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a thesis on the Fechtlehre from Handschrift M I 29 (Codex Speyer) at
the University of Salzburg in Austria by Jeffrey Hull Foreword: The Fechtlehre (fight-lore) of Mertin 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. I have made transcription
of Siber’s part of that Middle High-German manuscript and translations into
New High-German and into New English. I interpreted Siber’s fight-lore for longsword by
assuming it to be in the tradition of Johannes
Liechtenauer. 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 some 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. Any mistakes
are mine. Of great help for
comparison and reference were the following: 1) A manuscript-facsimile of the entire Codex Speyer at Universitätsbibliothek Salzburg, and a fine
transcript thereof by Beatrix Koll. I thank her for inspiring work and
gracious help.
At one time Uni-Salz itself
had posted this high-quality colour facsimile within the Web. Now sadly, Uni-Salz no longer does –
hopefully someday they may post it again for all to see. Her transcript is
posted at: http://www.ubs.sbg.ac.at/sosa/webseite/fechtbuch.htm 2) A fine transcript of Siber from Codex Speyer by Monika Maziarz at
ARMA-Poland, which is posted at: http://www.arma.lh.pl/zrodla/traktaty/vonspeyer/siber.htm 3) A confidentially shared manuscript-facsimile
(Manuscript E.1939.65.341) of a
later similar version of “Martein Syber” from Fecht und Ringerbuch (1508 AD) at Glasgow Museums courtesy of
Tobias Capwell. They hope to publish
the whole manuscript sometime in the future.
Their resource-center web-site is at:
http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=8 I offer this
thesis as a working interpretation for Langenschwert
(longsword) as may be gleaned from Siber’s obscure and laconic
fight-lore. However, I do this with
acknowledgement of my previously released work where I interpreted the text
rather for Schwert & Schild
(sword & buckler). Even with
advantage of fight-books and training partners, today’s regaining of
forgotten Medieval & Renaissance European fencing often involves
self-teaching, hence one can lead oneself astray however well-meaning, and
should try to correct his or her interpretive errors. Thus as the fight-books warn against false
teaching, I must offer what I now think is the true teaching – this longsword
interpretation. It is also the
fulfillment of my own challenge to critics who never produced a longsword interpretation
of their own to match my sword & shield interpretation. Actually,
this longsword thesis was my original intent, and now I appreciate it more
after doing the sword & buckler thesis.
I have tried to fully explore Siber’s fight-lore for longsword and
have proven its likelihood and workings to myself, and now hopefully I may
prove it to you. If my erstwhile
interpretation was wrong, then may this new interpretation be right. What matters most in this undertaking is to
try to find the truth of Siber’s fight-lore. I hope to show Siber’s
fight-lore was part of the greater German Kunst
des Fechtens (art of fighting) of his time. Siber’s fight-lore has wry poetry, ironic
verse and prose, its 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 sword-fighting, bidding one to make further study of
the larger fight-books, even as it stands on its own as esoteric lore. Hopefully my interpretation is faithful to
the original meaning of Siber, and shall prove worthy to the scholar, the
fighter, and the poet. Jeffrey Hull Kansas February 2005 ***** Transcription:
Translations:
Pictures: As there were
no original pictures for Siber’s fight-lore, I went ahead and had some made
of myself doing his nine wards as best I understood them. Two pictures of each ward are offered from
alternate angles. These pictures are
meant to serve as guides for how the main wards were likely to have been
done, and indeed, can be done today.
The fighter’s own body, experience and idiosyncrasies may call for
some variation. In the course of
moving the body and weapon through the wards in offence and defence – which
still-frames cannot show – one may go more deeply or more upright into
stance. Also, one moves and balances
differently depending upon whether he is unarmoured or armoured. The pictures should be taken as working
guides which are meant as workable portrayal.
These wards are more or less ambidextrous, working decently enough on
either right or left, though not always equally so from each side at all
times. Please do these wards in solo
practice, drills and sparring to realise them for yourself.
Interpretation: By “interpretation” I mean this: to explain the meaning of something as best
I know or think. The fight-lore of Mertin
Siber should be realised by live training at speed and strength. As the text is obscure, even cryptic, no
absolutist claim should be made by anyone.
As the text of the fight-lore has no illustrations, we cannot see with
some visualised
certainty what is meant by the words.
Indeed, we cannot train now with Siber, nor with anyone living or dead
who unbrokenly followed his martial tradition. I interpreted Siber’s fight-lore for longsword according to what works in a struggle versus another
swordfighter and by assuming it to be in the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer.
The first method is self-evident and should be beyond dispute. The second method seems reasonable as
Liechtenauer’s teachings are generally accepted as the foundation of German
longsword, and indeed, a late version of his work is found in the same Codex Speyer as Siber’s teachings. However, my full
comparison to other texts consists of the early Johannes Liechtenauer and
Sigmund Ringeck (JLSR) (1389 & 1440 AD), Hans Talhoffer (HT) (1467 AD)
and Joachim Meyer (JM) (1570 AD). Also
I make reference to two other relevant works:
To another version of Hans Talhoffer (HT-1459-Thott), from 1459 AD
residing at Copenhagen; its page 1r shares 10 matching lines and 8 key-terms
total with page 3r of the Siber – go to Appendix
III for my transcript of that page 1r.
And also to the similar later manuscript of fight-lore by “Martein
Syber” from Fecht und Ringerbuch (1508 AD) (FuRb-Syber) – go to Appendix IV for my transcript of pages
24v & 25r. The congruence of
content amongst all these are remarkable and would doubtlessly put Siber in
the tradition of Talhoffer and Liechtenauer.
Incidentally, both Codex Speyer and
Fecht und Ringerbuch call
Liechtenauer a master and present versions of his teachings. I think that by contextual reading and
philological comparison; and by safe, authentic, earnest physical practice of
likely techniques and tactics; we may have then a valid, accurate, and worthy
rendering of what Siber meant. Thus my
rendering serves as a guide rather than the final word. Indeed, as hopefully my understanding of
the art of fighting grows, I may need to change my thinking as time passes to
better fit the truth of Siber’s teaching. Lastly, as this fight-lore was indeed
for fight-training, then be warned that any and all training at things
described herein is strictly and rightfully one’s own responsibility. Whether with wasters, blunts, or sharps,
training is at the fighter’s own risk.
Safety, trust, and awareness betwixt training partners are
paramount. This lore was for teaching
men how to fight, indeed, how to kill.
Anyone who misunderstands this warning should not take up the
longsword. Mertin
Siber: Fight-Lore (1r-3r from Codex
Speyer of 1491 AD) Siber’s Fight-Lore was written down in a manuscript of 1491 AD now residing at the Universitätsbibliothek Salzburg. It consists of foreword, goings, and poem (which itself bears same title), and could be thought of as a small yet dense fencing work-book. It is 5 pages (1r-3r) over 3 leaves of an unnamed 158 leaf manuscript which may be called the Codex Speyer, as it is a compendium of works by various masters as scribed by Hans von Speyer (`ha:nz fa:n `shpai-er – also called Hans von Spier), his name indicating that he hails from the city on the Rhein. |
