Ergrundung Ritterlicher Kunst der Fechterey (Andre Paurenfeyndt)

Ergrundung Ritterlicher Kunst der Fechterey
Foundation of the Chivalric Art of Swordplay
325x325px Title page of the 1516 edition
Also known as	La noble science des ioueurs d'espee
Author(s)	Johannes Liechtenauer Andre Liegniczer Andre Paurñfeyndt
Illustrated by	Unknown
Place of origin	Vienna (1516) Antwerp (1538)
Language	Early New High German (1516) Middle Walloon (1538)
Genre(s)	Fencing manual
Sources	Johannes Liechtenauer's epitome
Publisher	Hieronymus Vietor (1516) Willem Vorsterman (1538)
Pages	74
Extant copies	E.1939.65.357 (1516) Hn 236 (1538)
Treatise scans	Digital scans (1538)

Ergrundung Ritterlicher Kunst der Fechterey ("Foundation of the Chivalric Art of Swordplay") is a German fencing manual by Andre Paurñfeyndt printed in 1516 in Vienna. An original edition currently rests in the R. L. Scott Collection of the Glasgow Museums in Glasgow, Scotland; a copy of the 1538 currently rests in the holdings of the Herzog-August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel, Germany. The text shows some connection to the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer, but with significant unique material.

Sydney Anglo notes that Paurñfeyndt's is likely the earliest printed treatise on swordsmanship that includes illustrations.

Publication History

Paurñfeyndt's Ergrundung Ritterlicher Kunst der Fechterey was first published in Vienna in 1516 by Hieronymus Vietor. In 1538, it was translated into Middle Walloon (a language related to French) and published by Willem Vorsterman in Antwerp, where it was retitled La noble science des ioueurs d'espee. This translation omits all of Liechtenauer's verse, but retains the balance of the content and the original images. Sections of Paurñfeyndt's text were also reproduced in a 1530s book by Christian Egenolff entitled Der Altenn Fechter anfengliche kunst.

Some time before 1520, the section on pole weapons was copied into the MS German Quarto 2020 by an unknown scribe; based on the timeline and geography, it's possible that Paurñfeyndt was directly involved in this venture. In 1564, David Lienhart Sollinger created a new manuscript copy of this text, which was later bound by Paulus Hector Mair into the Codex I.6.2º.2.

Contents

Page	Section
3 - 36	Longsword by Andre Paurñfeyndt
37 - 44	Short longsword by Andre Paurñfeyndt
45 - 58	Dussack by Andre Paurñfeyndt
59 - 65	Pole weapons by Andre Paurñfeyndt
66 - 67	Dagger by Andre Liegniczer
68 - 69	Sword and buckler by Andre Liegniczer
69 - 70	Rear matter  No Translation Transcription by Michael Chidester [69] Cunctis qui placeat credo quod modo non uiuat. Wer wunſchñ war So het ich weder haudt nach har. [70] Mit ſolichm͂ auſʒcʒug diſʒer Ritterlichen kunſt der Fechterey/pin ich bewegt wordñ man cherlay vrſach halbñ/cʒu beſchreiben diſe Ritterliche kunſt/ Ydoch auff ſollichs fleiſſigs ermaneñ/hab ich aufs kurcʒiſt erſucht diſeſ buchlein/welchs ich verer vñ ſchenck meineñ ſchulerñ/an welcheñ chain cʒweifel ſtet das cʒv wenigerñ/ſunder von tag cʒu tag cʒu mer/ reñ vnd beſſerñ/Wo ich indert geirt het(wan menſlich iſt cʒu irreñ) wer vnfleiſʒ in ſchuld Solichs pit ich diemieutig von mir geutlich an ʒunemen ſo mir aber got gnad vñ gſundt/ hait verleicht/wil ich vleiſʒ ankern vnd kurcʒlich ʒu einem neuen iar euch ſchenken ein an/ dre vnd erñſtlichere erclarung welche nucʒlich vnd erñſtlich ſich ertʒaigen wirt/wo kunſt teglich geert wirt/auf ſolchs pefilich mich eurñ herſchaftñ in allen dienſtñ Sutor ſuper crepidam noli iudicare Viennae. Auſtriae per Hieronmũ Vetorẽ. 1516.

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