Wiktenauer logo.png

Difference between revisions of "Wiktenauer:Main page/Featured"

From Wiktenauer
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(37 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{infobox writer
 
{{infobox writer
| name                   = Hans Talhoffer
+
| name                   = Pseudo Ibn Akḥī Ḥizām
| image                 = File:Hans Talhoffer.png
+
| image                   =  
| imagesize             = 250px
+
| imagesize               =  
| caption               =
+
| caption                 =  
 
+
| birthdate               = 10th AH/15th CE century
| pseudonym              =
+
| birthplace              = Egypt? Syria?
| birthname              =  
+
| occupation             = Mamluk scribe?
| birthdate             = ca. 1410-15
+
| nationality            = Circassian Period (“Burjī”) Mamluk
| birthplace             = Swabia
+
| influences             = {{plainlist
| deathdate             = after 1482
+
  | Mamluk Martial Arts Literature
| deathplace            =
+
  | Lāchin b. ʿAbdallāh al-Ṭarablūsī
| occupation             = {{plainlist
+
  | Ibn Akhī Ḥizām
| [[Fencing master]]
 
| [[Mercenary]]
 
}}
 
| nationality           =
 
| ethnicity              =
 
| citizenship            =
 
| education              =
 
| alma_mater             =  
 
| patron                = {{plainlist
 
| David and Buppellin vom Stain
 
| Eberhardt von Württemberg
 
| [[Luithold von Königsegg]]
 
}}
 
 
 
| spouse                =
 
| children              =
 
| relatives              =
 
| period                =
 
| movement              = [[Marxbrüder]] (?)
 
| influences             =
 
| influenced            =
 
 
 
| genre                  = {{plainlist
 
| [[Fencing manual]]
 
| [[Wrestling manual]]
 
 
}}
 
}}
| language              = [[Early New High German]]
+
| genre                  = Military manual
| notableworks          =  
+
| language                = Arabic, Egyptian Colloquial Arabic
| archetype              = {{collapsible list
+
| notableworks            =  
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Chart.A.558)|MS Chart.A.558]] (1448)(?)
+
| manuscript(s)           = [[Kitāb al-maḫzūn ğāmi' al-funūn (MS Arabe 2824)|MS Arabe 2824]] (1470)
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS XIX.17-3)|MS XIX 17-3]] (1446-1459)
+
| wiktenauer compilation by=
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Thott.290.2º)|MS Thott 290.2º]] (1459)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.icon. 394a)|Cod. icon. 394a]] (1467)
 
 
}}
 
}}
| manuscript(s)          = {{collapsible list
+
'''''Kitāb al-makhzūn: Jāmiʿ al-funūn''''' ("The Treasure: A Work that Gathers Together Combative Arts"; colophon dated 875 AH/1470-1CE) is an Arabic language work in the classical style of Mamluk furūsīya literature. The work is attributed to the famous «father» of Islamicate martial arts literature Ibn Akhī Ḥizām (c. 250 AH/ 864 CE; given as Ibn Akhī Khuzām), yet is clearly the work of a Mamluk author. Agnès Carayon suggests that a grandee of the Circassian Mamluk (''Burjī'') court commissioned the work, potentially for Sultan Qāʾitbay (r. 1468-1496). Composite in nature, the work is most likely a summary of other, more voluminous works—such as ''Nihāyat al-suʾl wa-l-amnīya fī taʿlīm aʿmāl al-furūsīya'' ("The End of Questioning: A Trustworthy Work concerning Instruction in the Deeds of Furūsīya") by Al-Aqsarāʾī (c. 9th cent. AH/14th cent CE). Certain sections begin and then trail off, while others remain incomplete, suggesting that this work is composite in nature and was most likely a summary or copy of other works both extant and lost. The author does not cite other authors within the body of the text itself.
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS 78.A.15)|MS 78.A.15]] (1450s)
 
| [[Ambraser Codex (MS KK5342)|MS KK5342]] (1480-1500)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.I.6.2º.1)|Cod. I.6.2º.1]] (before 1561)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.Ser.Nov.2978)|Cod.Ser.Nov.2978]] (1500s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS 26.236)|MS 26.236]] (1600s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Sammelhandschrift (2º MS iurid. 29)|2º MS iurid. 29]] (1600s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (2º Col.MS.Philos.61)|2º Col. MS philos. 61]] (late 1600s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.Guelf.125.16.Extrav.)|Cod.guelf.125.16.Extrav]] (late 1600s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS 014)|MS 014]] (1700s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.icon. 394)|Cod. icon. 394]] (1820)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.icon. 395)|Cod. icon. 395]] (ca.1820)
 
