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Johannes Liechtenauer

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Die Zettel
The Record
Johannes Liechtenauer.png
Full Title A Record of the Chivalric Art of Fencing
Ascribed to Johannes Liechtenauer
Illustrated by Unknown
Date Fourteenth century (?)
Genre
Language Early New High German
Archetype(s) Hypothetical
Principal
Manuscript(s)
Manuscript(s)
First Printed
English Edition
Tobler, 2010
Concordance by Michael Chidester
Translations

Johannes Liechtenauer (Hans Lichtenauer, Lichtnawer) was a late-14th century German fencing master. The only account of his life was written by the anonymous author of the Pol Hausbuch, arguably the earliest text in the tradition, and he may have been alive at that time.[1] The text reads:

Above all else, you should notice and remember that there’s only one art of the sword, and it was discovered and developed hundreds of years ago, and it’s the foundation and core of all fencing arts. Master Liechtenauer understood and practiced this art completely and correctly; as I said, he did not discover or develop it personally, but rather traveled through many lands and searched for the true and correct art for the sake of experiencing and knowing it.[2]

Liechtenauer was described by his followers as the "high master" or "grand master" of the art, and authored a long poem called the Zettel ("Record"). Early masters in the tradition often wrote extensive glosses (commentaries) on this poem, using it to structure their teachings, and later masters still quoted it even as the tradition evolved and expanded. Liechtenauer's influence on the German fencing tradition as we currently understand it is almost impossible to overstate. The masters on Paulus Kal's roll of the Fellowship of Liechtenauer were responsible for most of the significant fencing treatises of the 15th century, and Liechtenauer's teachings were also the apparent focus of the German fencing guilds, the Marxbrüder (which appeared in the late 15th century and gained a monopoly on certification of fencing masters) and the Veiterfechter (which appeared in the late 16th century and challenged that monopoly).

Additional facts have sometimes been presumed about Liechtenauer based on secondary evidence. The Pol Hausbuch, which is undated internally but commonly placed around 1390 and also presumed to be written by a direct student of Liechtenauer's (though both of these assertions are disputed and the manuscript could be a 15th century work[3]), has been treated as evidence placing Liechtenauer's career in the late 1300s. Others point to the earliest internally-dated version of the Record, recorded by Hans Talhoffer in the MS Chart.A.558 (ca. 1448), to suggest a career in the early 1400s; an earlier version of the Record of the Long Sword, jumbled and fragmentary, is recorded in MS G.B.f.18a (ca. 1418-28) and apparently attributed to an H. Beringer, which could represent just one of the teachings that Liechtenauer received and compiled over the course of the journeys described in the Pol Hausbuch.

This potential range of dates can be narrowed somewhat by Paulus Kal, who recorded a list of masters associated with Liechtenauer in ca. 1470 which he referred to as the Fellowship of Liechtenauer.[4] While most of these masters are completely unknown, three of them—Martin Huntsfeld, Andre Lignitzer, and Ott Jud—were already deceased by the time the earliest surviving copies of their treatises were created in 1452 (Cod.44.A.8), which suggests that their careers probably occurred in the early 15th century (if not earlier); likewise, Sigmund Ainring's presumptive student Albrecht III of Bavaria would have required a fencing master as part of his education in the 1410s. These timeframes cohere with the proposed 1390 date of the Pol Hausbuch and with the prospect of Liechtenauer's career beginning in the late 14th century and extending into the early 15th.

Treatise

Liechtenauer's teachings are preserved in a long poem of rhyming couplets called the Zettel ("Record"), covering fencing with the "long" or extended sword (i.e. with both hands at one end of the sword) and dueling on horseback and on foot using the lance/spear, the "short" or retracted sword (i.e. with one hand at either end), and the dagger. These "obscure and cryptic words" were designed to prevent the uninitiated from learning the techniques they represented; they also seem to have offered a system of mnemonic devices to those who understood their significance. The Record was treated as the core of the art by his students, and masters such as Sigmund ain Ringeck, Peter von Danzig zum Ingolstadt, and Lew wrote extensive commentaries that sought to clarify and expand upon these teachings.

