Martin Siber’s Fight-Lore of 1491 AD A sword and buckler thesis on the Fechtlehre from Handschrift M I 29 (Codex Speyer) at the University of Salzburg, Austria by Jeffrey Hull Foreword The Fechtlehre (fight-lore) of Martin Siber is part of the Handschrift M I 29 now residing at Universitätsbibliothek Salzburg. This Fechtbuch (fight-book) was originally put to paper by Hans von Speyer, its compiler and editor, in the southwestern area of Germany in 1491 AD, and hence we may call this Codex Speyer. A fine transcript of the whole Codex Speyer by Beatrix Koll of Universitätsbibliothek Salzburg is posted at: http://www.ubs.sbg.ac.at/sosa/webseite/fechtbuch.htm. I thank her for her inspiring work and gracious help, and encourage others to view it. At one time Universitätsbibliothek Salzburg had posted its own high-quality colour facsimile of Codex Speyer on the Web. Uni-Salz no longer does but hopefully someday they may post it again. Also, I thank Monika Maziarz for sharing her personal transcript of Siber for helpful comparison. Ultimately, I chose to do my own original transcript of Siber’s fight-lore based upon the manuscript- facsimile of Codex Speyer, so that I could trust the unity and validity of my own work. Thus I made transcription of the Middle High-German manuscript and translations into New High-German and into New English. Also, I interpreted Siber’s fight-lore, by trying to let it lead me where it would. I have striven to render the text with regard for the literary, the historic and the martial. Although its wording is lively, this fight-lore unfortunately has no original pictures to go along with it – and thus I provide interpretive photographs as well. I also made a prose rendering as training-regimen. I have done my best to understand the fight-lore and to present such to the reader by this thesis. Siber’s fight-lore consists of his teachings on the martial art of sword and shield (Schwert und Schild), which in his time was part of the greater German Kunst des Fechtens (art of fighting). I hope to show Siber’s fight-lore in context of the greater KdF by my multi-disciplinary interpretation. Any mistakes are mine. Siber’s fight-lore has wry poetry, ironic verse and prose – the wording starkly free-flowing, earnest yet playful. It stands astride the blurred border betwixt the Medieval and the Renaissance, as a cryptic yet distilled nexus of the variety of European fencing technique, bidding one to make further study of the larger fight-books, even as it stands on its own as esoteric regimen. I hope that my translation is faithful to the original meaning of Siber, and shall prove worthy to the scholar, the fighter, and the poet. Jeffrey Hull Oregon August 2004 Martin Siber: Fechtlehre (1r-3r of Codex Speyer from 1491 AD) (1r) Item dÿ hernach geschriebenn nüwe zettell Thusly Master Martin Siber has made and set the hat gemacht und gesetz meinster Mertin new summary written hereafter. It is a teaming of Siber und ist ein zuck auß mangerley meinster ge.. manifold masterly skirmishes. It is dealt and set fechtenn und ist geteiltt und gesetz In sechs geng into six goings. And in the summary are the ox, the und in der zittell ist der ochß und der pflug und plough, and the skull-hew – not thus as in the first scheyttell hauw nicht also als in der ersten zettell summary of the book, rather together in des puchs Sunder eyn ander uß legüng Nu hebt explanation. Now heave yourself at the foreword sich an dy vor rede und lere der zettell dar noch and the lore of the summary, and thereafter, the six die sechß genng goings. Wer ere will erwerbenn vor furstenn Whosoever will earn honour before princes and und vor hereim Im vechtenn mit dem before lords in fighting with the sword, he is good Swertt dz ist gutt und gerecht der volge mÿ.. and rightful, who follows my lore, he is blessed ner lere der gesiget ymermere dy sechß evermore. The six goings hold wards which are genng quite preciously good, wherein is wealful halt in huott die sintt gar prißlich gutt in comprehension of the cunning of quite many goodly den woll begriffen ist vil manges gutte mein.. masters: from Hungary, Bohemia, Italy; from sters list auß Ungern Behem ÿtalia auß France, England and Alemania; from Russia, Franckrich Engellant und almania auß Prussia, Greece, Holland, Provence and Swabia. rewßen prewßen Gretia Hollant Profant und swevia In den soltu tretten linck In the goings, should you tread left, while then, der verfurüng do by gedennck In stichenn bethink the misleading. In stabbing press strongly, starg dring so mag dir woll geling Sichstus so may you achieve it well. When you sight venster offen stan Si hinein gee dar von through the window, stand open, see through it, go schlag oder stich schnell So magstu hartt to it, strike or stab swiftly, so may you be hard- gevell in der arbeÿt d (!) vmb tritt daß ege.. felled. In the work tread roundabout – thus the vertt mach mitt Wiltu sie me hebenn daring fellow wins out. Would you raise and an ein ein (!) starcken müstu han Recht ver.. strengthen yourself: then you must have the right; nüfft ist auch gutt von großem zornn yet reason is also