}}
 
| principal manuscript(s)=
 
| first printed edition  =
 
| wiktenauer compilation by=[[user:Michael Chidester|Michael Chidester]]
 
 
 
| signature              =
 
| translations          =
 
| below                  =
 
}}
 
'''Hans Talhoffer''' (Dalhover, Talhouer, Thalhoffer, Talhofer) was a 15th century [[German]] [[fencing master]]. His martial lineage is unknown, but his writings make it clear that he had some connection to the tradition of [[Johannes Liechtenauer]], the grand master of the German school of fencing. Talhoffer was a well educated man, who took interest in astrology, mathematics, onomastics, and the auctoritas and the ratio. He authored at least five [[fencing manual]]s during the course of his career, and appears to have made his living teaching, including training people for [[trial by combat]].
 
 
 
The first historical reference to Talhoffer is in 1433, when he represented Johann II von Reisberg, archbishop of Salzburg, before the Vehmic court. Shortly thereafter in 1434, Talhoffer was arrested and questioned by order of Wilhelm von Villach (a footman to Albrecht III von Wittelsbach, duke of Bavaria) in connection to the trial of a Nuremberg aristocrat named Jacob Auer, accused of murdering of his brother Hans. Talhoffer subsequently confessed to being hired to abduct Hans von Villach, and offered testimony that others hired by Auer performed the murder. Auer's trial was quite controversial and proved a major source of contention and regional strife for the subsequent two years. Talhoffer himself remained in the service of the archbishop for at least a few more years, and in 1437 is mentioned as serving as a bursary officer (''Kastner'') in Hohenburg.
 
 
 
The 1440s saw the launch of Talhoffer's career as a professional fencing master. He purchased (and perhaps contributed to) the [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Chart.A.558)|MS Chart.A.558]], an anthology created in ca. 1448. The fencing portion is largely text-less and it may have been designed as a visual aid for use in teaching; in addition to these illustrations, the manuscript also contains a treatise on name magic and a warbook that might be related to [[Konrad Kyeser]]'s ''Bellifortis''. While Talhoffer's owner's mark appears in this manuscript, his level of involvement with its creation is unclear. It contains many works by other authors, in addition to plays that are somewhat similar to his later works, and shows evidence of multiple scribes and multiple artists. It is possible that he purchased the manuscript after it was completed (or partially completed), and used it as a basis for his later teachings.
 
 
 
Most notable among the noble clients that Talhoffer served in this period was the Königsegg family of southern Germany, and some time between 1446 and 1459 he produced the [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS XIX.17-3)|MS XIX.17-3]] for this family… <!-- This work depicts a judicial duel being fought by [[Luithold von Königsegg]] and the training that Talhoffer gave him in preparation, but it seems that this duel never actually took place. He seems to have passed through Emerkingen later in the 1450s, where he was contracted to train the brothers David and Buppellin vom Stain; he also produced the [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS 78.A.15)|MS 78.A.15]] for them, a significantly expanded version of the Königsegg manuscript.
 
  
In 1459, Talhoffer commissioned the [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Thott.290.)|MS Thott.290.2º]], a new personal fencing manual along the same lines as the 1448 work but expanded with additional content and captioned throughout. He appears to have continued instructing throughout the 1460s, and in 1467 he produced his final manuscript, [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.icon. 394a)|Cod.icon 394a]], for another of his noble clients, Eberhardt I von Württemberg. This would be his most extensive work, and the graf paid 10 Guilder as well as quantities of rye and oats for the finished work.
+
The text of ''Jāmiʿ al-funūn'' is by and large more classical in nature with a great deal of dialectal, Egyptian Arabic of the period. This pertains both to vocabulary (ex: ''bāṭ'' for ''ibāṭ'' "armpit" throughout; ''jawwān'' as a preposition) as well as to grammar (verbs not in gender alignment, plurality disagreements, grammatical inconsistencies of adverbial phrases etc.). An introductory phrase in Ottoman Turkish in the beginning of the text has it that on «The seventh night of Muharram, 975 AH (1567CE)” a certain “Ṣilāhdār Aǧa” Dervish (unknown) petitioned God to be among those counted as Muhammad’s companions. Likewise, the intricate title page has “The owner of this work is Derviş Ağa” crossed out in black ink. Whether or not this was a higher ranking “Arms-Bearer” of the Sultan cannot be confirmed. The version from which the following translation stems is Bibliothèque Nationale MS 2824 (another version can be found in the same collection: MS 2826). Scholars have yet to produce a critical edition of this work.
  
