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| <p>[63] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ The same third ward, viz. on the left shoulder, and the same displacement called ''halbschilt'', as above.</p>
+
| <p>[63] '''(+)''' The same third ward, viz. on the left shoulder, and the same displacement called ''halbschilt'', as above.</p>
 
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| <p>[65] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the third ward is re-adopted, which will be displaced by ''langort'', which all common fencers execute, and the counter to this displacement are two binds, one on the right above the sword, the other on the left.</p>
+
| <p>[65] '''(+)''' Here the third ward is re-adopted, which will be displaced by ''langort'', which all common fencers execute, and the counter to this displacement are two binds, one on the right above the sword, the other on the left.</p>
 
| {{section|Page:MS I.33 14r.jpg|1|lbl=14r}}
 
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| <p>[67] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Now that the third ward has been treated, here the fourth is treated, which will have ''halbschilt'' as its displacement, and all that you had before you will find here up to the next sign of the cross.</p>
+
| <p>[67] '''(+)''' Now that the third ward has been treated, here the fourth is treated, which will have ''halbschilt'' as its displacement, and all that you had before you will find here up to the next sign of the cross.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 15r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 15r]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 15r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 15r]]
| <p>[68] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the priest re-adopts the fourth ward; the displacement of this fourth ward will be the first ward, and this as an example to his pupils, as here shown in the example.</p>
+
| <p>[68] '''(+)''' Here the priest re-adopts the fourth ward; the displacement of this fourth ward will be the first ward, and this as an example to his pupils, as here shown in the example.</p>
 
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| [[File:MS I.33 16r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 16r]]
 
| [[File:MS I.33 16r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 16r]]
| <p>[70] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the first ward is re-adopted, viz. under the arm, and its displacement will be ''langort'', and it is common and of limited value, and note that he who adopts the ward has three possibilities: firstly, he may bind right, above the sword; secondly, he may left, below the sword; thirdly, he may grip the sword with his hand, as shown below in the next example.</p>
+
| <p>[70] '''(+)''' Here the first ward is re-adopted, viz. under the arm, and its displacement will be ''langort'', and it is common and of limited value, and note that he who adopts the ward has three possibilities: firstly, he may bind right, above the sword; secondly, he may left, below the sword; thirdly, he may grip the sword with his hand, as shown below in the next example.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 17r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 17r]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 17r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 17r]]
| <p>[73] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the priest adopts the sixth ward, which is given to the breast. And note, it is solely this stab that must be executed which is executed from the fifth ward, up to the next sign of the cross.</p>
+
| <p>[73] '''(+)''' Here the priest adopts the sixth ward, which is given to the breast. And note, it is solely this stab that must be executed which is executed from the fifth ward, up to the next sign of the cross.</p>
 
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| <p>[76] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ After all the wards above have been treated, here the seventh ward is treated, which is called ''langort'', and note that there are four binds, that answer to this ward, namely two from the right, and the other two from the left. But here we speak only of the first bind above the sword, which you have all in the first ward, up to the fourth example, where sword and shield are taken.</p>
+
| <p>[76] '''(+)''' After all the wards above have been treated, here the seventh ward is treated, which is called ''langort'', and note that there are four binds, that answer to this ward, namely two from the right, and the other two from the left. But here we speak only of the first bind above the sword, which you have all in the first ward, up to the fourth example, where sword and shield are taken.</p>
 
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| <p>[82] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the same final ward is adopted by the pupil. The priest counters, and it is one of the four binds, namely the one below and left, as shown in the images.</p>
+
| <p>[82] '''(+)''' Here the same final ward is adopted by the pupil. The priest counters, and it is one of the four binds, namely the one below and left, as shown in the images.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 20r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 20r]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 20r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 20r]]
| <p>[86] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the final ward is again adopted, which is called ''langort'', and here the priest is adopting it. But the pupil executes one of the four binds, viz. above the sword, as shown here in the example.</p>
+
| <p>[86] '''(+)''' Here the final ward is again adopted, which is called ''langort'', and here the priest is adopting it. But the pupil executes one of the four binds, viz. above the sword, as shown here in the example.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 20v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 20v]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 20v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 20v]]
| <p>[88] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the final ward is adopted, viz. ''langort'', by the pupil. Above this ward, the priest binds with one of the four binds, viz. above the sword and to the right. And note that whenever there is a bind, the bound may flee from the binder to wherever he likes, to the left or to the right. Thence you may diligently see that if he flees, you will follow him, as in the verse: The bound flees to the side, I try to follow.</p>
+
| <p>[88] '''(+)''' Here the final ward is adopted, viz. ''langort'', by the pupil. Above this ward, the priest binds with one of the four binds, viz. above the sword and to the right. And note that whenever there is a bind, the bound may flee from the binder to wherever he likes, to the left or to the right. Thence you may diligently see that if he flees, you will follow him, as in the verse: The bound flees to the side, I try to follow.</p>
  
