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Difference between revisions of "Anonymous 15th Century Poem"

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<small>[45]</small></poem>
 
<small>[45]</small></poem>
 
| <poem>Over-hew is for the thrust
 
| <poem>Over-hew is for the thrust
Under-hew smoothly breaks
+
Under-hew simply breaks
Middle-hew at distance<ref>open space</ref>
+
Middle-hew into the expanse<ref>open space</ref>
Now see what this means
+
Now look into what this means
 
In the changing-hew seek the gauche,  
 
In the changing-hew seek the gauche,  
 
Diligently observe according to the displacement
 
Diligently observe according to the displacement
Line 132: Line 132:
 
In the Iron-point,<ref>usually ‘pfort’: port</ref> take watch.
 
In the Iron-point,<ref>usually ‘pfort’: port</ref> take watch.
 
With the point, Drive up.
 
With the point, Drive up.
Sometimes delivering<ref>darbringen</ref> in the unicorn
+
Delivering<ref>darbringen</ref> into the unicorn another time.
 
'''''Your roses in the little wheel.'''''
 
'''''Your roses in the little wheel.'''''
 
'''''Withdraw the hits gives [a] good sense'''''
 
'''''Withdraw the hits gives [a] good sense'''''
Squint-hew with a hit<ref>trifft is 3rd person indicative: ‘he hits’. ‘with’ in this case is likely temporal. ie: ‘Squint-hew when he(or it) hits’</ref>
+
Squint-hew hits as well
The wing angers the ears
+
The wing accosts the ears
 
Wrath-point, the chest to pierce
 
Wrath-point, the chest to pierce
 
Shooting over to both sides
 
Shooting over to both sides
 
The waker will stay
 
The waker will stay
Deploying strokes will go
+
Driving strokes will go
 
'''''In the roses in the little wheel.'''''
 
'''''In the roses in the little wheel.'''''
 
'''''Withdraw the hits gives [a] good sense'''''
 
'''''Withdraw the hits gives [a] good sense'''''
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Avert<ref>Turn away, twist, steal away</ref> in the iron-gate.
 
Avert<ref>Turn away, twist, steal away</ref> in the iron-gate.
 
Perform a failing [upon] a buffalo, if you are agile
 
Perform a failing [upon] a buffalo, if you are agile
Approaching before, racing after is the snare
+
Approaching first, racing behind is the snare
Quickening, running-over and the slice
+
Bolting, running-over and the slice
 
That is a general teaching
 
That is a general teaching
 
Orient yourself thereupon<ref>lit. turn</ref>
 
Orient yourself thereupon<ref>lit. turn</ref>

Revision as of 21:26, 6 August 2018

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