While only a few facts are known about Talhoffer's life, this has not stopped authors from conjecture. The presence of the [[:File:MS KK5012 57v.jpg|Lion of St. Mark]] in Talhoffer's 1459 coat of arms (right) has given rise to speculation that he may have been an early or even founding member of the Frankfurt-am-Main-based [[Marxbrüder]] fencing guild, though there is no record of their existence prior to 1474. Additionally, much has been made of the fact that Talhoffer's name doesn't appear in [[Paulus Kal]]'s list of members of the [[Fellowship of Liechtenauer]]. While some have speculated that this indicates rivalry or ill-will between the two contemporaries, it is more likely that Talhoffer simply didn't participate in whatever venture the fellowship was organized for.
+
Despite its brevity in comparison to other works of the Mamluk furūsīya tradition, Jāmiʿ al-funūn provides a great deal of insight into the ways in which the Mamluks trained their troops. The illustrations featured in the work are some of the best examples of the medium. Distinct from other works in the genre with lengthy introductions, Jāmiʿ al-funūn begins with only minor benedictions, then jumps straight into a description of how to establish the training area for cavalry exercises – the nāwārd. From there, the author displays 72 bunūd or paired lance exercises – most likely inspired by al-Ṭarāblūsī’s famous 72 forms (c . 738 AH / 1337-8 CE). Following this, the author then treats issues deemed relevant to the development of a cavalier, without a particular logic to the ordering of the sections.
  
Various otherwise-unidentified fencing masters named Hans have also been associated by some authors with Talhoffer. The 1454 records of the city of Zürich note that a master (presumed by some authors to be Hans Talhoffer) was chartered to teach fencing in some capacity and to adjudicate judicial duels; the account further notes that a fight broke out among his students and had to be settled in front of the city council, resulting in various fines. In 1455, a master named Hans was retained by Mahiot Coquel to train him for his duel with Jacotin Plouvier in Valencienne; if this were Talhoffer, his training did little good as Coquel lost the duel and died in brutal fashion. -->
+
Unlike other works of furūsīya, ''Jāmiʿ al-funūn'' contains several sections detailing the ways in which soldiers can train for combat on foot. Most notably, the author presents a system for training swordsmanship. The work begins with instruction on the ways in which one can execute paired exercises with cane fighting, dagger fighting, and cane and shield fighting on foot. The author details the proper ways to feint and hit, the ways in which one can parry and riposte (and disarm), and where to target with a sword. In the author’s system, training with the cane was a safe means to perfect one’s technique before moving on to using sharp swords in battle. After training with the cane, the author recommends perfecting test cutting on clay mounds as a way to develop arm strength and ensure proper edge alignment. Following  both of these methods of training, a potential cavalier would be ready to pursue test cutting on horseback.
  
([[Hans Talhoffer|Read more]]…)
+
([[Pseudo-Ibn Akḥī Ḥizām|Read more]]…)
  
 
<dl style="clear:right;">
 
<dl style="clear:right;">
 
<dt style="font-size:90%;">Recently Featured:</dt>
 
<dt style="font-size:90%;">Recently Featured:</dt>
<dd style="font-size:90%;">[[Andre Lignitzer]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Adam van Breen]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Die Blume des Kampfes]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Francesco Fernando Alfieri]]</dd>
+
<dd style="font-size:90%;">[[Andre Paurenfeyndt]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Federico Ghisliero]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Alfonso Fallopia]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Hugold Behr]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Angelo Viggiani]]</dd>
 