 
:{{red|''Binder and bound are adverse and irate;<br/>The bound flees to the side, I try to follow.''}}
 
:{{red|''Binder and bound are adverse and irate;<br/>The bound flees to the side, I try to follow.''}}
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 21r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 21r]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 21r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 21r]]
| <p>[90] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Note that this is a different ward, viz. upper ''langort'' which is adopted here by the priest as an example to his pupils, and he instructs his pupil to execute this action, viz. to position himself as shown here in the example.</p>
+
| <p>[90] '''(+)''' Note that this is a different ward, viz. upper ''langort'' which is adopted here by the priest as an example to his pupils, and he instructs his pupil to execute this action, viz. to position himself as shown here in the example.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 22r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 22r]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 22r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 22r]]
| <p>[94] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here a common ward is adopted, which is called ''vidilpoge'',<ref>''vidilpoge'' = "fiddle-bow".</ref> executed by the priest. The pupil counters it positioning himself as shown here in the images.</p>
+
| <p>[94] '''(+)''' Here a common ward is adopted, which is called ''vidilpoge'',<ref>''vidilpoge'' = "fiddle-bow".</ref> executed by the priest. The pupil counters it positioning himself as shown here in the images.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 22v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 22v]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 22v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 22v]]
| <p>[96] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the same ward is re-adopted, viz. ''vidilpoge'', executed by the priest, the pupil acting as above.</p>
+
| <p>[96] '''(+)''' Here the same ward is re-adopted, viz. ''vidilpoge'', executed by the priest, the pupil acting as above.</p>
 
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| <p>[99] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Note that the final ward is re-adopted, viz. ''langort'', concerning which it should be noted that a stab is executed, by means of which the one in the ward is stabbed in the belly, i.e. he is penetrated by the sword, and note that of this paragraph not more than these two images are shown, which was the fault of the painter.<ref>''fingitur for figitur; fuit vicium pictoris'': Here is evidence that the author is not identical with the draftsman.</ref></p>
+
| <p>[99] '''(+)''' Note that the final ward is re-adopted, viz. ''langort'', concerning which it should be noted that a stab is executed, by means of which the one in the ward is stabbed in the belly, i.e. he is penetrated by the sword, and note that of this paragraph not more than these two images are shown, which was the fault of the painter.<ref>''fingitur for figitur; fuit vicium pictoris'': Here is evidence that the author is not identical with the draftsman.</ref></p>
 
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| rowspan="3" | [[File:MS I.33 23v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 23v]]
 
| rowspan="3" | [[File:MS I.33 23v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 23v]]
| <p>[100] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here, the priest adopts his special ward, viz. ''langort'', which is displaced by the pupil, whose displacement will be ''halpschilt'', as shown here in the example.</p>
+
| <p>[100] '''(+)''' Here, the priest adopts his special ward, viz. ''langort'', which is displaced by the pupil, whose displacement will be ''halpschilt'', as shown here in the example.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 24v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 24v]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 24v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 24v]]
| <p>[105] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the special ward of the priest's is re-adopted, which is called ''langort'', as seen above, and again the pupil displaces it with ''haloschilt'', as above, but other examples follow, as shown below.</p>
+
| <p>[105] '''(+)''' Here the special ward of the priest's is re-adopted, which is called ''langort'', as seen above, and again the pupil displaces it with ''haloschilt'', as above, but other examples follow, as shown below.</p>
 
| {{section|Page:MS I.33 24v.jpg|1|lbl=24v}}
 
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| <p>[108] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Note, that here again the special ward of the priest is assumed that is called ''langort'', but it is a very strange displacement that is depicted here, and very rare, and you must know that this can be reduced to the first ward and to the displacement called ''halpschilt'' etc.</p>
+
| <p>[108] '''(+)''' Note, that here again the special ward of the priest is assumed that is called ''langort'', but it is a very strange displacement that is depicted here, and very rare, and you must know that this can be reduced to the first ward and to the displacement called ''halpschilt'' etc.</p>
 
