Antonius Rast

Antonius Rast
Born	ca. 1470s Nuremberg, Germany (?)
Died	1549 Augsburg, Germany (?)
Occupation	Fencing master Sword polisher
Movement	Marxbrüder
Influences	Johannes Liechtenauer Nuremberg group
Influenced	Paulus Hector Mair
Genres	Fencing manual
Language	Early New High German
Archetype(s)	Currently lost (1540s)
Manuscript(s)	Reichsstadt "Schätze" Nr. 82 (1553)

Antonius Rast (ca. 1470s - 1549) was a 16th century German fencing master and Captain of the Marxbrüder fencing guild from 1522 to 1523. Paulus Hector Mair is the primary source of information about his life, noting that Rast was a professional sword polisher as well as a certified 'Master of the Long Sword'. He began work on a fencing manual later in his life, but didn't complete it before his death in 1549; Mair purchased the manuscript in 1552 and created a completed version in 1553.

Other than Mair's notes, there are no certain records of Rast's life. The chronicle of the Marxbrüder guild found in the Codex I.6.2º.5 mentions that an 'Anthoni Resch' was made Captain in 1522, and includes an 'Anthoni Rasch' in a list of Masters of the Long Sword in 1534. Both of these are presumed to be references to Rast, as they correspond well with Mair's account and texts from this time period have frequent misspellings, but this is by no means certain.

Rast's writings are consistent with the complex of manuals known as the Nuremberg Group, but since Paulus Hector Mair had access to the Codex Wallerstein when finishing Rast's treatise, it's difficult to make any statements about the nature of Rast's own teachings.

Treatise

The version of Rast's writings prepared by Mair includes sections on armored foot combat, unarmored staff fencing, and mounted combat, none of which appear in earlier sources and may have been composed by Rast himself. However, a version of the mounted fencing material is included in the 1590s manuscripts of Jeremias Schemel von Augsburg; Schemel's manuscripts omit two of Rast's plays, but include captions for the devices on ff 78v-80r which are uncaptioned in Rast. Furthermore, several of them were reproduced in the German translation of Federico Grison's treatise on horsemanship printed in Augsburg in 1570. This may indicate that Rast was drawing on an earlier, unknown source for the mounted material, or even for all three of these sections. However, until such a source can be identified, all of the known versions will be compiled on this page.

Short Sword

Images	No Translation	Augsburg Version
		[57r]
		[57v]
		[58r]
		[58v]
		[59r]
		[59v]
		[60r]
		[60v]
		[61r]
		[61v]
		[62r]
		[62v]
		[63r]
		[63v]
		[64r]
		[64v]

Staff Weapons

Images	Complete Translation by Betsy Winslow	Augsburg Version by Werner Ueberschär
	Mark, one binds you with the staff, then remain firmly standing in the feeling, and go meanwhile and wind in above over his staff on the neck, as here depicted stands, and go fast in that he may not come to work.	[65r] 89 Item pindestu ainem mit der stangen. so bleib väst steen Im enpfinden. vnnd gehe Inndes. vnnd wind Im oben vber sein stangen an den halß. als da gemalet steet. vnnd gehe vast In jn. das Er zu kainer arbait komen mag
	Mark, then one binds-on you above, and you feel that he will wind above over on the neck, then step quickly forwards with the left foot and strike his point away with your left point, as here depicted stands, and thrust the same point in his face.	[65v] 90 Item so du ainem oben anpindest. vnd enpfindest. das Er dir oben vber an den halß will winden. so trit baldt für mit dem linckhen fuß. vnnd schlach jm seinenn ort. mit deinem linckhen ort hinweg. als da gemalet steet. vnnd stoß Im dann denselben ort in sein angesicht.
	Mark, then you will wind one above, and he strikes your point away, then let your left hand drive from the staff, and let the staff go around, then you strike him on the head, as here depicted stands.	[66r] 91 Item so du ainem vber wildt winden. vnd Er schlecht dir dein ort hinweg. so laß dein lenckhen hand von st[un]d[a(n)] varn. vnnd laß die stang vmb geen. so schlechstu Ihne auff den Kopff. als da gemalet steet.
	Mark, one binds you above in long, then throw your staff and come in with the left point, and meanwhile go and grasp his staff in your hand, and wind through him, as here depicted stands.	[66v] 92 Item pindt dir ainer oben lanckh ein. so verwirff deyn stang. vnnd kum Im mit dem lenckhen ort. vnnd gee Inn. des. vnnd faß jm sein stangen in dein hand. vnd wind Jn durch. als da gemallet stehet.
	Mark, one binds on you above strongly, and will force you over with strength, then grasp his staff quickly to yours and clamp his fingers, and wind the staff in quickly on his neck. Wind, step behind him, as here depicted stands, then you throw him on the back.	[67r] 93 Item pindt dir ainer oben starckh an. vnnd will dich mit Gwaldt vbertringen. so faß sein stangen. bald zu der deinen. vnnd klim Im die finger. vnnd wind Ime die stangen baid an seinen halß. wind hinder trit In. alls da gemalet steet. so wirffestu In auff den Ruckhen.
	Mark, the setting-offs for the shooting are of three sorts, as is customary, they shall not be described here.	[67v] 94 Item das abseczen fur die schiessen seynd dreyerlay. alls ge: wounlich ist. sollen hie nit geschriben sein
	This technique shall additionally also not be described.	[68r] Diß stuckh solt auch nit weitter Geschriben sein
	Mark, one binds on you very strongly and runs in on you, so run meanwhile with your head through, as stands described in the sword. End the 8 standings in staff	[68v] Item pindt dir ein gar starckher an. vnnd laufft dir einn so lauff Im mit deinem kopff durch. als in dem schwert geschriben steet. ~ [barely legible] Enndt der 8 stennd jm stenglin

Mounted Fencing

Images	No Translation	Augsburg Version
		[69r]
		[69v]
		[70r]
		[70v]
		[71r]
		[71v]
		[72r]
		[72v]
		[73r]
		[73v]
		[74r]
		[74v]
		[75r]
		[75v]
		[76r]
		[76v]
		[77r]
		[77v]
		[78r]
		[78v]
		[79r]
		[79v]
		[80r]
		[80v]

Copyright and License Summary

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

Work	Author(s)	Source	License
Images	Stadtarchiv Augsburg	WikiMedia Commons
Translation
Transcription	Werner Ueberschär	Index:Rast Fechtbuch (Reichsstadt "Schätze" Nr. 82)