Wiktenauer logo.png

Difference between revisions of "Wiktenauer:Main page/Featured"

From Wiktenauer
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(81 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{infobox medieval text
+
{{Infobox writer
<!-----------Name---------->
+
| name                 = Salvator Fabris
| name                 = Gloss and Interpretation of<br/>the Recital on the Long Sword
+
| image               = File:Salvator Fabris.png
| alternative title(s)  = die gloss und die auslegung der zettel <br/>des langen schwert
+
| imagesize            = 200px
<!----------Image---------->
+
| caption             =  
| image                 = File:Johannes Liechtenauer.jpg
+
 
| width                = 150px
+
| pseudonym           =  
| caption               =  
+
| birthname            =  
<!----------Information---------->
+
| birthdate            = 1544
| full title           =  
+
| birthplace           = Padua, Italy
| also known as        =  
+
| deathdate            = 11 Nov 1618 (aged 74)
| author(s)            = Unknown
+
| deathplace          = Padua, Italy
| ascribed to           = Pseudo-Peter von Danzig
+
| resting_place        =  
| compiled by          =  
+
| occupation          = {{plainlist
| illustrated by        = Unknown
+
  | Assassin (?)
| patron                =  
+
  | [[Fencing master]]
| dedicated to          =
 
| audience              =
 
| language              = [[Early New High German]]
 
| date                  = before 1452
 
| state of existence    =
 
<!----------Manuscript Information---------->
 
| genre                = {{plainlist
 
  | [[Fencing manual]]
 
  | [[Wrestling manual]]
 
 
}}
 
}}
| series                =  
+
| language            = [[Italian]]
| archetype(s)         = Hypothetical
+
| nationality          = [[Italian]]
| principal manuscript(s)={{collapsible list
+
| ethnicity            =
  | [[Codex Danzig (Cod.44.A.8)|Cod. 44.A.8]] (1452)
+
| citizenship         =  
  | [[Paulus Kal Fechtbuch (MS KK5126)|MS KK5126]] (?) (1480s)
+
| education            =
 +
| alma_mater          = University of Padua (?)
 +
| patron              = {{plainlist
 +
  | Christianus Ⅳ of Denmark
 +
  | Johan Frederik of Schleswig-Holstein-<br/>Gottorp
 
}}
 
}}
| manuscript(s)         = {{collapsible list
+
 
  | [[Glasgow Fechtbuch (MS E.1939.65.341)|MS E.1939.65.341]] (1508)
+
| period              =
  | [[Goliath (MS Germ.Quart.2020)|MS Germ.quart.2020]] (1510s)
+
| genre                = [[Fencing manual]]
  | [[Hutter/Sollinger Fechtbuch (Cod.I.6..2)|Cod.I.6.2º.2]] (1564)
+
| subject              =
 +
| movement            =
 +
| notableworks        = ''[[Scienza d’Arme (Salvator Fabris)|Scienza d’Arme]]'' (1601-06)
 +
| manuscript(s)       = {{collapsible list
 +
  | [[Scientia e Prattica dell'Arme (GI.kgl.Saml.1868.4040)|GI.kgl.Saml.1868.4040]] (1601)
 +
  | [[La Scientia della Spada (MS KB.73.J.38)|MS KB.73.J.38]] (1600-09)
 +
  | [[Figures nues, positions d'escrime à l'épée (MS 17)|MS 17]] (1600-20)
 +
| [[Fechtkunst aus dem Italienischen (MS Dresd.C.94a)|MS Dresd.C.94a]] (ca. 1635)
 
}}
 
}}
| first printed edition = [[Christian Henry Tobler|Tobler]], 2010
+
| principal manuscript(s)=
| wiktenauer compilation by=[[Michael Chidester]]
+
| first printed edition=  
| translations          =
+
| wiktenauer compilation by=
| below                =
+
 
 +
| spouse              =
 +
| partner              =
 +
| children            =
 +
| relatives            =
 +
| influences          =
 +
| influenced          = {{plainlist
 +
| [[Sebastian Heußler]]
 +
| [[Hans Wilhelm Schöffer von Dietz]]
 