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| <p>[112] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here, the third ward is displaced by the special ward of the priest's that is called ''langort'', and I counsel in good faith, that he who is performing the third ward should not at all delay his actions, because otherwise the one performing the priest's displacement will enter with a stab, which is a common practice of the priest's.</p>
+
| <p>[112] '''(+)''' Here, the third ward is displaced by the special ward of the priest's that is called ''langort'', and I counsel in good faith, that he who is performing the third ward should not at all delay his actions, because otherwise the one performing the priest's displacement will enter with a stab, which is a common practice of the priest's.</p>
 
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| <p>[114] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the fourth ward is assumed again, and it is displaced by the special ward of the priest. It is now up to the priest to displace, and the pupil enters as above, and all the actions that you had before will follow.</p>
+
| <p>[114] '''(+)''' Here the fourth ward is assumed again, and it is displaced by the special ward of the priest. It is now up to the priest to displace, and the pupil enters as above, and all the actions that you had before will follow.</p>
 
| {{section|Page:MS I.33 26v.jpg|2|lbl=-}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS I.33 26v.jpg|2|lbl=-}}
  
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 27r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 27r]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 27r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 27r]]
| <p>[115] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here again the fifth ward is assumed, and it is displaced by the special ward of the priest that is called ''langort'', as shown in the example.</p>
+
| <p>[115] '''(+)''' Here again the fifth ward is assumed, and it is displaced by the special ward of the priest that is called ''langort'', as shown in the example.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 27v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 27v]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 27v.jpg|300px|center|Folio 27v]]
| <p>[117] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the fifth ward is displaced, its displacement being ''halbschilt''. And note, that the one executing the ward may do only two things: Firstly, he can execute a stab, secondly, he can execute a strike to divide shield and sword.</p>
+
| <p>[117] '''(+)''' Here the fifth ward is displaced, its displacement being ''halbschilt''. And note, that the one executing the ward may do only two things: Firstly, he can execute a stab, secondly, he can execute a strike to divide shield and sword.</p>
 
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| <p>[120] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the fifth ward is resumed which will be countered by ''halpschilt'' as shown in the example.</p>
+
| <p>[120] '''(+)''' Here the fifth ward is resumed which will be countered by ''halpschilt'' as shown in the example.</p>
 
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| <p>[125] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here the fifth ward is again resumed, of which much was said above, and it is to be noted that the priest is displacing the pupil with a displacement that is rare and very good, as an example for his students. And you have to know, that if the pupil executes a stab, which to execute is usually the use, the priest also must execute a stab against the stab of the pupil, because his will be more effective, entering with the left foot. But if he does not want to enter he should nevertheless retract his right foot and not omit this stab. But if the pupil displaces against him by means of ''halpscilt'', the priest should fall below sword and shield, and then will follow those things which were seen before.</p>
+
| <p>[125] '''(+)''' Here the fifth ward is again resumed, of which much was said above, and it is to be noted that the priest is displacing the pupil with a displacement that is rare and very good, as an example for his students. And you have to know, that if the pupil executes a stab, which to execute is usually the use, the priest also must execute a stab against the stab of the pupil, because his will be more effective, entering with the left foot. But if he does not want to enter he should nevertheless retract his right foot and not omit this stab. But if the pupil displaces against him by means of ''halpscilt'', the priest should fall below sword and shield, and then will follow those things which were seen before.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 30r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 30r]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 30r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 30r]]
| <p>[129] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ It is to be seen that here the fourth ward is again assumed, and the displacement to this fourth ward is the special ''langort'' of the priest. But the displacer should see that the one assuming the ward does not execute a strike, as it would be dangerous to tarry; therefore he should execute schuzin, and finally not omit a stab.</p>
+
| <p>[129] '''(+)''' It is to be seen that here the fourth ward is again assumed, and the displacement to this fourth ward is the special ''langort'' of the priest. But the displacer should see that the one assuming the ward does not execute a strike, as it would be dangerous to tarry; therefore he should execute schuzin, and finally not omit a stab.</p>
 