In addition to the verses on mounted dueling, several treatises in the Liechtenauer tradition include a group of twenty-six "figures" (figuren)—phrases that are shorter than Liechtenauer's couplets and often arranged into the format of a Medieval tree diagram. These figures seem to encode the same teachings as the verses of the mounted fencing, and both are quoted in the mounted glosses. However, figures follow a very different structure than the Zettel does, and may present an alternative sequence for studying Liechtenauer's techniques. It is not known why the mounted dueling is the only section of the Record to receive figures in addition to verse.

Seventeen manuscripts contain a presentation of at least one section of the Record as a distinct (unglossed) section; there are dozens more presentations of the verse as part of one of the several glosses. The longest version of the Record by far is actually found in one of these glosses, that of Pseudo-Hans Döbringer, which contains almost twice as many verses as any other; however, given that the additional verses tend to either be repetitions from elsewhere in the Record or use a very different style from Liechtenauer's work, they are generally treated as additions by the anonymous author or his instructor rather than being part of the original Record. The other surviving versions of the Record from all periods show a high degree of consistency in both content and organization, excepting only the much shorter version attributed to H. Beringer (which is also included in the writings of Hans Folz).

The following concordance tables include only those texts that quote Liechtenauer's Record in an unglossed form.[5] Most manuscripts present the Record as prose, and those have had the text separated out into the rhyming couplets to offer a consistent view and make comparison easier.

Note: This article includes a version of Christian Henry Tobler's translation. It was also published in 2021 by Freelance Academy Press as part of The Peter von Danzig Fight Book; it can be purchased in hardcover.

Select one or more fencing styles using the checkboxes below to view the associated treatises.

The number in brackets at the beginning of each translation box is a paragraph number assigned by Wiktenauer; clicking it will take you to the translation page. The numbers in brackets in the transcriptions with an "r" or "v" are manuscript folio numbers; clicking them will take you to original page scan with the transcription alongside for comparison. If you want to sort a column by number, click the black triangles in the table headers.

Display footnotes

Long sword

Translations

Rhyming Translation (Rome) Poetic translation (2025) by Michael Chidester

Featured Translation (Rome) Featured translation (2021) by Christian Tobler

Draft Translation (Copenhagen) Draft translation (2020) by Rebecca L. R. Garber

Draft Translation (Krakow) Draft translation (2005) by Mike Rasmusson

Transcriptions (attributed to Johannes Liechtenauer)

Gotha Version (1448) by Dierk Hagedorn

Rome Version (1452) by Dierk Hagedorn

Vienna Version (1480s) by Dierk Hagedorn

Ortenburg Version (1400s) (untranscribed)

Dresden Version A (ca. 1504-19) by Dierk Hagedorn

Munich Version Ⅱ (1523) by Filip Lampart and Martin Fabian

Augsburg Version Ⅰ (1523) by Dierk Hagedorn

Glasgow Version Ⅱ (1533) (untranscribed)

Munich Version Ⅲ (1556) (untranscribed)

Wolfenbüttel Version Ⅱ (ca. 1588) by Kevin Maurer

Transcriptions (attributed to Hans Talhoffer)

Copenhagen Version (1459) by Dieter Bachmann

Transcriptions (unattributed)

Wolfenbüttel Version Ⅰ (ca. 1465-80) by Dierk Hagedorn

Bologna Version (ca. 1470) by Dierk Hagedorn

Munich Version Ⅰ (ca. 1470) by Dierk Hagedorn

Nuremberg Version Ⅱ (ca. 1500) (untranscribed)

Dresden Version B (ca. 1504-19) by Dierk Hagedorn

Krakow Version (1535-40) by Michael Chidester

Augsburg Version Ⅱ (1553) by Werner Ueberschär

This selector inserts the extra verses from the Gotha and Bologna versions

This selector inserts the extra verses from the Copenhagen Version

This selector inserts the extra verses from Wolfenbüttel Version Ⅰ

This selector inserts the extra verses from Dresden Version B

This selector inserts the extra verses from Jörg Wilhalm's manuscripts

Mounted figures

Translations

Featured Translation (Rome) Featured translation (2021) by Christian Tobler

Transcriptions (unattributed)

Nuremberg Version Ⅰ (1390) by Dierk Hagedorn

Gotha Version (1448) by Dierk Hagedorn

Rome Version (1452) by Dierk Hagedorn

Glasgow Version Ⅰ (1508) by Dierk Hagedorn

Krakow Version (1535-40) by Michael Chidester

Augsburg Version Ⅱ (1553) by Werner Ueberschär

Mounted and dismounted dueling

Translations

Rhyming Translation (Nuremberg) Poetic translation (2025) by Michael Chidester

Rhyming Translation (Rome) Poetic translation (2025) by Michael Chidester

Featured Translation (Rome) Featured translation (2021) by Christian Tobler

Transcriptions (attributed to Johannes Liechtenauer)