}}
 
}}
'''"Pseudo-Peter von Danzig"''' is the name given to an anonymous late 14th or early [[century::15th century]] [[nationality::German]] [[fencing master]].<ref>This name stems from the false assumption of many 20th century writers identifying him with [[Peter von Danzig zum Ingolstadt]].</ref> Some time before the creation of the [[Codex Danzig (Cod.44.A.8)|Codex 44.A.8]] in 1452, he authored a [[gloss]] of [[Johannes Liechtenauer]]'s [[Recital]] (''Zettel'') which would go on to become the most widespread in the tradition. While his identity remains unknown, it is possible that he was in fact [[Jud Lew]] or [[Sigmund Schining ein Ringeck]], both of whose glosses show strong similarities to the work. On the other hand, the introduction to the Rome version of the text might be construed as attributing it to Liechtenauer himself.
+
| awards              = ''Supremus Eques'' of the Order of the Seven Hearts
 +
| signature            =
 +
| website              =
 +
| translations        =
 +
| below                =
 +
}}
 +
'''Salvator Fabris''' (Salvador Fabbri, Salvator Fabriz, Fabrice; 1544-1618) was a 16th – 17th century [[Italian]] knight and [[fencing master]]. He was born in or around Padua, Italy in 1544, and although little is known about his early years, he seems to have studied fencing from a young age and possibly attended the prestigious University of Padua. The French master [[Henry de Sainct Didier]] recounts a meeting with an Italian fencer named "Fabrice" during the course of preparing his treatise (completed in 1573) in which they debated fencing theory, potentially placing Fabris in France in the early 1570s. In the 1580s, Fabris corresponded with Christian Barnekow, a Danish nobleman with ties to the royal court as well as an alumnus of the university. It seems likely that Fabris traveled a great deal during the 1570s and 80s, spending time in France, Germany, Spain, and possibly other regions before returning to teach at his alma mater.
 +
 
 +
It is unclear if Fabris himself was of noble birth, but at some point he seems to have earned a knighthood. In fact, he is described in his treatise as ''Supremus Eques'' ("Supreme Knight") of the Order of the Seven Hearts. In Johann Joachim Hynitzsch's introduction to the 1676 edition, he identifies Fabris as a Colonel of the Order. It seems therefore that he was not only a knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts, but rose to a high rank and perhaps even overall leadership.
  
<h2> Treatise </h2>
+
Fabris' whereabouts in the 1590s are uncertain, but there are rumors. In 1594, he may have been hired by King Sigismund of Poland to assassinate his uncle Karl, a Swedish duke and competitor for the Swedish crown. According to the story, Fabris participated in a sword dance (or possibly a dramatic play) with a sharp sword and was to slay Karl during the performance when the audience was distracted. (The duke was warned and avoided the event, saving his life.) In ca. 1599, Fabris may have been invited to England by noted playwright William Shakespeare to choreograph the fight scenes in his premier of ''Hamlet''. He also presumably spent considerable time in the 1590s developing the [[fencing manual]] that would guarantee his lasting fame.
  
Early on in its history, the Pseudo-Peter von Danzig gloss seems to have split into two primary branches, and no definite copies of the unaltered original are known to survive. The gloss of [[Sigmund Schining ain Ringeck]] also seems to be related to this work, due to the considerable overlap in text and contents, but the exact nature of this relationship is currently unclear.
+
What is certain is that by 1598, Fabris had left his position at the University of Padua and was attached to the court of Johan Frederik, the young duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. He continued in the duke's service until 1601, and as a parting gift prepared a lavishly-illustrated, three-volume manuscript of his treatise entitled ''Scientia e Prattica dell'Arme'' ([[Scientia e Prattica dell'Arme (GI.kgl.Saml.1868.4040)|GI.kgl.Saml.1868 4040]]).
  
