Transcript Codex 44.A.8: Commentary by Andre Lignitzer on Sword and Buckler

Academy of Historical Arts
& HEMAC
Codex 44.A.8:
Commentary by Andre Lignitzer
on Sword and Buckler
Original German Transcription:
Dierk Hagedorn
English Translation:
Keith Farrell
Swedish Translation:
Keith Farrell
Version: 01
Date: 23rd April 2012
Version and Copyright Information
Version: 01
Date: 23rd April 2012
c Dierk Hagedorn, 2006
German Transcription: Copyright c Keith Farrell, 2012
English Translation: Copyright c Keith Farrell, 2012
Swedish Translation: Copyright c
Typesetting: Copyright Academy of Historical Arts, 2012
This document is released freely for personal and academic purposes,
but may not be distributed for commercial gains.
Translator’s Notes
The following text is drawn from folios 80r-80v of the Codex 44.A.8, a
manuscript dating from 1452. This is the earliest recording of Lignitzer’s
sword and buckler treatise (of which we are aware at the time of this
translation) and is also one of the copies of this treatise that names Lignitzer as the author. These are the two reasons why I chose to translate
this particular version of the treatise as opposed to any other version.
I would like to thank Dierk Hagedorn for his permission to work from
his transcription of the treatise.
I would also like to thank Roger Norling and Anders Linnard from the
GHFS for their feedback and help with the Swedish translation. The
more of this stuff I do, the better I will learn to speak their language!
Keith Farrell,
23rd April 2012
1
Transcription of Original Text
Hie heben sich an die stuck mit dem puckl¨
ar Die maister Andre lignitzer gesatzt hat
her nach geschriben
Das erst stuck mit dem puckl¨
ar aus dem oberhaw Merck wenn dw den oberhaw
treibst zw dem mann So setz mit dem knopf dein swert Inwendig auf deinen puckl¨ar
zw deinem daumen vnd stich Im von vnden auf zu◦ seinem gesicht vnd wind gegen
seinem swert und la vber schnappen ∼
Das annder stuck
Item aus dem vnderhaw wenn er dir oben zw◦ haut So wind gegen ym auf dein lincke
seitten gegen deinem schilt So stestu yn zwaien schilten So wind denn auf dein rechte
seitt plos vnd greif y
¨m nach dem maul Wert er dir das vnd hebt den schilt auff So
n¨
ym das linck pain das get zw◦ paiden seitten ∼
Das dritt stuck
Item aus dem puckl¨
ar aus dem wechelhaw streich von der lincken seitten aus dein
puckl¨
ar vast vbersich in sein swert vnd haw Im den von der lincken seitt zu◦ dem
haupt vnd wind plos vnd stos y
¨m nach dem maul Hebt er mit schilt vnd mit swert
vnd wert das So haw mit der langen schneid Im nach dem rechten pain das get auch
zw paiden seitten ∼
Das vierd stuck
Item aus dem mittelhaw mach die twer zw paiden seitten vnd den schaitl¨ar mit der
langen schneid vnd stich y
¨m vnden zw seinem gem¨acht ∼
Das f¨
unft stuck
Item aus dem sturzthaw tu◦ e sam dw Im zu◦ der lincken seitten vber sein schilt wilt
stechen vnd var mit dein ort vnden durch vnd stich y
¨m Inwendig seines schildes vnd
wind Inndes auf dein lincke seitten wert er dir das So n¨
ym sein rechtes pain mit der
langen schneid ∼
Das sechst stuck
Item n¨
ym dein kling zw dem pucklar in dein lincke hant vnd wind gegen y
¨m als mit
dem halben swert Haut er oder sticht er dir oben zw dem gesicht oder unden nach
dem pain So la dein rechte hant var von dem pint vnd vorsetz y
¨m das mit schilt vnd
mit swert vnd greiff denn mit deiner rechten hant auf sein rechte seitten nach dem
schilt wol vndersich vnd dr in auf dein rechte seitten So hastu y
¨m den schilt genomen
2
English Translation
Here start the plays with the buckler as written by the master Andre Lignitzer.
The first play with the buckler from the Oberhaw (over strike / strike from above).
Mark when you drive the Oberhaw to the man: with the pommel go inwards, your
sword close to the buckler and your thumb, and thrust in from beneath to his face.
Wind against his sword and then go with a snap over and around.
The second play.
From the Underhaw (under strike / strike from below), when he strikes from above.
Wind against him to your left side, [with his sword] against your shield. Thus you
stand in two shields. So wind to the right side opening and strike in at the mouth.