Rome Version (1452) by Dierk Hagedorn

Vienna Version (1480s) by Dierk Hagedorn

Ortenburg Version (1400s) (untranscribed)

Transcriptions (unattributed)

Nuremberg Version Ⅰ (1390) by Dierk Hagedorn

Gotha Version (1448) by Dierk Hagedorn

Salzburg Version (1491) by Dierk Hagedorn

Nuremberg Version Ⅱ (ca. 1500) (untranscribed)

Vienna Version Ⅱ (1505) by Dierk Hagedorn

Krakow Version (1535-40) by Michael Chidester

Augsburg Version Ⅱ (1553) by Werner Ueberschär

Rostock Version (1570-71) by Dierk Hagedorn

This selector inserts the extra verses from the Nuremberg version

This selector inserts the extra verses from Augsburg Version Ⅱ

Long Sword

Rhyming Translation (from the Rome) Poetic translation (2025) [edit]
by Michael Chidester

Featured Translation (from the Rome) Featured translation (2021) [edit]
by Christian Henry Tobler

Draft Translation (from the Copenhagen) Draft translation (2020) [edit]
by Rebecca L. R. Garber

Draft Translation (from the Krakow) Draft translation (2005) [edit]
by Mike Rasmusson

Gotha Version (1448) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Rome Version (1452) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Copenhagen Version (1459) [edit]
Transcribed by Dieter Bachmann

Wolfenbüttel Version Ⅰ (ca. 1465-80) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Bologna Version (ca. 1470) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Munich Version Ⅰ (ca. 1470) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Vienna Version Ⅰ (1480s) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Ortenburg Version (1400s) [edit]

Nuremberg Version Ⅱ (ca. 1500) [edit]

Dresden Version A (ca. 1504-19) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Dresden Version B (ca. 1504-19) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Munich Version Ⅱ (1523) [edit]
Transcribed by Filip Lampart and Martin Fabian

Augsburg Version Ⅰ (1523) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Glasgow Version (1533) [edit]

Krakow Version (1535-40) [edit]
Transcribed by Michael Chidester

Augsburg Version Ⅱ (1553) [edit]
Transcribed by Werner Ueberschär

Munich Version Ⅲ (1556) [edit]


Wolfenbüttel Version Ⅱ (ca. 1588) [edit]
Transcribed by Kevin Maurer


[03r.2] Das ist dy vor red

Junck ritter lere
Got lieb haben frawen Jo ere
So wechst dein ere
Vbe ritterschafft vnd lere
kunst dye dich zyret
vnd In kriegen zu eren hofiret
Ringes guet fesser
Glefen sper swert vnd messer




Mandleich bederben
vnd In anderen henden verderben


Haw drein vnd hurrt [03v.1] dar
Rausch hin trif oder la faren
Das yn die weyssen
Hassen dye mann sicht preysen
Dar auff dich fasse
Alle kunst haben leng vnd masse



[45r] Junger Ritter lern
got lieb haben Vnd frawen Ir ere
So wächst dein ere
über alle Ritterschaft, Vnd lern
kunst dye dich ziernndt
Vnd In kriegen zu Ernn hofiernndt
Ringen ist guet, pesser
spies Swerrt vnd messer




ettlich
in andern hanten verderben

[45v.1] kündt er kunst
er möcht ere erwerben[27]



[03r.2] Jüngk ritte~ lere /
gott liebhaben frowen ja eere~
so wechst dein ere
über ritterschafft vnd lere
kunst die dich ziert
Vnnd in kriegen zu° eren hofiert
Ringes gu°tt
[03v.1] fesset
glefen sper schwert vnnd messer




Manlich bederben
Vnnd In andern henden verdörben


Haw dren vnnd hart dar
Rau°schen treffen ode~ la farn
Das in die wÿsen
hassen die man sicht brÿsen
daruff dich fasse
Alle kunst haben leng~ vnd masse /

