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{{Infobox writer
+
{{infobox writer
| name                = [[name::Fiore Furlano de’i Liberi]]
+
| name                = Martin Syber
| image                = File:Fiore delli Liberi.jpg
+
| image                =  
| imagesize            = 250px
+
| imagesize            =  
| caption              = This master with a forked beard appears sporadically throughout both the Getty and Pisani Dossi mss., and may be a representation of Fiore himself.
+
| caption              =  
  
 
| pseudonym            =  
 
| pseudonym            =  
 
| birthname            =  
 
| birthname            =  
| birthdate            = 1340s
+
| birthdate            = 15th century (?)
| birthplace          = Cividale del Friuli, Friuli
+
| birthplace          =  
| deathdate            = after 1420
+
| deathdate            = 15th century (?)
| deathplace          = France (?)
+
| deathplace          =  
 
| resting_place        =  
 
| resting_place        =  
| occupation          = {{plainlist
+
| occupation          = [[Fencing master]]
| [[occupation::Diplomat]]
+
| language            = Early New High German
| [[Fencing master]]{{#set: occupation=Fencing master }}
+
| nationality          =  
| [[occupation::Mercenary]]
 
}}
 
| language            = {{plainlist
 
| [[language::Middle Italian]]
 
| [[language::Renaissance Latin]]
 
}}
 
| nationality          = Friulian
 
 
| ethnicity            =  
 
| ethnicity            =  
 
| citizenship          =  
 
| citizenship          =  
 
| education            =  
 
| education            =  
 
| alma_mater          =  
 
| alma_mater          =  
| patron              = {{plainlist
+
| patron              =  
| Gian Galeazzo Visconti (?)
 
| Niccolò III d’Este (?)
 
}}
 
  
 
| period              =  
 
| period              =  
| genre                = {{plainlist
+
| genre                = [[Fencing manual]]
| [[Fencing manual]]
 
| [[Wrestling manual]]
 
}}
 
 
| subject              =  
 
| subject              =  
 
| movement            =  
 
| movement            =  
| notableworks        = ''The Flower of Battle''
+
| notableworks        = ''New Zettel''
| manuscript(s)        = {{collapsible list
+
| manuscript(s)        = {{plainlist
| Codex LXXXIV (before 1436)
+
  | [[Codex Speyer (MS M.I.29)|MS M.I.29]] (1491)
| Codex CX (before 1436)
+
  | [[Glasgow Fechtbuch (MS E.1939.65.341)|MS E.1939.65.341]] (1508)
  | [[Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|MS M.383]] (1400s)
+
  | [[Fechtbuch zu Ross und zu Fuss (MS Var.82)|MS Varia 82]] (1570)
  | [[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|MS Ludwig XV 13]] (1400s)
 
  | [[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi MS]] (1409)
 
| [[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|MS Latin 11269]] (1410s?)
 
| [[Fior di Battaglia (MS XXIV)|MS XXIV]] (1699)
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
| principal manuscript(s)=
 
| principal manuscript(s)=
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| partner              =  
 
| partner              =  
 
| children            =  
 
| children            =  
| relatives            = Benedetto de’i Liberi
+
| relatives            =  
| influences          = {{plainlist
+
| influences          = [[Johannes Liechtenauer]] (?)
| [[Johannes Suvenus|Johane Suveno]]
+
| influenced          =  
| [[Nicholai de Toblem]]
 
}}
 
| influenced          = [[Philippo di Vadi]]
 
 
| awards              =  
 
| awards              =  
 
| signature            =  
 
| signature            =  
Line 67: Line 47:
 
| below                =  
 
| below                =  
 
}}
 
}}
'''Fiore Furlano de’i Liberi de Cividale d’Austria''' (Fiore delli Liberi, Fiore Furlano, Fiore de Cividale d’Austria; ca. 1340s - 1420s) was a late [[century::14th century]] knight, diplomat, and itinerant [[fencing master]]. He was born in Cividale del Friuli, a town in the Patriarchal State of Aquileia (in the Friuli region of modern-day Italy), the son of Benedetto and scion of a Liberi house of Premariacco. The term ''Liberi'', while potentially merely a surname, more probably indicates that his family had Imperial immediacy (''Reichsunmittelbarkeit''), either as part of the ''nobili liberi'' (''Edelfrei'', "free nobles"), the Germanic unindentured knightly class which formed the lower tier of nobility in the Middle Ages, or possibly of the rising class of Imperial Free Knights. It has been suggested by various historians that Fiore and Benedetto were descended from Cristallo dei Liberi of Premariacco, who was granted immediacy in 1110 by Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V, but this has yet to be proven.
+
'''Martin Syber''' (Mertin Siber, Martein Syber) was a 15th century German [[fencing master]]. Hardly anything is known of Syber beyond his ''New Zettel'' ("New [[Zettel|Recital]]"). His surname signifies that he came from a family of sieve makers, but gives us no indication of his birthplace. According to Syber's own account, he learned the art from a variety of masters from across Europe, including men from Bohemia, Brabant (or possibly Provence), England, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Prussia, Russia, and Swabia. The inclusion of his Recital in [[Codex Speyer (MS M.I.29)|Codex Speyer]] and the [[Glasgow Fechtbuch (MS E.1939.65.341)|Glasgow Fechtbuch]] suggests a connection to the tradition of [[Johannes Liechtenauer]], and his mention of an "earlier ''Zettel''" is likely a reference to that of Liechtenauer; however, Syber does not appear on the roll of the [[Fellowship of Liechtenauer]] recorded by [[Paulus Kal]] in ca. 1470, so the extent of his relationship is unclear.
  