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| <p>[134] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ Here, the fourth ward is reassumed, whose displacement is the special ''langort'' of the priest. And it is to be noted, that whenever the game is set in this way, I counsel the one assuming the ward, and also the one displacing him, that none should delay what they have to do, i.e. on one hand the one assuming the ward, a displacement, on the other hand the one displacing, a stab.</p>
+
| <p>[134] '''(+)''' Here, the fourth ward is reassumed, whose displacement is the special ''langort'' of the priest. And it is to be noted, that whenever the game is set in this way, I counsel the one assuming the ward, and also the one displacing him, that none should delay what they have to do, i.e. on one hand the one assuming the ward, a displacement, on the other hand the one displacing, a stab.</p>
 
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 32r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 32r]]
 
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS I.33 32r.jpg|300px|center|Folio 32r]]
| <p>[137] ‘‘‘(+)’’’ It is to be seen, that the first ward is reassumed, i.e. the one below the arm, the replacement to which is the special second ward of the priest on the right shoulder, and take note, that the one assuming the ward will ''schuzin'' without delay, otherwise his opponent will execute ''halbschilt'' which would be disastrous for the one assuming the ward. And from here will be generated all the things related to the first ward that were treated in the first quire.</p>
+
| <p>[137] '''(+)''' It is to be seen, that the first ward is reassumed, i.e. the one below the arm, the replacement to which is the special second ward of the priest on the right shoulder, and take note, that the one assuming the ward will ''schuzin'' without delay, otherwise his opponent will execute ''halbschilt'' which would be disastrous for the one assuming the ward. And from here will be generated all the things related to the first ward that were treated in the first quire.</p>
 
| {{section|Page:MS I.33 32r.jpg|1|lbl=32r}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS I.33 32r.jpg|1|lbl=32r}}
  

Revision as of 00:50, 29 August 2017

Walpurgis Fechtbuch
MS I.33, Royal Armouries
Leeds, United Kingdom

MS I.33 31v.jpg
MS I.33 32r.jpg
ff 31v-32r, including St. Walpurga in her ward
HagedornLeng38.9.8
Wierschin9Hils30
Also known as
  • Liber de Arte Dimicatoria
  • "The Tower Fechtbuch"
  • No.14.E.iii; No.20
Type Fencing manual
Date ca. 1320s
Place of origin Franconia
Language(s) Medieval Latin
Ascribed to Clerus Lutegerus
Scribe(s) Unknown (three hands)
Illustrator(s) Unknown (up to 17 artists)
Material Parchment, in a modern
binding
Size 34 folia
Format Double-sided; two illustrations
per side with text above and
below
Script Bastarda
Previously kept MS Membr.I 115,
Schloß Friedenstein
Treatise scans
Other translations

The MS I.33 is a German fencing manual dating to the 1320s.[1] It currently rests in the holdings of the Royal Armouries at Leeds, United Kingdom. The I.33 is earliest extant treatise on Medieval martial arts, and it appears to have been devised by a secular priest, possibly the "Lutegerus" (or Liutger) mentioned in the text.[2] It was the work of three scribes and potentially as many as 17 illustrators.[3]

The treatise is fully illustrated, and consists of both mnemonic verses and longer explanations in a vernacular Medieval Latin. (The format of verse and gloss may indicate that the priest was explaining a much older tradition.) It treats unarmored fencing with sword and buckler; the intriguing fact that the fencers depicted are a priest and a student (and on the last two pages, a priest and a woman identified as St. Walpurga), seems to suggest that this was a middle class or priestly art rather than one of the knightly class. Repeatedly, the text makes mention of the pupils (scolaris/discipulus) of the priest, as well as youths (iuvenis) and clients (clientulum). It seems, therefore, to have been prepared for secular priests who were offering fencing lessons to young men.

The manuscript in its present form consists of five quires, of which all but the first are incomplete; at least eight leaves are believed to be missing (assuming it started with complete quires of four bifolia each).[3] The precise contents of these missing leaves are unknown, but it is possible that they were a source for the thirty uncaptioned sword and buckler plays which appear in the Libri Picture A 83, the Codex I.6.2º.4, and the Cgm 3712; alternatively, these may originate from another manuscript in the same tradition. The anonymous plays seem in turn to have been the primary source for Paulus Hector Mair's treatment of the side sword and buckler, which he captioned with his own interpretations.