</dl>
 
</dl>

Latest revision as of 02:46, 11 March 2025

Pseudo Ibn Akḥī Ḥizām
Born 10th AH/15th CE century
Egypt? Syria?
Occupation Mamluk scribe?
Nationality Circassian Period (“Burjī”) Mamluk
Influences
  • Mamluk Martial Arts Literature
  • Lāchin b. ʿAbdallāh al-Ṭarablūsī
  • Ibn Akhī Ḥizām
Genres Military manual
Language Arabic, Egyptian Colloquial Arabic
Manuscript(s) MS Arabe 2824 (1470)

Kitāb al-makhzūn: Jāmiʿ al-funūn ("The Treasure: A Work that Gathers Together Combative Arts"; colophon dated 875 AH/1470-1CE) is an Arabic language work in the classical style of Mamluk furūsīya literature. The work is attributed to the famous «father» of Islamicate martial arts literature Ibn Akhī Ḥizām (c. 250 AH/ 864 CE; given as Ibn Akhī Khuzām), yet is clearly the work of a Mamluk author. Agnès Carayon suggests that a grandee of the Circassian Mamluk (Burjī) court commissioned the work, potentially for Sultan Qāʾitbay (r. 1468-1496). Composite in nature, the work is most likely a summary of other, more voluminous works—such as Nihāyat al-suʾl wa-l-amnīya fī taʿlīm aʿmāl al-furūsīya ("The End of Questioning: A Trustworthy Work concerning Instruction in the Deeds of Furūsīya") by Al-Aqsarāʾī (c. 9th cent. AH/14th cent CE). Certain sections begin and then trail off, while others remain incomplete, suggesting that this work is composite in nature and was most likely a summary or copy of other works both extant and lost. The author does not cite other authors within the body of the text itself.

The text of Jāmiʿ al-funūn is by and large more classical in nature with a great deal of dialectal, Egyptian Arabic of the period. This pertains both to vocabulary (ex: bāṭ for ibāṭ "armpit" throughout; jawwān as a preposition) as well as to grammar (verbs not in gender alignment, plurality disagreements, grammatical inconsistencies of adverbial phrases etc.). An introductory phrase in Ottoman Turkish in the beginning of the text has it that on «The seventh night of Muharram, 975 AH (1567CE)” a certain “Ṣilāhdār Aǧa” Dervish (unknown) petitioned God to be among those counted as Muhammad’s companions. Likewise, the intricate title page has “The owner of this work is Derviş Ağa” crossed out in black ink. Whether or not this was a higher ranking “Arms-Bearer” of the Sultan cannot be confirmed. The version from which the following translation stems is Bibliothèque Nationale MS 2824 (another version can be found in the same collection: MS 2826). Scholars have yet to produce a critical edition of this work.

Despite its brevity in comparison to other works of the Mamluk furūsīya tradition, Jāmiʿ al-funūn provides a great deal of insight into the ways in which the Mamluks trained their troops. The illustrations featured in the work are some of the best examples of the medium. Distinct from other works in the genre with lengthy introductions, Jāmiʿ al-funūn begins with only minor benedictions, then jumps straight into a description of how to establish the training area for cavalry exercises – the nāwārd. From there, the author displays 72 bunūd or paired lance exercises – most likely inspired by al-Ṭarāblūsī’s famous 72 forms (c . 738 AH / 1337-8 CE). Following this, the author then treats issues deemed relevant to the development of a cavalier, without a particular logic to the ordering of the sections.

Unlike other works of furūsīya, Jāmiʿ al-funūn contains several sections detailing the ways in which soldiers can train for combat on foot. Most notably, the author presents a system for training swordsmanship. The work begins with instruction on the ways in which one can execute paired exercises with cane fighting, dagger fighting, and cane and shield fighting on foot. The author details the proper ways to feint and hit, the ways in which one can parry and riposte (and disarm), and where to target with a sword. In the author’s system, training with the cane was a safe means to perfect one’s technique before moving on to using sharp swords in battle. After training with the cane, the author recommends perfecting test cutting on clay mounds as a way to develop arm strength and ensure proper edge alignment. Following both of these methods of training, a potential cavalier would be ready to pursue test cutting on horseback.

(Read more…)

Recently Featured:
Andre Paurenfeyndt – Federico Ghisliero – Alfonso Fallopia – Hugold Behr – Angelo Viggiani