[18r.3] Das ist eyn gemeine ler des swertz etc

wiltu kunst schawen
sich linck gehen vnd recht mit hewen
vnd linck mit rechten
ist das du starck gerest vechtenn
wer nach get hawen
der darff sich chunst wenig frewenn
Hawen nahet was du wilt
kein wechßler kumpt an deinen schilt
czu kopff czu leib
der czeck nit vormeyd
mit ganczem leib
vicht waß du starck gerest czu treyben


Hor was da slecht ist
vicht nicht obenn linck so du recht bist
Vnd ob du linck bist
Im rechten auch sere hinckest
Var vnd nach dy czwey [18v.1] ding
sint aller chunst ey~ vrspru~g
swech vnd sterck
in deß das wort da mit merck
so magstu chunst lerne~
mit chunst ayrbete~ vnd were~
Er schrickstu gñ
kein vechtñ ny~mer gelern



[03v.2] Das ist ain gemain lere des langen schwerts

Wilt du kunst schawen
sich linckgen vñ recht mitt hawen /
vñ linck mitt rechtem
Ist dz du starck gerest fechten
Wer nach gät hawen
der darff [04r] sich kunst wenig fröwen
Häw nahent waß du wilt ·
kain wechßler kompt in dinen schilt /
zu° kopff zu° lÿbe
die recke nitt ver mÿde /
mitt ganczem leÿbe
fechten · waß du starck gerest trÿben


Höre waß da schlecht ist /
ficht nitt oben linck so du recht bist

Im rechte~ och sere hinckest
Vor vñ nach die zwaÿ ding
sind alle~ kunst ain vrspring
Schwech vñ störck
In des da daß wort damitt mörck
So magst du lörnen
mitt künst arbetten vñ weren
Erschrickstu geren
kain fechten nÿme~ mer
[04v.1] lern

[01r] Ein gemayne ler des lanngen Schwertz

Wildu kunst schauen,
Sich linck gen und recht mit hawen,
Und linck mit rechtenn,
Ist das du starck gerest vechten;
Wer nach get hauen,
der darff sich kunst wenig fräuen,
Hau nahent was du wilt,
kain wechsler kumpt an deinen schilt,
zu kopff, zu leib,
die Zegt nicht vermeid,
Mit gantzem leib,
ficht, was du starck gerest treÿben:


Hör was da schlecht[50] ist,
Ficht nitht
[!] oben linck So du recht pist,
Und ob du linck pist,
Im rechten auch sere hinckest;
Vor und nach, die zwei ding
Seind aller ding ein ursprunck,
Schwech und sterck,
Inn des das wort donnt
[!] mit merck,
So magstu lernen
Mit kunst arbaiten und weren;
Erschrickstu
[01v.1] Gern
kain fechtenn nimmer gelernn







[04v.2] Fünff hew lere
võ der rechten hand wide~ wider die were /


dann wir geloben
in kunsten gern zu° lonen ~ ·: 





[03v.4] Das Ist der text

Zoren haw krump twer
hat schiler mitt schaitlar
Alber vorsetzt
Nach reysen über lauff häw setzt


Durch wechsel zuck
durchlauff Abschneid hende druck
heng wind mit [04r.1] plösen
Schlach vach streich stich mit stössen








[59r] zorn hauwe ort yme dratt

[59v] Nym oben abe one fare

[60r] Wynde stich [60v] Sicht Er es nimbs nider

[04v.4] Der zorn haw°

Wer dir ober haw°et
Zorn haw° ort Im dräwet /
wirt er es gewar
[05r.1] Nÿm oben ab an far /
biß störcks storckñ wider
wennde sthich / sicht er es nÿm es nider
Daß eben mörcke
Haw° sthich leger waich ode~ hörte
In des Vnnd far nach
an herte dein krieg sÿ mnitt gach


Weß der krieg remet
oben In den wirt er beschemet
In allen treffen
den maister wilt du sÿ effenn
In allen winden
Hew° st stich schnitt lern finden
Auch solt du mitt
briefn brieffe hew stich oder schnitt · ~  


[55v.3] Wer dir aber haw°et
Zornhaw° Im
[56r.1] drawet
Wirt er daß gewar /
nims oben ab vnd far
Biß störcker wider /
wind such sicht ers so nÿms wider
Das eben mörck /
hew° stich / leger / waÿch oder hert