good. Ward yourself from great wrath, bring forsetting to such, thereby may you (1v) dich behutt zu sollicher versatzung yn achieve it well when in all your fighting you are den pring nimble. This forelore ends. dar durch dir mag wol geling In allem dinem vechten biß behende dÿ vor lere hat ein ende Der erst gangck The first going Snell dy swech züm rechten Speed the weak to the right Durch wind im vechtenn Wind through amid the fight Den schneller do mit mach Do the speeder with might Zu beyden sitenn zwiffach To both sides twice Seins schilt starck verwindt Overwind his shield strongly Den bogenn stos schlag geswinde Thrust-strike from bow swiftly In aller arbeit umb tritt In all work tread roundabout Den rechtenn bogenn stos mitt Thrust with the right-side bow The second going Der ander ganck Crumple within your strong Krümb in dy sterck Wind through with marking Durch wind mit merck Wind and overlope Wind vberläuff / verwoppen ortt und knouff Forweaponed point and knop Stich im zu dem gesichtt Stab him in the face Des crutz arbeitt mit vichtt With the cross work and fight Des verfurtenn knouffs das soltu gedenckenn Should you bethink the misleading knop auff din (!) haubt machstu yn krenckenn In Then you make him ill upon his top aller arbeitt vmb tritt dz egevertt mach mitt In all work tread roundabout Thus the daring fellow wins out (2r) Der tritt ganck The third going Schil wz von tag kümpt durch zwirch gein nit krümpt dar in schauw sin sach den Squint at what comes from roof haw schiller mit mach nyms ab gar behende droe Through thwarter goes not crumpler den hauw wider in den schiltt ym starck verdring Look into his business mit uberlouff in bezwing in der sterck siner (!) Do the squint-hew with might klingenn In aller arbeitt vmb tritt dz egevertt Offtake rather nimbly mach mitt Within the strong of the blades Threaten the hew against him Strongly advance the shield at him Der virdt ganck Overcome him with overloping In all work tread roundabout Den ochßenn durch stos Thus the daring fellow wins out Mitt zwienn schrittenn groß Windt vnd wider windt Den scheitteller hauw mach geschwindt The fourth going windt / (!) den treffer bald schlag in den buch vnd vff den nack In aller arbeitt vmb tritt daß Thrust the ox through egevertt mach mitt With two big steps Wind and counter-wind Swiftly make the skull-hew Strike that hitter straight away In the belly and upon the neck In all work tread roundabout Thus the daring fellow wins out Der funfft ganck The fifth going Durch stich den langenn ortt Stab the long-point through Zück wider stich denn mortt Withdraw stab again then morte Den plintt hauw laß prellenn Let the blind-hew bounce So magtu gen wol wellenn So may you go well and flow Hang against thus soon Hintertread and speed against At the head and to the bread-box (2v) Heng wider also baldt Thus you make of him a real gawk In all work tread roundabout Hinder tritt wider schnall Thus the daring fellow wins out Uff denn kopff in den buch So machstu auß im ein rechtenn gauch In aller arbeitt umb tritt Das egevertt mach mitt The sixth going From roof reach and fare through With overwinding ward yourself Der sechst ganck Thwart through him really soon Then blind-hew speed anew Vom tag lang durch var Beat the point into his breast Mit verwindenn dich bewar Finally he has lost Durch zwürch ym gar baldt In all work tread roundabout Den plyntt hauw wider schnall Thus the daring fellow wins out Den ortt hauw in sein brust Noch allem dein verlüst In aller arbeitt umb tritt Daß egevertt mach mitt Finis etc Finis, etc. (3r) Ober haüw ist für stich Unter hauw schlecht bricht Overhew is for stabs Mittel hauw in die weÿtte Underhew breaks strikes Nü lüg was dz bedüte Middlehew in the width Im wechsell haüw süch die geüche Now look out for what that means Noch der versatzüng spee In changing-hew seek his folly Stürtz haüw darin dü winde For the forsetting spy Wiltü Im dz antlütz ploß finden Pounce-hew therein by winding So aüß dem scheittler His bare face you want for finding Schlag die kurtz schnid dar So from out the skuller Im unter stürtz haüw verkere Strike with short-edge there dar In sich (!) und lere Invert pounce-hew beneath Im ÿssen ort (!) nÿm war There him stab and teach Mit dem ort vff far In iron-gate make wary Bringst auch moll Ins einhorn dar Fare up with the point Din rosen Im redlin Offer at times in unicorn Zück die tressen gen gute sin Serve roses inside the roundling Schilt hauw mit trifft Tug the tresses against good sense Flÿgell oren (!) gist Hit with shield-hew Wecker will stan Wing goes above Triben strichen wil gan Waker will stand E komen noch reissen ist der sytt Driving and striking will go Schnellen uberlouff und die schnidtt Erstcoming and nextraiding beknown Speeding overlope and slashes as well Daß ist ein gemeÿne lere Dar an dich kere That is basic lore Daß thüntt wÿssen To which you turn Dÿ künst kündent prÿssen It makes wisdom Which art and knowledge praise (3v-4v blank) Photos: As there were no original illustrations accompanying Siber’s fight-lore, I went ahead and had some made of myself doing the wards as I understood them.