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| <small>1</small><br/><br/><br/><br/><small>5</small><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><small>10</small><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><small>15</small><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><small>20</small><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><small>25</small><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><small>30</small><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><small>35</small><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><small>40</small><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><small>45</small>
| {{red|Descending cut is for thrust<br/>Rising cut breaks simply<br/>Lateral cut in the wide<ref>open space</ref><br/>Now ponder what this means<br/>In the switch cut, seek the gauche, <br/>Snipe for a displacement<br/>Plunge cut, therein you rotate<br/>If you wish to find the face uncovered<br/>Then from the part cut,<br/>Strike down their short edge<br/>Invert the plunge cut when down below<br/>Therein seek and learn<br/>In the Iron-point,<ref>usually ‘pfort’: port</ref> take watch.<br/>Rise up with your point.<br/>You deliver one more time into the unicorn<br/>'''''Your roses in the little wheel.'''''<br/>'''''Suddenly retract engagements to give good opportunities'''''<br/>Shield cut clashes together<br/>The wing accosts the ears}}<br/>Wrath-point, the chest to pierce<br/>Shooting over to both sides<br/>{{red|The waker will stay<br/>Driving strokes will go}}<br/>'''''Into the roses in the little wheel'''''<br/>'''''Suddenly retract engagements to give good opportunities'''''<br/>Crooked-hew to the mouth<ref>maw</ref><br/>If you have intwined him, do not rest<br/>In the war, so you apply grips<br/>Ox, plow: therein you do not soften<br/>Play<ref>Do not be serious, as in “jocamen, schimf oder scherz, vergnügen, spiel”</ref> with the carving<ref>in weiterer freierer anwendung. a) durch zerren, ziehen in schnelle bewegung versetzen.</ref> point<br/>In the barrier-point<ref>also trap, snare</ref> have a heart<br/>Avert<ref>Turn away, twist, steal away</ref> in the iron-gate.<br/>Perform a failing [upon] a buffalo, if you are agile<br/>{{red|Approaching first, racing behind is the snare<br/>Bolting, running-over and the slice<br/>That is a general teaching<br/>Orient yourself thereupon<ref>lit. turn</ref><br/>Because if the wise perform,<br/>The Art proclaims glories.}}<br/>If you wish to enjoy the Art,<br/>Then learn the doubled hews<br/>Whoever follows<ref>chases</ref> straight<ref>also simple</ref> hews,<br/>They permit their art little rejoicing<br/>Also [there] are the four guards<br/>That you shall always remember<br/>Do not fall strongly therein<br/>Lest<ref>lit. ‘or’</ref> he clash loudly, sounding over it.<br/>Whenever one wishes to bind-upon<br/>Then wind the short edge into forwards.
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| {{red|Descending cut is for thrust<br/>Rising cut breaks simply<br/>Lateral cut in the wide<ref>open space</ref><br/>Now ponder what this means<br/>In the switch cut, seek the gauche, <br/>Snipe for a displacement<br/>Plunge cut, therein you rotate<br/>If you wish to find the face uncovered<br/>Then from the part cut,<br/>Strike down their short edge<br/>Invert the plunge cut when down below<br/>Therein seek and learn<br/>In the Iron-point,<ref>usually ‘pfort’: port</ref> take watch.<br/>Rise up with your point.<br/>You deliver one more time into the unicorn<br/>'''''Your roses in the little wheel.'''''<br/>'''''Suddenly retract the hits to give good opportunities'''''<br/>Shield cut clashes together<br/>The wing accosts the ears}}<br/>Wrath-point, the chest to pierce<br/>Shooting over to both sides<br/>{{red|The waker will stay<br/>Driving strokes will go}}<br/>'''''Into the roses in the little wheel'''''<br/>'''''Suddenly retract the hits to give good opportunities'''''<br/>Crooked-hew to the mouth<ref>maw</ref><br/>If you have intwined him, do not rest<br/>In the war, so you apply grips<br/>Ox, plow: therein you do not soften<br/>Play<ref>Do not be serious, as in “jocamen, schimf oder scherz, vergnügen, spiel”</ref> with the carving<ref>in weiterer freierer anwendung. a) durch zerren, ziehen in schnelle bewegung versetzen.</ref> point<br/>In the barrier-point<ref>also trap, snare</ref> have a heart<br/>Avert<ref>Turn away, twist, steal away</ref> in the iron-gate.<br/>Perform a failing [upon] a buffalo, if you are agile<br/>{{red|Approaching first, [then] pursuing is the snare<br/>Bouncing, overrunning and the slice<br/>That is a general teaching<br/>Orient yourself thereupon<ref>lit. turn</ref><br/>This enables you to know,<br/>What this art claims to prize.}}<br/>If you wish to enjoy the Art,<br/>Then learn the doubled hews<br/>Whoever follows<ref>chases</ref> straight<ref>also simple</ref> hews,<br/>They permit their art little rejoicing<br/>Also [there] are the four guards<br/>That you shall always remember<br/>Do not fall strongly therein<br/>Lest<ref>lit. ‘or’</ref> he clash loudly, sounding over it.<br/>Whenever one wishes to bind-upon<br/>Then wind the short edge into forwards.
 
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Revision as of 21:11, 27 December 2020

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 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 Record") in Speyer's work,[3] but is absent from other presentations of his work. 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).

It is worth mentioning that the justification for considering the two poems to be parts of the same greater work is not as strong as we might wish. Out of 30 lines in the Copenhagen version and 27 in the Salzburg, only ten are common to both poems. This is a much smaller degree of overlap than we generally see in different renditions of the same work, though it is still substantial enough to reasonably conclude that the two are related in some way.

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. maw
  7. Do not be serious, as in “jocamen, schimf oder scherz, vergnügen, spiel”
  8. in weiterer freierer anwendung. a) durch zerren, ziehen in schnelle bewegung versetzen.
  9. also trap, snare
  10. Turn away, twist, steal away
  11. lit. turn
  12. chases
  13. also simple
  14. lit. ‘or’