Projects


Preamble

This is a list of some of the books being used in the project. All of them are partially translated. In the cases of Goliath, Talhoffer, and Sutor, the longsword sections are done and I have moved onto other books. At the current time Goliath/Danzig is the main focus while Meyer and Talhoffer provide additional input to the interpretation project. Döbringer and Ringeck are not listed below because only a few specific parts of these books, parts dealing with specific concepts, have been translated so far. In fact we have long considered Ringeck to be redundant in the face of Danzig.

The Lecküchner translation project, now complete, was done on behalf of a colleague who is interested in messer fencing. That said, it is also shedding light on many aspects of longsword fencing and vice versa. The Magister Andreas essay is almost a Rosetta Stone in helping us to see how these two weapons forms relate to each other.

Beware of over-relying on translations in progress. They usually need a good dose of proof-reading and editing before they can be called anything close to accurate. The Meyer translation, due to its elaborately verbose nature, probably has more than a few errors in it, particularly in his chapter preambles, but the actual technique descriptions are accurate enough. This translation has, at any rate, now been abandoned in favour of earlier texts and now serves us only in a secondary role.

Comments and questions can be sent to me via .


GründtlicheBeschreibung / der freyen Ritterlichen und Adelichen Kunst des Fechtens

Thorough Descriptions of the free Knightly and Noble Art of Fencing
Joachim Meyer, Strasburg, Germany, 1570
   Longsword section, Pages 1 - 64
   Transcribed to text by Alexander Kiermayer, made available by Die Freifechter.
   English translation started Dec. 2001. Longsword only
On hold indefinitely.


Goliath

Uncredited, Germany, c.1500
   Longsword section, Pages 1 - 146
   Scanned images of original manuscript made available by AEMMA.
Text transcript by Grzegorz Zabinsky made available by the Brotherhood of the Eagle's Nest.
English translation complete, Longsword only, other chapters are the Danzig versions.


Von Danzig's Fechtbuch

Various Masters, 1452
As of June 1, 2003, the Danzig fechtbuch is once again being worked on. Updates will appear sooner or later.
Longsword section is being studied alongside Goliath's, full translation is partially complete but now on hold.


Der Alten Fechter Anfenglich Kunst

The Ancient Fencer's Initial Art
Various Masters (Longsword by Andre Pauernfeindt, Messer by Hans Lecküchner) Woodcut by Christian Egenolph (1531) and heirs (1588), Frankfurt, Germany
   Transcribed to text by Alexander Kiermayer, made available by Die Freifechter, Sept. 2001.
   Longsword translation has been abandoned.
Lecküchner's Messer section plates 17r to 33v completed March 2004.
   Rules of Shortened Sword (aka Half Sword) posted June 2002.


Magister Andreas Longsword-Messer fencing essay.

Excerpt from the Speyer Fechtbuch of 1491.
Text Transcript by Beatrix Koll
English translation posted July 19, 2003.


Fechtbuch aus dem Jahre 1467

Fencing Book of the Year 1467
Hans Talhoffer, Germany, 1467
   Longsword section, Pages 1 - 78
   English Translation and Interpretation complete. Longsword, Messer and Sword+Buckler are complete.
Bibliographic details are found in the bibliography.


Neu Kunstliches Fechtbuch

New Illustrated Fencing Book
Jakob Sutor, Baden, Germany, 1612
   Longsword section, Pages 2 - 19
   English Translation complete. Longsword only
Bibliographic details are found in the bibliography.


Notes

Meyer, Goliath, Lecküchner, Talhoffer, and Sutor translations are linked on the main page. Excerpts from incomplete translations such as Danzig, Speyer, and Talhoffer's 1459 fechtbuch can be found here and there.

An incomplete translation of Gustav Hergsell's introduction to the 1887 edition of Talhoffer's 1467 fechtbuch can be found here.


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