Provenance

The known provenance of the MS I.33 is:

  • Written in the 1320s, possibly by a priest named Liutger; owned by Franconian monks until the 1500s.
  • 1400s – an additional couplet was inscribed at the top of folio 1r, possibly by Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Pope Pius II; 1405-1464).[citation needed]
  • 1552-53 – looted from a monastery by Johannes Herbart von Würzburg during the Franconian campaigns of Albert-Archibald, Duke of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.[4][3] Würzburg was a belt-maker by trade and later served as fencing master to the dukes of Sachsen-Gotha; he inscribed his name on folio 7r.
  • before 1579 – possibly duplicated by Heinrich von Gunterrodt while compiling material for his book[4] (such a copy is currently unknown).
  • late 1500s-1945 – owned by the dukes of Sachsen-Gotha; listed in an 18th century library catalog as Cod.Membr.I.no.115.[citation needed] The second device on folio 26r was copied into the Codex Guelf 125.16 Extravagante in the 1600s by a scribe who couldn't decipher the Latin text.[5] The manuscript was further described on six leaves of paper (with short excerpts of the text) by Heinrich Niewöhner in 1910. (Lost during World War II.)
  • 1945-1950 – location unknown (sold London, Sotheby's, 27 March 1950). Sotheby's listed the manuscript as "a 14th-century manuscript of unknown provenance", and it was not identified as the lost Cod.Membr.I.no.115. until Krämer in 1975.[6]
  • 1950-1996 – held by the Royal Armouries and stored in the Tower of London; known variously as "Tower of London Ms. I.33" or "British Museum No. 14 E iii, No. 20, D. vi. I".
  • 1996 – moved to the newly-opened Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.

Contents

1r - 32v

Gallery

Identification and placement of missing leaves based on work by Dr. Jeffrey L. Forgeng[citation needed] and James Hester.[3] These scans are licensed under the terms of the Royal Armouries Non-Commercial Image Licence.

Front cover
Inside Cover
MS I.33 Cover 2.jpg
Ir
MS I.33 Ir.jpg
Iv
MS I.33 Iv.jpg
Folio 1r
MS I.33 01r.jpg
Folio 1v
MS I.33 01v.jpg
Folio 2r
MS I.33 02r.jpg
Folio 2v
MS I.33 02v.jpg
Folio 3r
MS I.33 03r.jpg
Folio 3v
MS I.33 03v.jpg
Folio 4r
MS I.33 04r.jpg
Folio 4v
MS I.33 04v.jpg
Folio 5r
MS I.33 05r.jpg
Folio 5v
MS I.33 05v.jpg
Folio 6r
MS I.33 06r.jpg
Folio 6v
MS I.33 06v.jpg
Folio 7r
MS I.33 07r.jpg
Folio 7v
MS I.33 07v.jpg
Folio 8r
MS I.33 08r.jpg
Folio 8v
MS I.33 08v.jpg
Missing folio
Missing folio
Folio 9r
MS I.33 09r.jpg
Folio 9v
MS I.33 09v.jpg
Folio 10r
MS I.33 10r.jpg
Folio 10v
MS I.33 10v.jpg
Folio 11r
MS I.33 11r.jpg
Folio 11v
MS I.33 11v.jpg
Folio 12r
MS I.33 12r.jpg
Folio 12v
MS I.33 12v.jpg
Folio 13r
MS I.33 13r.jpg
Folio 13v
MS I.33 13v.jpg
Folio 14r
MS I.33 14r.jpg
Folio 14v
MS I.33 14v.jpg
Missing folio
Missing folio
Folio 15r
MS I.33 15r.jpg
Folio 15v
MS I.33 15v.jpg
Folio 16r
MS I.33 16r.jpg
Folio 16v
MS I.33 16v.jpg
Missing folio
Missing folio
Missing folio
Missing folio
Missing folio
Missing folio
Missing folio
Missing folio
Folio 17r
MS I.33 17r.jpg
Folio 17v
MS I.33 17v.jpg
Folio 18r
MS I.33 18r.jpg
Folio 18v
MS I.33 18v.jpg
Folio 19r
MS I.33 19r.jpg
Folio 19v
MS I.33 19v.jpg
Folio 20r
MS I.33 20r.jpg
Folio 20v
MS I.33 20v.jpg
Folio 21r
MS I.33 21r.jpg
Folio 21v
MS I.33 21v.jpg
Folio 22r
MS I.33 22r.jpg
Folio 22v
MS I.33 22v.jpg
Folio 23r
MS I.33 23r.jpg
Folio 23v
MS I.33 23v.jpg
Folio 24r
MS I.33 24r.jpg
Folio 24v
MS I.33 24v.jpg
Folio 25r
MS I.33 25r.jpg
Folio 25v
MS I.33 25v.jpg
Missing folio
Missing folio
Folio 26r
MS I.33 26r.jpg
Folio 26v
MS I.33 26v.jpg
Folio 27r
MS I.33 27r.jpg
Folio 27v
MS I.33 27v.jpg
Folio 28r
MS I.33 28r.jpg
Folio 28v
MS I.33 28v.jpg
Folio 29r
MS I.33 29r.jpg
Folio 29v
MS I.33 29v.jpg
Folio 30r
MS I.33 30r.jpg
Folio 30v
MS I.33 30v.jpg
Folio 31r
MS I.33 31r.jpg
Folio 31v
MS I.33 31v.jpg
Folio 32r
MS I.33 32r.jpg
Folio 32v
MS I.33 32v.jpg
Missing folio
Missing folio
Inside cover
Back cover