In allen winden /
hew° / stich / lern finden

[43r.4] Das ist die ausrichtung vom Zornhaw

Wilstu merckhen wer dir oberhawtt
Zornortt ein darott


Ser wider
wind stich sichters so nim es nider
das eben merckh
haw stich legr waich oder hörtt
Indes vor und nach
dem krieg seÿ dir nit gach


wer das kriegs unden bremett
der wirtt oben ösche[ ]tt
In allen winden
haw und f[ ] stich [43v.1] Schneide finden
auch so soltt du nit
nieden hau stich schneide zuckg
in alem treffen
wiltu den maister Effen



[62r] Vier blosse wisze
zú remen
[62v] So slegstú gewisse
anefare

[05r.2] Die vier blossen zu° breche~

Vier blossen wisse
reme so schlechstu gewÿsse
An alle far
[05v.1] on zwifel wie er gebar ~~~~


[02r.2] Die vir Ples

Vier Plössen wisse
zuramen, so schlechstu ge
= [02v.1] wisse
an alle var
an zweifel wie er geparr





[61r] oben duplir
[61v] Niden mútier



[48r.6] Das ist wie man die 4 blos brechen soll.

Wiltu dich rechen,
die 4 blos kunstlich brechen
du oben dupplier
under zu mutier
ich [48v.1] sags dir fürwar
sich beschrikt kain man on gefahr


hastu vernemen
zu schlagen mag er kainer kumen
dz haw ich vermunen??

[04r.5] Der krump haw

Krump auff behende
wirff dein ort auff dye hende
krump wer wol setzt ~
[04v.1] ·M·it schriten vil haw letzt
Haw krump zu flechen
Den maisteren wiltu sy swechen
wenn es glizst oben
So stand ab das wil ich loben
krump nit ku kurz haw
Durch wechsel do mit schaw
krump wer dich Irret
Der edel kriegk in vor wirret
Das er nicht weiß vor war
wo er sey ane far




[05v.3] Der Km Krumphaw°

Krump vff behende
wirff den ort vff die hende


Haw krump zu° den flöchen
den maÿstern wilt sÿ schaw schwöchen
Wenn er blitzt klitzt oben
so stand ab dz will ich loben
krüme nitt [06r.1] ? kurcz haw~e
durch wechsel do mitt schowe
kumpt krumpt wer dich Ir°et
der edel krieg In In verwirret
daß er nitt waist für war
wo er sÿ one far ~ 


Krump vff behende /
wirff din ort vff sin hende /
krump wer wolt seczt

Haw° krump zu° den flechen /
den maistern wilt du sÿ schwechen /


krump kurcz haw°
durch wechsel domitt schow°
Wer
[56v.1] dich Irrt /
der edel krieg dz verwirt
Daß er nitt waist für war /
wa er sÿ on far

[02v.3] Krumphau

Krump auff behende
wirff dein ort auff die hende
Krump wer wol setzt
mit schriten vil
[03r.1] hau letzt
Haw krump zu flechn
den maisternn wildu sie schwechen
Wan es glitzt oben
so stand ab das wil ich loben.
Krump nicht kurtz haw
Durchwechsel domit schaw
Krump wer dich irret
der edel krigk in vorwirret
Das er nicht weiß vor war
wo er seÿ ane far

[15r.4] Der krumbhaw

Krumb auff behende
wirff deinen ort auff die hende,
krumb wher wol seczt,
mit schriten vil hew leczt,
haw krumb zuflech[en]
[15v.1] den maistern wiltdu si schwechen,
wen es kliczt ob,
so stannd ab, das will jch loben,
krumb mit kurcz hau,
durchwechsel damit schaw,
krumb wer dich jrret,
der Edl krieg verwirrret,
das er nicht waiß fur war,
wo er sey one var,



[Ⅲr.9] Twirch bonimpt
was van dage kumpt
Twirch mid der sterck
Den arbeit dar mede merck
Twirch tzo dem ploch

[Ⅲv.1] Tho dem ossen hart gevoch
waz sich wol weret
Mit sprunck dem houede geueret
wilcher wer voret
Nach wusch er vnden roret
vorkerer trwingen
Dorch loffer mid ringet
Mid dyne~ ellebogen
Gewys sprinck i~ dei wagen

Den feller tzwwachen
Driff man den snyd mid mache
Dzwiuachen is vorbas
Strit i~ linx wes nicht las