Branch A, first attested in the [[Codex Lew (Cod.I.6.4º.3)|Augsburg version]] (1450s) and comprising the majority of extant copies, has more devices overall than the other branch (particularly in the extensive [[Codex Speyer (MS M.I.29)|Salzburg version]] of 1491) but generally shorter descriptions in areas of overlap. It also includes glosses of Liechtenauer's Recital on long sword and mounted fencing only, and in lieu of a gloss of Liechtenauer's short sword it is generally accompanied by the short sword teachings of [[Andre Liegniczer]] and [[Martin Huntfeltz]]. Apart from containing the most content, the Salzburg version is notable for including nine paragraphs of text that are not found in any other version of Pseudo-Peter von Danzig, but do appear in Ringeck (and constitute almost 10% of that work); this predates all known copies of Ringeck's text, but is another indicator of some connection between the works. Branch A was later used by [[Johannes Lecküchner]] as a source when he compiled his own gloss of a Recital on the [[Messer]].
+
<noinclude>In 1601, Fabris was hired as chief [[rapier]] instructor to the court of Christianus Ⅳ, King of Denmark and Duke Johan Frederik's cousin. He ultimately served in the royal court for five years; toward the end of his tenure and at the king's insistence, he published his opus under the title ''Sienza e Pratica d’Arme'' ("Science and Practice of Arms") or ''De lo Schermo, overo Scienza d’Arme'' ("On Defense, or the Science of Arms"). Christianus funded this first edition and placed his court artist, [[Jan van Halbeeck]], at Fabris' disposal to illustrate it; it was ultimately published in Copenhagen on 25 September 1606.
  
Branch B, attested first in the [[Codex Danzig (Cod.44.A.8)|Rome version]] (1452), is found in only four manuscripts; it tends to feature slightly longer descriptions than Branch A, but includes fewer devices overall. Branch B glosses Liechtenauer's entire Recital, including the short sword section, and may therefore be considered more complete than Branch A; it also different from Branch A in that three of the four known copies are illustrated to some extent, where none in the other branch are. The [[Goliath (MS Germ.Quart.2020)|Krakow version]] (1510-20) seems to be an incomplete (though extensively illustrated) copy taken directly from the Rome,<ref>Zabinski, pp 82-83</ref> while [[Hutter/Sollinger Fechtbuch (Cod.I.6.2º.2)|Augsburg II]] (1564) is taken from the Krakow but only includes the six illustrated devices of wrestling from the Krakow and their respective captions. Even more anomalous is the [[Glasgow Fechtbuch (MS E.1939.65.341)|Glasgow version]], consisting solely of a sizeable fragment of the short sword gloss (hence its assignation to Branch B) which is appended to the opening sections of Ringeck's gloss of the same section; since it accompanies Ringeck's long sword and mounted fencing glosses, a possible explanation is that the scribe lacked a complete copy of Ringeck and tried to fill in the deficit with another similar text.
+
Soon after the text was published, and perhaps feeling his 62 years, Fabris asked to be released from his six-year contract with the king so that he might return home. He traveled through northern Germany and was in Paris, France, in 1608. Ultimately, he received a position at the University of Padua and there passed his final years. He died of a fever on 11 November 1618 at the age of 74, and the town of Padua declared an official day of mourning in his honor. In 1676, the town of Padua erected a statue of the master in the Chiesa del Santo.
  
There is one version of the Pseudo-Peter von Danzig gloss that defies categorization into either branch, namely the [[Paulus Kal Fechtbuch (MS KK5126)|Vienna version]] (included in a 1480 manuscript along with [[Paulus Kal]]'s work, though Kal's personal level of involvement is unknown). The text of this copy is more consistent with the generally shorter descriptions of Branch A, but the overall contents much more closely align with Branch B, lacking most of the unique devices of Branch A and including the gloss of the short sword. The Vienna version may therefore be a copy of the original gloss before it split into these branches (or it may merely be an odd attempt by a scribe to synthesize the two branches into a single, shorter work).
+
The importance of Fabris' work can hardly be overstated. Versions of his treatise were reprinted for over a hundred years, and translated into German at least four times as well as French and Latin. He is almost universally praised by later masters and fencing historians, and through the influence of his students and their students (most notably [[Hans Wilhelm Schöffer]]), he became the dominant figure in German fencing throughout the 17th century and into the 18th.
  
([[Pseudo-Peter von Danzig|Read more]]...)
+
</noinclude>([[Salvator Fabris|Read more]])
  
<dl>
+
<dl style="clear:right;">
 
<dt style="font-size:90%;">Recently Featured:</dt>
 
<dt style="font-size:90%;">Recently Featured:</dt>
<dd style="font-size:90%;">[[Martin Syber]] – [[Fiore de'i Liberi]] – [[Sigmund Schining ain Ringeck]] – [[Joachim Meÿer]]</dd>
+
<dd style="font-size:90%;">[[Lew]]&ensp;&ensp;[[Sigmund ain Ringeck]]&ensp;&ensp;[[Andre Paurenfeyndt]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli]]&ensp;&ensp;[[Antonio Manciolino]]</dd>
 
