Ergrundung Ritterlicher Kunst der Fechterey (Andre Paurenfeyndt)

Ergrundung Ritterlicher Kunst der Fechterey
Foundation of the Chivalric Art of Swordplay
Title page of the 1516 edition
Also known as	La noble science des ioueurs d'espee
Author(s)	Johannes Liechtenauer Andre Lignitzer 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
Publisher	Hieronymus Vietor (1516) Willem Vorsterman (1538)
Pages	74
Extant copies	E.1939.65.357 (1516) Hn 236 (1538)
Treatise scans	Digital scans (1538) 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. 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.

Between 1535 and 1540, the section on pole weapons was copied into the MS Germ.quart. 2020 by an unknown scribe. In 1564, Lienhart Sollinger created a new manuscript copy of the entire text, which was later bound by Paulus Hector Mair into the Codex I.6.2º.2.

Contents

1 - 2	Preface by Andre Paurñfeyndt
3 - 44	Sword by Andre Paurñfeyndt
45 - 58	Dussack by Andre Paurñfeyndt
59 - 65	Staff by Andre Paurñfeyndt
66 - 67	Dagger by Andre Lignitzer
68 - 69	Sword and buckler by Andre Lignitzer
69 - 70	Conclusion by Andre Paurñfeyndt

Gallery

Title pages

German Edition (1516)

Walloon Edition (1538)

Illustrations

Heraldry

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Halves

These are all the half-blocks that were used to compose some of the full figures above. The figures not represented here were created as full-width blocks.

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Additional Resources

• Jaquet, Daniel; Walczak, Bartłomiej. "Liegnitzer, Hundsfeld or Lew? The question of authorship of popular Medieval fighting teachings". Acta Periodica Duellatorum 2(1): 105-148. 2014. doi:10.1515/apd-2015-0015.
• Roelofsen, Mathijs. "La Noble Science des Joueurs d’Espée: Fight Book and Commercial Product". Acta Periodica Duellatorum 8(1): 73-88. 2020. doi:10.36950/apd-2020-005

Copyright and License Summary

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

Work	Author(s)	Source	License
Images	Herzog August Bibliothek	Herzog August Bibliothek
Transcription (1516)	Michael Chidester	Index:Ergrundung Ritterlicher Kunst der Fechterey (Andre Paurñfeyndt)
Transcription (1538)	Olivier Dupuis, Didier de Grenier, Michael Huber	Index:La noble science des ioueurs d'espee (Andre Paurñfeyndt)