[67r] Nimb den Elnbogen
in die wage




Schrýt in den tag bis nit zülas

[104v.10] Der twer haw

[T]wer[122] benimpt
was vom tag her chumbt
twer mit der sterck
dein arbait damit mercke
Twer[122] zu dem pflueg
zw dem ochsen hart gefueg
was sich wol twert
mit sprungenn dem haubt gefert
feler wer füeret
nach wunnsch er ruret
Verkerer twinget
durchlauf ser auch mit ringet
den elpogenn
gewis nym spring in die wage

[105r.1] feler zwifach
trift man den schnit mit macht
zwifach es furwas
schreit in linck vnd pis nit los

[06r.2] Der zwerchhaw°

Zwerch benimpt
was vmtag her kunpt kumpt
Zwer mitt der störck
dein arbait da mitt mörck
Zwer zu° dem pflüg
zu° dem ochsen hart gefüg
Waß sich wol zwert /
mitt spring~ dem haüpt gefert
Welcher vor füret
von vndenn nach wunsch rüret
Ver kerer st zwinget
Durch lauffer auch mitt ringet
Den el elnpogen
gwÿß nÿm springe eine In die wäge

weler zwifach
[06v.1] trifft man den schnit mit mach
zwifach fürbaß
schreÿt In linck vñ bÿß nit las ~ :· 



[43v.5] Die ausrichtung vom Zwerchhaw

Die Zwerchhaw benimptt
was vom tag herkompt
die Zwerch mit der sterckhe
dein arwait damitt mercke
ochs pflug alber
vom tag ist wol sein fug
was sich wol Zwercht
mit springen dein haubt[123] geferet
was veler verfier[ ]itt
unden nach wunsch hervierett
verkerer Zwingr
durchlauffr damit Ringett
nim dein elenpagen
gewiss [44r.1] Spring im wol in dir wage
nim den glingken ellen pogen
Zwifach
mit macht
virbas[124]
schreitt in lingkn und bis nit lass

[03r.2] Twerhaw

Twer benimpt
was vom tag her kumpt
Twer mit der sterck
dain arbait do mit merck
Twer zu dem Pflug
zu dem Ochsen hart gefug
Was sich wol twert
mit sprüngen dem haupt gevert
Feler wer furt
von unden nach wunsch
|er rürt
[03v.1] Verkerrer zwingt
Durchlauffer auch mit ringt
den elpogen
gewis nim spring in die wage

Feler zwifach
trift mann den schnit mit mach
zwifach es furpas
schreit in linck und pis nicht laß

[03v.2] Daz ist die uß richtung von der schillherin

Schylher ain bricht
waß püfler schlecht oder sticht
wer von wechselhow drowt
Schilher daruß in beroubt
Schlecht er kurtz und ist dir gran
durchwechsel so gesigest im an
Schilh zu dem ortte
Nym den halß ane forchte
Schilh zu der obern schaittel
Schlach starck wil er din baitten [04r.1] 
So machst du in wol betöwben
Die fallerin kunst berowben



[04v.4] Der schaittelhaw

Der scheitlar
dem antlützt ist gevar
Mit seiner kar
der prüst vast gefer
[05r.1] was von ÿm kümpt
Dÿ kron das abnympt
Schneid durch dye kron
So prichstu sye hart schon
Dÿe striche druck
Mit schnÿtten sÿ ab zuck ~



[06v.3] Der schaittelhaw°

Der schille~
ist dem antlitz ge/ [07r.1] fere
mitt seine~ kere
Der brust fast geu~er /
waß võ im kunpt kumpt
die krone daß abnÿmpt
schy schnÿde deder doch die krone
so brichst du sÿ hart schone
Die stich druck
mitt schnitt~ sÿ ab zuch zeüch :·  ~


[15v.4] Der scheitler

Der [sc]heitler
dem antlicz ist gever,
[sc]heitler mit seiner kar
der Brust vast gewer,
was [sc]heitler von jm kumbt,
[16r.1] Die [E?]ron das abnymbt,
schneid durch die [E?]ron,
so prichstu si gar schon,
die straich drucke,
mit schneiden si abzuckhe,



[58r] Die erste hute haist der ochse
 Die annder hute haisst der pflueg

[58v] Die dritte hute haisst der Alber
 Die vierde haisst vom tage



[07r.3] Die vier verseczen

Vier sind verseczten
die die lege~ ser leczen
Vor verseczten hiet dich
geschicht es ser es müt dich
[07v.1] Ob dir s verseczt ist
vñ wie daß komen ist
Hör waß ich dir rate
raÿß abhaw~ schnell mitt drate
Setz an vier enden
belÿb daruff ler wilt du° wennden ~  