See if he deals with this by raising his shield, and if so then take the left leg. This
works on both sides.
The third play.
From the buckler, from the Wechelhaw (changing strike), sweep from the left side.
From your buckler sweep clearly above with your sword then cut into his head from
the left side; wind [to the] opening and thrust into his mouth. If he lifts with the
shield and with the sword and defends against this then cut with the long edge in at
his right leg. This works on both sides.
The fourth play.
From the Mittelhaw (middle strike) make the Twer (cross strike) to both sides and
the Schaitl¨
ar (skull strike) with the long edge, then make a thrust in underneath.
The fifth play.
From the Sturzthaw (plunging strike) make as if to go to [his] left side over his shield
with a thrust then with the point change under and thrust swiftly inside his shield.
Wind immediately to your left side and if he defends against this then take his right
leg with your long edge.
The sixth play.
Take the blade and the buckler in your left hand and wind against him in the half
sword. If he strikes or thrusts at you from above to the face or from beneath to the
legs, then set him aside with the shield and with the sword, and go with your right
hand from the grip of your sword. Shoot with your right hand towards his right side,
grasp his shield from underneath and twist to your own right side. So you will take
the shield from him.
3
Swedish Translation
H¨
ar b¨
orjar sekvenserna med sk¨
olden, s˚
asom skrivits av m¨
astaren Andre Lignitzer.
Den f¨
orsta sekvensen med sk¨
olden fr˚
an den Oberhaw (¨overhugg / hugg uppifr˚
an).
M¨
ark n¨
ar du g¨
or den Oberhaw till mannen: med knappen far in˚
at, ditt sv¨ard n¨ar till
sk¨
olden och din tumme, och st¨
ot honom i ansiktet nerifr˚
an. Vinda mot hans sv¨ard
och sn¨
appa ¨
over och runt.
Den andra sekvensen.
Fr˚
an den Underhaw (underhugg / hugg nerifr˚
an), n¨ar han hugger uppifr˚
an. Vinda
mot honom ˚
at din v¨
anstra sida, [med hans sv¨ard] mot din sk¨old. S˚
a du stannar p˚
a
tv˚
a sk¨
oldar. Vinda ut ˚
at den h¨
ogra ¨oppning och hugga honom i munnen. Om han
avv¨
arjer det och far upp med sin sk¨old, ta hans v¨anstra ben med din l˚
anga egg.
Detta kan g¨
oras p˚
a b˚
ada sidorna.
Den tredje sekvensen.
Fr˚
an sk¨
olden, fr˚
an den Wechelhaw (v¨axelhugg), svep fr˚
an den v¨anstra siden. Fr˚
an
din sk¨
old, svep klart upp med ditt sv¨ard, sedan hugg honom i huvudet fr˚
an den
v¨
anstra sidan; vinda [ut ˚
at] ¨
oppningen och st¨ot honom i munnen. Om han far upp
med sk¨
olden och med sv¨
ardet och avv¨arjer sig, hugg honom med din l˚
anga egg mot
hans h¨
ogre ben. Detta kan g¨
oras p˚
a b˚
ada sidorna.
Den fj¨
arde sekvensen.
Fr˚
an den Mittelhaw (mitthugg) g¨or den Twer (tv¨arshugg) mot b˚
ada sidorna och g¨ora
den Schaitl¨
ar (skallhugg) med den l˚
anga eggen, sedan st¨ota till nerifr˚
an.
Den femte sekvensen.
Fr˚
an den Sturzthaw (st¨
orthugg) g¨or som om att fara med en st¨ot till hans v¨anstra
sida ¨
over hans sk¨
old, sedan v¨
axla under med din spets och st¨ot insida hans sk¨old.
Omedelbart vinda ut ˚
at din v¨
anstra sida och om han avv¨arjar sig d˚
a tar hans h¨ogre
ben med din l˚
anga egg.
Den sj¨
atte sekvensen.
Ta klingan och sk¨
olden i din v¨
anstra hand och vinda mot honom med halvsv¨ardet.
Om han hugger eller st¨
oter uppifr˚
an mot ditt ansikte, eller nerifr˚
an mot dina ben,
d˚
a avv¨
arj med sk¨
olden och sv¨
ardet, och far med din h¨ogre hand fr˚
an greppet av ditt
sv¨
ard. Far snabbt med din h¨
ogre hand ˚
at hans h¨ogre sida, grip hans sk¨old nerifr˚
an
och twista ˚
at din egen h¨
ogre sida. S˚
a du skall ta hans sk¨old fr˚
an honom.
4