Das Ander Theil Des Newen Kůnstreichen Fechtbůches (Cod.Guelf.83.4 Aug.8º)

Das Ander Theil Des Newen Kůnstreichen Fechtbůches is an anonymous German fencing manuscript, dated on the title page itself to 1591. It is kept in the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel under the shelfmark Cod.Guelf.83.4 Aug.8º. It names no author, illustrator, scribe or commissioner, and gives no place of origin. The title, in English roughly "The Second Part of the New Artful Fencing Book", suggests that a first part existed, but we have not been able to document it. The manuscript has 118 parchment leaves measuring 180 × 120 mm, written in Early New High German. Each page carries one illustration with a short text beneath it. The exposition proceeds by weapon: long sword, staff, halberd, dagger, dussack, defences against a dagger attack including defences while seated at a table, and finally wrestling and throws. For most sections the manuscript itself states the number of techniques. According to Wiktenauer, the manuscript shows all the weapons typical of the free fencers (Freifechter), but shows no connection to the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer. Empty frames remain at the ends of the sections, from which Wiktenauer concludes that the work was not finished. It also points out the unusual artistic conception: large figures of fencers and much blood, even though they fight with practice weapons. It is listed in the inventories of Dierk Hagedorn, Martin Wierschin and Hans-Peter Hils. It was translated into English by David Kite of the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (ARMA), and Olivier Dupuis transcribed the original text. The Herzog August Bibliothek provides a digital copy of the whole manuscript.

Martial arts in this work

Contents

The manuscript opens with three introductory leaves, Ir to IIIv, with the title page. The exposition is divided into eight sections, and for most the manuscript itself states the number of techniques. The long sword occupies leaves 2r to 20r with 36 techniques. The staff, called the half staff in the English translation of the title, follows on leaves 21r to 37r with 31 techniques. The halberd has 38 techniques on leaves 37ar to 56v. The plain dagger has 16 techniques on leaves 58r to 67v. The dussack section, leaves 68r to 85v, does not state the number of techniques, which was left blank in the manuscript. Defences against a dagger attack have 30 techniques on leaves 86r to 101av, defences with the dagger seated at a table 15 on leaves 102r to 105r. The last section, on wrestling and throws, begins on leaf 106r. The manuscript states 18 techniques there, but according to Wiktenauer there are 19.

Editions and translations

David Kite of the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (ARMA) translated the manuscript into English, and ARMA published the translation as a separate document. We have not been able to document the year of publication. Wiktenauer rates Kite's translation grade B. The transcription of the Early New High German text is by Olivier Dupuis, and Wiktenauer publishes it under a non-commercial licence with the translation. Kite renders the title as The Second Part of the True Artful Fencing Book, and in his translation the title page lists the sword, half staff, halberd, dagger, dussack, disarming of the dagger and wrestling with throws. Wiktenauer itself translates the title as The Second Part of This New Art-Rich Fencing Manual. The Herzog August Bibliothek provides the images of the manuscript as digital scans. Heinemann describes the manuscript on pages 159 to 160.

People and martial arts

• David KiteTranslator

Details

Form

Manuscript

Repository

Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel

Shelfmark

Cod.Guelf.83.4 Aug.8º

Folios

118

Material

Parchment

Library digitisation

diglib.hab.de/mss/83-4-aug-8f/start.htm

Editions

• EN · Codex Guelf 83.4 Aug 8º translation · Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (ARMA) · translation