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Anonymous 15th Century Poem

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Fechtlere
Anonymous 15th century poem
Author(s) Unknown
Ascribed to
Date mid 1400s (?)
Genre Fencing manual
Language Early New High German
Archetype(s) Hypothetical
Manuscript(s)
First Printed
English Edition
Hull, 2008
Concordance by Michael Chidester
Translations

This anonymous poem, titled only Fechtlere ("Fencing Lore"), appears in fragmentary form in both Hans Talhoffer's personal fencing manual of 1459[1] and Hans von Speyer's 1491 anthology.[2] It shares concepts and terminology with the writings of Martin Syber and follows his New Zettel ("New Epitome") in Speyer's work,[3] 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.

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

References

  1. Talhoffer, Hans. Untitled [manuscript]. MS Thott.290.2º. Copenhagen, Denmark: Det Kongelige Bibliotek, 1459.
  2. Liechtenauer, Johannes, et al. Untitled [manuscript]. MS M.I.29. Comp. Hans von Speyer. Salzburg, Austria: Universitätsbibliothek Salzburg, 1491.
  3. Hull, Jeffrey. "Mertin Siber’s Longsword Fight-Lore of 1491 AD: a thesis on the Fechtlehre from Handschrift M I 29 (Codex Speyer) at the University of Salzburg in Austria". The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts, 2005. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  4. open space
  5. usually ‘pfort’: port
  6. darbringen
  7. trifft is 3rd person indicative: ‘he hits’. ‘with’ in this case is likely temporal. ie: ‘Squint-hew when he(or it) hits’
  8. maw
  9. retreat, flee, escape, withdraw, make space
  10. Do not be serious, as in “jocamen, schimf oder scherz, vergnügen, spiel”
  11. in weiterer freierer anwendung. a) durch zerren, ziehen in schnelle bewegung versetzen.
  12. also trap, snare
  13. Turn away, twist, steal away
  14. lit. turn
  15. chases
  16. also simple
  17. lit. ‘or’