are shorter of 30% than the last four, as if there is a left place here for a picture or a diagram.
  110. After this word the two words es fert were cancelled.
  111. The second letter looks a bit like a “b” but it is nonsense. It can be also considered like a small capital “e”.
  112. The first letter corrected from “w” by cancelling the first bow of the letter.
  113. The first letter could also read as an “l", but “b” seems more probable here.
  114. The first letter corrected from “b” by overwriting.
  115. The ink is a bit blurred, particularly in the beginning of the word which results in an ambiguous reading; stucken would be more plausible in this context but does not fit with the appearance of the first couple of letters at all.
  116. The writer first wrote hawst but the “s” has been cancelled afterwards.
  117. Recte: und.
  118. The writer first wrote arms but the final “s” has been cancelled afterwards.
  119. The letter “s” has ben cancelled just before the word den.
  120. Above the letter “i” a large circle is drawn as it is used to mark the letter “u”.
  121. Doubling of the word seitten, considered as a mistake and corrected here as the first finished a line.
  122. Setzen has been written afterwards just under ver- and looks like a catchword; however, the following page does not start with the same word. It could be a mistake of the scribe.
  123. An abbreviation sign at the end of the word tends to signify that it should be expanded to hawen, but it has been cancelled.
  124. The “h” is writen above a “e”.
  125. Unclear reading. The word has been corrected, possibly from zu, which, however, cannot be definitely affirmed.
  126. The words und oder after this word are cancelled.
  127. At this place is a sign that commonly indicates a line break or an end of a paragraph. Here, however, the following text continues in the same line.
  128. The first letter appears to be a cancelled “t”; however the reading remains ambiguous.
  129. The end of this word, sicht is inserted below the line at the right, like a catchword. However, the following written page, fol. 23r, does not start with the same word. Could be a mistake by the scribe or a clue for a missing page.
  130. After this word a large circle is drawn and its only meaning seems to complete the line to the right and avoid a big default in the right alignment.
  131. The letter “d” is cancelled just before the “b” of this word.
  132. The initial letter “b” is written above another letter, maybe a “g”.
  133. This first two letters are written above the letter “k”.
  134. A letter “b” or “l” has been written after this word but has ben cancelled.
  135. The first letter seems to superscribe an initial “I”.
  136. The writer firstly wrote an “m” as a final letter and subsequently cancelled the last leg to get an “n”.
  137. The final letter “t” is written above the line, in replacement for a previously cancelled letter.
  138. This word is written above a previous one, which is unreadable now.
  139. The first letters are difficult to make out due to a (water?) damage.
  140. The first letter of this word has been written above another, now illegible one.
  141. A letter “h” was written in the second position to begin with but cancelled afterwards.
  142. The first letter is curiously composed, but seems to have been readen as a "v".
  143. The second letter has been canceled and corrected by "o" above the line.
  144. The original text is derholhalben derhalben, which seems to be an unnecessary repetition.
  145. Doubling of the word handt, a probable mistake as the first is written a the end of the line. Same mistake as 17r.
  146. Doubling of the words den andern, probable mistake, only it is conserved here.
  147. A lone letter "h" is writen here, perhaps a beginning for “hew”, which was finally written after the digit “4”. Corrected in this edition.
  148. This sentence can be found in the printed book: « und merck wann du zur rechten undern Blöß schlechst, es sey flech, lang oder kurtz » (plate XXIXv from the 1570 edition)
  149. The third letter “h” was cancelled by overwriting it with an “l”.
  150. The letter “a” is crossed out in the beginning of the word.
  151. Corrected from Im, the first stroke of the “m” has been cancelled.
  152. Spitz uber- is clearly copied twice, this is probably an eye-skip.
  153. Corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  154. Corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  155. The "st" ligature is inverted.
  156. Typo, should be "wolt, könne".
  157. Originally printed "abzutzest", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  158. Originally printed "verhauren", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  159. The "t" is inverted.
  160. Ⅲ.47v indicates that this was printed "erbangen" and needed to be corrected to "erlangen", but that's not true in any copy available for consult.
  161. Originally printed "mim", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  162. Originally printed "Higur", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  163. Originally printed "Fellen", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  164. Originally printed "gem" (with an inverted g), but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  165. Originally printed "allo", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  166. Originally printed "Atm", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  167. The first 't' is inverted.
  168. Terminal 'e' is inverted.
  169. Originally printed "bleiden", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  170. Originally printed "klnie", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  171. Originally printed "duch", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  172. The second "e" is inverted.
  173. Originally printed "fein", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  174. Originally printed "behendig ich", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  175. Misnumbered 87r.
  176. 176.00 176.01 176.02 176.03 176.04 176.05 176.06 176.07 176.08 176.09 176.10 176.11 176.12 176.13 176.14 176.15 176.16 176.17 176.18 176.19 176.20 176.21 176.22 176.23 176.24 176.25 176.26 176.27 176.28 176.29 176.30 176.31 indes
  177. palm up
  178. Illegible deletion.
  179. oberhauw
  180. ‘right’ is originally written, ‘left’ is written above it
  181. short edge
  182. “Degen”, lit. dagger, could either refer to a sword or dagger.
  183. short edge
  184. Unleserliche Streichung. Illegible deletion.
  185. Unleserliche gestrichen Einfügung oberhalb der Zeile. Crossed out illegible insertion above the line.
  186. Die Schlaufe des »h« trägt ein Diärese. The loop of the “h” carries a diaeresis.
  187. Korrigiert aus »mitelhauw«. Corrected from “mitelhauw”.
  188. Leicht unleserlich. Slightly illegible.
  189. Überschriebens »vom«. Overwritten “vom”.
  190. Inserted by means of a special mark.
  191. Word inserted next to the text.
  192. Inserted nest to the text.
  193. Zwei Worte am Seitenrand nachgetragen. Two words inserted at the margin.
  194. Wort am Seitenrand nachgetragen. Word inserted at the margin.