Hans Seydenfaden von Erfurt

Hans Seydenfaden von Erfurt
Born	15th century
Occupation	Fencing master
Nationality	German
Citizenship	Erfurt
Movement	Fellowship of Liechtenauer
Influences	Johannes Liechtenauer
Influenced	Hans Medel von Salzburg
Language	Early New High German

Hans Seydenfaden von Erfurt (Hanns Seyden Faden vo~ Erfürt) was a 15th century German fencing master. Seydenfaden means silk thread, possibly a reference to his occupation, and Erfurt is a city in the German state Thuringia. Though no treatise authored by him is currently know to survive, his renown as a master was sufficient for Paulus Kal to include him in the list of members of the Fellowship of Liechtenauer in 1470.

Seydenfaden is also mentioned twice in the 1539 Hans Medel Fechtbuch. This may indicate that Hans Medel possessed a treatise by Seydenfaden that is now lost, or even that he was a direct student of Seydenfaden himself.

Treatise

Though no treatise by Seydenfaden is known to survive, the three teachings definitely attributed to him by Hans Medel are given below. This gloss also includes a number of other statements attributed only to "Master Hans", which might equally be references to Hans Seydenfaden or Hans Medel, but given their unclear authorship they are not included here.

Long Sword

Complete Translation by Christian Trosclair	Transcription  by Andreas Engström, Anton Kohutovič, and Christian Trosclair
Glossing verse 60, "Squint-on if he shortens you. / Changing-through brings victory": If you stand crookedly or openly in the hanging parrying, as Seydenfaden had taught, it is also shortened and good for you to change-through.	[29v] [Margin] So dw steest in der verhangenden versatzung krump oder offen wie Seydenfaden gelert hat ist auch kurtz vnd dir gut durchwechseln
Glossing verses 63-64, "The scalper / is a threat to the face. / With its turn, / the chest is quickly threatened": Master Hans Seydenfaden also taught the scalper thusly: straight above from the top of the head striking-into with the long edge and swiftly upon that, an under-cut to the right side of his head. Thereafter according to the two plays in his school rules with other strikes, steps and deception.	[30v] Maister hans seydenfaden leret auch also den schaitler gerichtz oben von der schaittel zuschlagen mit langer schneid vnd resch darauf ain vnderhaw ym zw der rechten seitten zw dem haubt Darnach noch zway stuck in seinem schulrecht mit etlichen schlegen triten vnd verfurung
Glossing verse 65, "What comes from him, / the crown takes away": Others differ thusly: When you cut-in above with the scalper, if he then parries high with the sword gripped with an armed hand or athwart over the head. That is called the crown against Seydenfaden's scalper and with that run-in with shoving, etc. It also takes away the scalper. It also breaks one as such again as above with the hilt thrown over that and cast down.	[31r] Etlich anderst also wenn dw ym mit dem schaitler oben ein hawst versetzt er dann hoch mit dem swert gefast mit gewapneter handt oder dem haubt vber zwerchs das haist die kron wider seidenfadens schaitler vnd lauff darmit ein mit stossen etc Die nymbt also den schaitler ab Die pricht man auch also wider Wie oben mit dem gehiltz darüber geworffen vnd nider gerissen

Copyright and License Summary

For further information, including transcription and translation notes, see the discussion page.

Work	Author(s)	Source	License
Translation	Christian Trosclair	Wiktenauer
Transcription	Anton Kohutovič, Andreas Engström, and Christian Trosclair	Index:Hans Medel Fechtbuch (Cod.I.6.2º.5)

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.

• Acutt, Jay (2019). Swords, Science, and Society: German Martial Arts in the Middle Ages. Glasgow: Fallen Rook Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9934216-9-3.