</dl>
 
</dl>

Revision as of 21:15, 23 May 2022

Salvator Fabris
Born 1544
Padua, Italy
Died 11 Nov 1618 (aged 74)
Padua, Italy
Occupation
Nationality Italian
Alma mater University of Padua (?)
Patron
  • Christianus Ⅳ of Denmark
  • Johan Frederik of Schleswig-Holstein-
    Gottorp
Influenced
Genres Fencing manual
Language Italian
Notable work(s) Scienza d’Arme (1601-06)
Manuscript(s)

Salvator Fabris (Salvador Fabbri, Salvator Fabriz, Fabrice; 1544-1618) was a 16th – 17th century Italian knight and fencing master. He was born in or around Padua, Italy in 1544, and although little is known about his early years, he seems to have studied fencing from a young age and possibly attended the prestigious University of Padua. The French master Henry de Sainct Didier recounts a meeting with an Italian fencer named "Fabrice" during the course of preparing his treatise (completed in 1573) in which they debated fencing theory, potentially placing Fabris in France in the early 1570s. In the 1580s, Fabris corresponded with Christian Barnekow, a Danish nobleman with ties to the royal court as well as an alumnus of the university. It seems likely that Fabris traveled a great deal during the 1570s and 80s, spending time in France, Germany, Spain, and possibly other regions before returning to teach at his alma mater.

It is unclear if Fabris himself was of noble birth, but at some point he seems to have earned a knighthood. In fact, he is described in his treatise as Supremus Eques ("Supreme Knight") of the Order of the Seven Hearts. In Johann Joachim Hynitzsch's introduction to the 1676 edition, he identifies Fabris as a Colonel of the Order. It seems therefore that he was not only a knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts, but rose to a high rank and perhaps even overall leadership.

Fabris' whereabouts in the 1590s are uncertain, but there are rumors. In 1594, he may have been hired by King Sigismund of Poland to assassinate his uncle Karl, a Swedish duke and competitor for the Swedish crown. According to the story, Fabris participated in a sword dance (or possibly a dramatic play) with a sharp sword and was to slay Karl during the performance when the audience was distracted. (The duke was warned and avoided the event, saving his life.) In ca. 1599, Fabris may have been invited to England by noted playwright William Shakespeare to choreograph the fight scenes in his premier of Hamlet. He also presumably spent considerable time in the 1590s developing the fencing manual that would guarantee his lasting fame.

What is certain is that by 1598, Fabris had left his position at the University of Padua and was attached to the court of Johan Frederik, the young duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. He continued in the duke's service until 1601, and as a parting gift prepared a lavishly-illustrated, three-volume manuscript of his treatise entitled Scientia e Prattica dell'Arme (GI.kgl.Saml.1868 4040).

In 1601, Fabris was hired as chief rapier instructor to the court of Christianus Ⅳ, King of Denmark and Duke Johan Frederik's cousin. He ultimately served in the royal court for five years; toward the end of his tenure and at the king's insistence, he published his opus under the title Sienza e Pratica d’Arme ("Science and Practice of Arms") or De lo Schermo, overo Scienza d’Arme ("On Defense, or the Science of Arms"). Christianus funded this first edition and placed his court artist, Jan van Halbeeck, at Fabris' disposal to illustrate it; it was ultimately published in Copenhagen on 25 September 1606.

Soon after the text was published, and perhaps feeling his 62 years, Fabris asked to be released from his six-year contract with the king so that he might return home. He traveled through northern Germany and was in Paris, France, in 1608. Ultimately, he received a position at the University of Padua and there passed his final years. He died of a fever on 11 November 1618 at the age of 74, and the town of Padua declared an official day of mourning in his honor. In 1676, the town of Padua erected a statue of the master in the Chiesa del Santo.

The importance of Fabris' work can hardly be overstated. Versions of his treatise were reprinted for over a hundred years, and translated into German at least four times as well as French and Latin. He is almost universally praised by later masters and fencing historians, and through the influence of his students and their students (most notably Hans Wilhelm Schöffer), he became the dominant figure in German fencing throughout the 17th century and into the 18th.

(Read more…)

Recently Featured:
Lew – Sigmund ain Ringeck – Andre Paurenfeyndt – Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli – Antonio Manciolino