Fiore wrote that he had a natural inclination to the martial arts and began training at a young age, ultimately studying with “countless” masters from both Italic and Germanic lands. He had ample opportunity to interact with both, being born in the Holy Roman Empire and later traveling widely in the northern Italian states. Unfortunately, not all of these encounters were friendly: Fiore wrote of meeting many “false” or unworthy masters in his travels, most of whom lacked even the limited skill he'd expect in a good student. He further mentions that on five separate occasions he was forced to fight [[duel]]s for his honor against certain of these masters who he described as envious because he refused to teach them his art; the duels were all fought with sharp swords, unarmored except for gambesons and chamois gloves, and he won each without injury.
+
Syber's Recital comes in the form a cryptic poem describing six ''Gänge'', set sequences of strikes and parries. Unfortunately, no [[gloss]] is currently known to exist for Syber's verse, so its meaning is difficult to decipher. Conversely, it is worth noting that the 16th century [[Freifechter]] [[Joachim Meÿer]] not only had access to Syber's verse (which is included in [[Fechtbuch zu Ross und zu Fuss (MS Var.82)|his final manuscript]]), but also employed much of the master's unique terminology in his own teachings. Meÿer may thus hold the key to interpreting Syber's techniques.
  
Writing very little on his own career as a commander and master at arms, Fiore laid out his credentials for his readers in other ways. He stated that foremost among the masters who trained him was one [[Johannes Suvenus|Johane dicto Suueno]], who he notes was a disciple of [[Nicholai de Toblem]]; unfortunately, both names are given in Latin so there is little we can conclude about them other than that they were probably among the Italians and Germans he alludes to, and that one or both were well known in Fiore's time. He further offered an extensive list of the famous ''condottieri'' that he trained, including Piero Paolo del Verde (Peter von Grünen), Niccolo Unricilino (Nikolo von Urslingen), Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli (Galeazzo Gonzaga da Mantova), Lancillotto Beccaria di Pavia, Giovannino da Baggio di Milano, and Azzone di Castelbarco, and also highlights some of their martial exploits.
+
The Salzburg version of Syber's text is followed by an [[Anonymous 15th Century Poem|additional page of verse]]. This poem shares some common terminology with Syber's writings and has been attributed to Syber by some authors in the past, but its omission from the other two versions of his text call this attribution into question. In addition, another version of the poem was included in one of [[Hans Talhoffer]]'s manuscripts almost fifty years earlier, which indicates that if Syber were indeed the author, his career must have been much earlier than currently believed.
  
([[Fiore de'i Liberi|Read more]]...)
+
([[Martin Syber|Read more]]...)
  
 
<dl>
 
<dl>
 
<dt style="font-size:90%;">Recently Featured:</dt>
 
<dt style="font-size:90%;">Recently Featured:</dt>
<dd style="font-size:90%;">[[Sigmund Schining ain Ringeck]] – [[Joachim Meÿer]] – [[Paulus Hector Mair]] – [[Die Blume des Kampfes]]</dd>
+
<dd style="font-size:90%;">[[Fiore de'i Liberi]] – [[Sigmund Schining ain Ringeck]] – [[Joachim Meÿer]] – [[Die Blume des Kampfes]]</dd>
 
</dl>
 
</dl>

Revision as of 14:54, 29 April 2016

Martin Syber
Born 15th century (?)
Died 15th century (?)
Occupation Fencing master
Influences Johannes Liechtenauer (?)
Genres Fencing manual
Language Early New High German
Notable work(s) New Zettel
Manuscript(s)
Concordance by Michael Chidester

Martin Syber (Mertin Siber, Martein Syber) was a 15th century German fencing master. Hardly anything is known of Syber beyond his New Zettel ("New Recital"). His surname signifies that he came from a family of sieve makers, but gives us no indication of his birthplace. According to Syber's own account, he learned the art from a variety of masters from across Europe, including men from Bohemia, Brabant (or possibly Provence), England, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Prussia, Russia, and Swabia. The inclusion of his Recital in Codex Speyer and the Glasgow Fechtbuch suggests a connection to the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer, and his mention of an "earlier Zettel" is likely a reference to that of Liechtenauer; however, Syber does not appear on the roll of the Fellowship of Liechtenauer recorded by Paulus Kal in ca. 1470, so the extent of his relationship is unclear.

Syber's Recital comes in the form a cryptic poem describing six Gänge, set sequences of strikes and parries. Unfortunately, no gloss is currently known to exist for Syber's verse, so its meaning is difficult to decipher. Conversely, it is worth noting that the 16th century Freifechter Joachim Meÿer not only had access to Syber's verse (which is included in his final manuscript), but also employed much of the master's unique terminology in his own teachings. Meÿer may thus hold the key to interpreting Syber's techniques.

The Salzburg version of Syber's text is followed by an additional page of verse. This poem shares some common terminology with Syber's writings and has been attributed to Syber by some authors in the past, but its omission from the other two versions of his text call this attribution into question. In addition, another version of the poem was included in one of Hans Talhoffer's manuscripts almost fifty years earlier, which indicates that if Syber were indeed the author, his career must have been much earlier than currently believed.

(Read more...)

Recently Featured:
Fiore de'i LiberiSigmund Schining ain RingeckJoachim MeÿerDie Blume des Kampfes