Anonymous 15th Century Poem

Fechtlere
Anonymous 15th century poem
Author(s)	Unknown
Ascribed to	Martin Syber Hans Talhoffer
Date	mid 1400s (?)
Genre	Fencing manual
Language	Early New High German
Archetype(s)	Hypothetical
Manuscript(s)	MS Thott.290.2º (1459) MS M.I.29 (1491)
First Printed English Edition	Hull, 2008
Concordance by	Michael Chidester

This anonymous poem, titled only Fechtlere ("Fencing Lore"), appears in fragmentary form in both Hans Talhoffer's personal fencing manual of 1459 and Hans von Speyer's 1491 anthology. It shares concepts and terminology with the writings of Martin Syber and follows his New Zettel ("New Epitome") in Speyer's work, but is absent from other presentations of his treatise. Its presence in Talhoffer's writings over thirty years earlier would also suggest that Syber is not the original author (or potentially that his career was much earlier than currently thought).

Treatise

The couplet in bold text appears out of sequence between the two versions. Its proper location cannot be determined from available information.

Poem 

English Translation by Anonymous	Copenhagen Version (1459) by Anonymous	Salzburg Version (1491) by Dierk Hagedorn
Fencing Lore [1] [5] [10] [15] [20] [25] [30] [35] [40] [45] Strike from above is for the thrust Strike from below [plainly] breaks Strike from the middle in the wideness Now look, what that implies In the Changing Strike search the Mouth Look out for the displacement Overthrow Strike in which you wind Do you want to find the face unprotected (bare) So from the Parting Strike strike with the short edge now In the lower Overthrow Strike reverse Into itself and learn In the Iron Gate perceive With the point rise up bring it sometimes to the Unicorn The roses in the [small] wheel Twitch the hits [or contacts] gives good sense Shield Strike scores with it Wing Strike is poison to the ears Wrath Point drilling to the breast To both sides shooting over Waking Strike wants to stay Chasing, Sweeping will go The roses in the [small] wheel Twitch the hits gives good sense Crook Strike towards the mouth In the Braiding-In do not rest In the War you may grab Ox, Plough, in them yield With the Tearing Point / Riding Point be folly In the Barrier Point have a heart In the Iron Gate rotate A buffalo you chop if you are agile Earlier coming, Thereafter Riding is custom Schnellen, Running over and the cuts That is the fundamental lore To this you turn That is done by the wise Who praise announcing the art If you want to be pleased with the art So learn the Doubled Strikes Wo follows simple strikes Will not be happy in the art And there are four guards Which you should keep in mind Do not fall in them too strong Or he will bang loudly over them On what one wants to bind on you So wind the short edge in front	[1r] Zorn ort Der brust zu bort zu baiden siten vber schiessen Wecker wil stan tr[e]ib[e]n str{e}ichen wil gan In Der rosen Im rädlin zuck Die treffen gi[b]t gu[o]te sinn Krump how dem mu[e]l zu Im eyn flechten hab nit ru[o] Im krieg so machstu griffen ochß pflug Darinn du nit wyche[n] Mit dem Reiß ort schertz Im schra[n]ck ort hab ain hertz Im ysen [p]ort v[er]wend ain biffler tu[e] fälen biß[t] behend E komen nach reissen ist d[er] sitt Schnellen vber louffen und den schnit Daz ist ain gemaine lere Daran Dich kere Daz tun[d] die wysen Die kunst kunden brysen Wiltu Dich kunst fräwen So lern Die toplirten höwen wer nach gaut slechten höwen Der mag sich kunst wenig fröwen Auch so sind vier leger Die soltu mercken eben tu[e] Dar In nit starck vallen od[er] er laut darüber schallen wa[s] ma[n] [Dir] anbind[en] will [Dir] So wind die kurtz schnid für	[3r] Fechtlere Ober haülb ist für stich Vnter haulb schlecht bricht Mittel haulb in die weÿtte Nü lüg was dz bedüte Im wechsell haülb süch die geüche Noch der versatzüng spee Stürtz haülb dar in dü winde~ Wiltü Im dz antlütz ploß finden So aüß dem scheittler Schlag die kurtz schnid dar Im vnter stürtz haülb verkere Dar In sich vnd lere Im ÿssen ort nÿm war Mit dem ort vff far Bringst auch moll Ins einhorn dar Din rosen Im redlin Zück die treffen gen gute~ sin Schilt haulb mit trifft Flÿgell oren gift Wecker will ston Triben strichen wil gañ E komen noch reissen ist der sytt Schnellen vberlouff vnd die schnidtt Daß ist ein gemeÿne lere Dar an dich kere Daß thüntt wÿssen Dÿ künst kündent prÿssen

Additional Resources

• Hull, Jeffrey. "The Longsword Fight Lore of Mertin Siber." Masters of Medieval and Renaissance Martial Arts. Ed. Jeffrey Hull. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 2008. ISBN 978-1-58160-668-3