Online Library: Fecht und Ringerbüch c1508

Anonymous, Fecht und Ringerbüch, c1508

Notes on the Fecht und Ringerbüch

One of a number of illustrations from this manuscript depicting grappling

The manuscript was first uncovered and presented to the public by the research of Sydney Anglo, including fine reproductions of a few of its folios, in his book The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe (Yale, 2000). It is comprised of sections which appear to have been sourced from different authors covering various aspects of historical fencing.

A brief analysis of the structure of the manuscript was best described by Dierk Hagedorn, July 2009, of the Hammaborg Historical Swordsmanship.

The text for the longsword in the version of Sigmund Emring is identical to the Sigmund Ringeck mansucript from Dresden (Mscr. Dresd. C 487) in most respects. Interestingly, Paulus Kal mentions on fol. 2r in his manuscript from Munich (Cgm 1507) a certain master Sigmund Amring as being a member of the Gesellschaft Liechtenauers (Liechtenauer's society). In the Ringeck manuscript the author is introduced as "Sigmund ain ringeck".
The additional longsword pieces appear also in the Ringeck manuscript. Here they are executed from "eiserne pforte" (iron gate), there from "nebenhut" (side guard).
The techniques of the second wrestling section from the Glasgow manuscript are similar to those by Andre Lignitzer from the manuscript 44 A 8 (so-called Peter von Danzig). However, here his name is not mentioned.
The techniques for the buckler specify Andre Lignitzer as the author, which is different from the Ringeck or the Jude Lew manuscripts (Augsburg, Cod. I 6 4° 3). These two codices do not mention a name at all.
Martin Siber's text about longsword fencing appear only in one other manuscript: Hans von Speyer (Salzburg, M.I.29).
The fighting techniqus of the other masters (»Andres Juden Jobs von der Nyssen Nicklass prewsñ Hans pfaffen Döbringers«) appear in a single other manuscript too: Cod. Hs. 3227a from Nuremberg. The Glasgow fechtbuch clarifies finally that the pfaffe (priest) Hans (or Hanko) Döbringer is only one master among others and by no means the author of 3227a, a misconception for quite some time.
Unlike most of the other manuscripts (3227a, Ringeck, Jude Lew, Hans von Speyer) the present codex features the so-called figures – brief passages in circles preceding Liechtenauer's fighting on horseback. Only the manuscript 44 A 8 shows them in circles too; and the Jude Lew manuscript places them in front in text only.
Different from the versions of Jude Lew or Hans von Speyer the Glasgow manuscript mentions Johannes Liechtenauer as the author of the kampffechten and the fighting on horseback sections.
The text about fighting on horseback is less extensive than in the codex 44 A 8 but more substantial than offered by Lew.

Based on the annotations from the Glasgow Museums, the layout of the manuscript is as follows:

Folios 1r-6v - Blank
Folios 7r-26v, Longsword unarmoured of Johannes Liechtenauer via Sigmund Emring (aka Sigmund Ringeck) depicted and described.
Folios 27r-29v, Masterly fighting lore, in verses, of Andres Juden, Jobs von der Nyssen, Nicklasz Prewsen and Hans Pfaffen Döbringer.
Folios 30r-34v - Blank
Folio 35r, Portrait of Johannes Liechtenauer, bearded, enthroned & longsword-armed.
Folios 35v-56r, Wrestling, akin to that of Codex Wallerstein and Dürers Fechtbuch, depicted and described.
Folios 56v-63v - Blank
Folios 64r-66r, Wrestling, akin to that of Codex Wallerstein and Dürers Fechtbuch, described.
Folio 66v - Blank
Folios 67r-73v, Wrestling of Ott der tauffter Jud described.
Folios 74r-82r, Horse-fighting of Johannes Liechtenauer.
Folio 82v - Blank
Folios 83r-100r, Duel-fighting of Johannes Liechtenauer.
Folios 100v-104v, Longsword armoured of Mertein Hünßfelder.
Folios 105r-105v, Sword & buckler of Andre Lignitzer.

Footnotes:

Hagedorn, Dierk. "Annotations Fecht und Ringerbüch c1508, E.1939.65.341", Hammaborg Historical Swordsmanship, accessed August 30, 2009.

About the presentation: A sampling of a few of the folios are depicted below however, the complete manuscript is available only to registered online library users. Click here or the images below for details on registering with AEMMA and obtaining your Online Library electronic card.


A sample of the illustration from the longsword section of the manuscript.	A sample of a text page in the section following the longsword section of the manuscript.	A sample of the illustration from the wrestling section of the manuscript.	A sample of a text page in the section following the wrestling section of the manuscript.