[56v.6] Vier sÿnd der vorseczen /
die die leger ser
[57r.1] leczen





[69r] Die Vszer myne
dem arbait damit beg ynne





[65v] Nachreýsen zwýfacht


[04v.2] Nachraisen

Nachraisen lere
zwifach oder schneid in die were
Zweÿ ewssere minne
der arbeit dar nach begÿnne
unnd pruff die gefert
ob sie sind waich oder hert
Das fulenn lerre
Inndes das wort
[05r.1] schneidet sere
Nachraisen zwifach
trifft man den alten schnit mit mach

[05r.5] von überlauffen

·W·er vnnden rempt
vber lauff denn der wirt beschempt
wenn es klitzst oben
So sterck das ger ich loben ~
[05v.1] Dein arbait mache
Oder herte druck zwifache









[04v.5] vom zucken alle treffen

tuo nahet eyn binden
die zucken gend gut finden
[05r.1] zuck trift erß tzuck mer
arbait er find in dut im we
zuck alle treffen
den maistern wiltu sie effen







[57r.6] Zucke alle treffen /
den maistern wilt du sÿ effen





[57r.7] Wer gegen g dir sterckt /
durchlauff damitt mörck






[69v] der vnderschniet [70r] der oberschniet






[05r.6] von sprech venster

Sprechfenster mache
stand frolich besich sin sache
wer sich var dir zühet abe
Slah uff in daz eß schnape


[05v.1] luog und schüch kain man
eß schatt nit waß er kan
hastuß recht vernomen
zu dem slag lauß in nit komen



[70v] Sprechfinster[!] mach
stand frýlich besiech sein sach




[43v.8] Das ist die ausrichtung vnd bschliesung der gantzen kunst

wer wol sicht
vnd endlich bricht
es bricht
ettlichr~ in dre[i] vinden
wer Recht wol hengett
vnd windett damit [44r.1] bringett
wachett
mit Rechtñ betrachten
vnd einer
der da windett
vnd 24 sind
der winden vnd viertzal mit versatzung
von baiden seiten
acht winden fer mit schreitten
tritt vnd brieff des gfertts
ob sÿ sind waich oder hörtte

[06v.3] .Bßießung[!] der Zetl.

Wer woll furt, unnd recht bricht
Unnd ennd
= [07r.1] lich gar bericht
und pricht besunder
ÿglichs in dreÿ wunder
Wer recht wol hengt
und winden do mit pringt
und winden acht
mit rechten wegen betracht
und ÿe ir eine
der selben winden selb dritt ich meine
so seind ir Zwentzig
und vier Zel sÿe eintzig
von paiden seiten
Acht winden lere mit schreiten
unnd prüff die gefert
nicht mer nur waich oder hert &
c

Mounted figures


Featured Translation (from the Rome) Featured translation (2021) [edit]
by Christian Henry Tobler

Nuremberg Version Ⅰ (1390)
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Gotha Version (1448) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Rome Version (1452) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Glasgow Version Ⅰ (1508) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Krakow Version (1535-40) [edit]
Transcribed by Michael Chidester

Augsburg Version Ⅱ (1553) [edit]
Transcribed by Werner Ueberschär

Mounted and dismounted dueling

Rhyming Translation (from the Nuremberg) Poetic translation (2025) [edit]
by Michael Chidester

Rhyming Translation (from the Rome) Poetic translation (2025) [edit]
by Michael Chidester

Featured Translation (from the Rome) Featured translation (2021) [edit]
by Christian Henry Tobler

Nuremberg Version Ⅰ (1390) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Gotha Version (1448) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Rome Version (1452) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Vienna Version Ⅰ (1480s) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Salzburg Version (1491) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Ortenburg Version (1400s) [edit]

Nuremberg Version Ⅱ (ca. 1500) [edit]