Additional Resources

References

  1. The manuscript has received a wide variety of dates. Anglo (1988) dated it to "the very end of the 13th century" and Hils (1985) to the early 14th century; Cinato and Surprenant (2009) are even less precise, placing it at around the turn of the 14th century. Most recent analysis has suggested a slightly later date, with Leng (2008) dating it to 1320-1330 and Hester (2012) to "around 1320".
  2. See folio 1v.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Hester (2012).
  4. 4.0 4.1 von Gunterrodt, Heinrich. De Veris Principiis Artis Dimicatorie. Wittenberg, 1579. p C3rv
  5. See Codex Guelf 125.16.Extrav., f 45r.
  6. S. Krämer. "Verbleib unbekannt Angeblich verschollene und wiederaufgetauchte Handschriften." Zeitschrift für Deutsches Altertum und Deutsche Literatur, volume 104. 1975
  7. The introductory verse was added on the upper margin of the page. According to [Forgeng], it is attributed to Aenas Sylvius (later pope Pius II; 1405-64). It is obviously referring to other sorts of unmonkish behaviour, but it seems to underline the unusual nature of fencing monks and women.
  8. lutegerus: presumably the name of the author / sacerdos: Liutger.
  9. This verse is open to disputation. Most likely, quoque combines sword and shield into a unity; sub seems to refer to a lower bind, as halpschilt threatens a blow from above. The same situation is depicted 8v and 23v. That a binding between sword and shield is not intended becomes clear on fol. 11r, where exactly that move is deprecated.
  10. diligenter intell...: seems unclear to me; either the instructions, that one should not hesitate should be understood diligently, or the diligence with which the adversary will judge one's actions is stressed.
  11. ligans ligati: One would expect *ligans ligatusque vel. sim. (plural subject). Literally, the translation would be "The binder of the bound - they are...", or "The binder; the bound ones are...". But I believe my translation correctly renders the intended meaning.
  12. fugit ad partes laterum: refers to side-stepping, i.e. taking into account the 3rd dimension not rendered in the images.
  13. The text has been re-traced in darker ink, according to CS by hand C (but closely following the original ductus of hand A).
  14. recipere plagam: to execute (not to receive) a blow. Probably intended as 'receive the opportunity to strike'.
  15. durchtritt: a step to the side seems intended; for the (preferable) action depicted, we would expect 'to the left', so dexteram may be taking the opponent's view.
  16. 16.0 16.1 dampnum for damnum
  17. vidilpoge = "fiddle-bow".
  18. fingitur for figitur; fuit vicium pictoris: Here is evidence that the author is not identical with the draftsman.
  19. Concerning the name of the woman fencer: The name walprgis as written directly above the word sac'dos (below which are five dots forming a line). It is not entirely clear, whether Walpurgis is meant to replace sacerdos or if it is an addition (in which case it would be genitive of Walpurga). But since in the picture, the woman is executing the schiltslac, and because the woman is said to have been ready first (parata), she must be called (in the nominative) Walpurgis.

Copyright and License Summary

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

Work Author(s) Source License
Images Royal Armouries Used under the Royal Armouries Non-Commercial Image Licence
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Translation Dieter Bachmann Kunst des Fechtens
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Transcription Dieter Bachmann Index:Walpurgis Fechtbuch (MS I.33)
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