Vienna Version Ⅱ (1505) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn

Krakow Version (1535-40) [edit]
Transcribed by Michael Chidester

Augsburg Version Ⅱ (1553) [edit]
Transcribed by Werner Ueberschär

Rostock Version (1570-71) [edit]
Transcribed by Dierk Hagedorn


[53r.2] ~:DEyn sper berichte ·
kegen reiten mache zu nichte /


Vnd vor an wisse ·
dyn roz das gorte gewisse /
Du salt wol merken ·
dy glefney bederben mit sterke /
Wiltu zu / rynnen ·
zo fasse den zam lang mit synnen /
·Dornoch zo streiche ·
dy glefney zwer öber eyn seite /
So merk dy seiten ·
zo du mit kunst gerest streiten /
Haw dreyn nicht zücke ·
von scheiden / link zu im rücke /
So reit mit synnen ·
zo du abesetzen ruchest gewynnen ·
Wiltu abesetzen ·
vnd brechen / syne kunst do mete letzen /
Dy glefney zu vorne ·
rücke dor vnder vnd nym sy ane zorne /
Hoch an du setze ·
swenke durchfar wiltu in letzen /
·greif im seyn rechte ·
zo vestu in ane fechten /
·begreif seyn were ·
mit dem ros dich vmbekere /
Och magstu rangen ·
wen du in hast vmbevangen /
Wiltu aber vorflien ·
zo schicke deyn pfert czu vmbeczihen /
Dornoch abesetcze ·
mit winden in sere letcze /
aber schicke dich vmbe ·
daz du sitzt ynder krümbe /







[55r.1] Ab sichs vorwandelt ·
das swert keyn swerte wit wirt gehandelt /
Recht fasse dy sterke ·
taschenhawe du in süchen merke /
lere wol stark schoten ·
alle treffen ane var / mit nöten /
An setze ane vare ·
wer stroiff heng in zu dem hare /
Wiltu geruet ·
lang iagen sere müet /
wer das nü weret ·
zo wind das selbe awge vorseret /
Wert her das vörbas ·
vach den zawm weze nicht las /
Bedenke dy bloßen ·
suche messer nicht warte klößen /
In aller were ·
deyn ort / keyn der bloßen kere /
Zwene striche lere ·
mit lerer hant keyn der were /
Der schofgriff / weret ·
alle griffe vndern awgen veret /





[163r.2] ob es sich vorwandelt,
das schwert gegen schwert wirt gehandelt,
recht vas die sterck,
taschen hau du such und merck,
lere woll starch schutten
allen treffen an far do
[163v.1] mit nöt in
Ansetz anfar
wers straifft heng im zu dem har
wiltu gerüt
lanck iagn das sere müt
wer das nu wert
so windt das aug ver sert
wert er das furvas
[!]
vach zaum und wes nicht las
Bedenck die plös
suech messer nicht wart klöß


zwen strich lere
mit lerer hand gegen der wer,



[57v] DEr schofgrif weret ·
wer ringens sich zu dir keret /
Als vndern awgen ·
ane greife lere mete flawgen /
Wer dich an fellet /
weder reitens der wirt gefellet /
Hangens zur erden ·
öbergreif in recht mit geberden /
Zu beiden seiten ·
du in an ler dich al weder reiten /
Der schofgrif mit lobe ·
wert alle griffe vndern ogen /





[163v.2] der schaffgriff weret,
wer sich ringens zu dir keret,
als under augen
angreif im recht mit flaugen,
wer
[164r.1] dich an felt
widerreittens der wirt gefelt
Hangens zu der erden
u
bergreif in recht mit geperden
zu peiden seittn
dw in an ler dich alle widerreiten,





[06v.4] Ab du wilt reiten
Ross lauffs zw der anderen seÿten
Dÿe sterck schütte
An setz da mit in nöte
wer wert dir das
weit swert vach trag na der handt haß
Oder vmb ker
geruet zu jagen der were
Mit allen künsten
Der jagt der schick nach günsten
Ab dw ver jagst
vnd an danck linck iagst
Sein swert auff taste
vnd ring stös mit
[07r.1] faste



[164r.2] ab du wilt reitn
roßlauffs zu der andern seitn,
die sterck schutte
ansetz domit in note
wer wert dir das
weit schwert vach trag na der hant haß
oder umb ker
geruet zu iagen der were
mit allen kunsten
der iagt der schick nach gunsten
Ab du veriagst
und an danck
[164v.1] linck iagst,
sein schwert auff taste
und ring stos mit faste










[21Av.7] dÿ [22r.1] messer neme~
behalten lere an schame
dem vngnnten
dem starckenn in jo ver wante
Ir slagñ Ir stechenn
verderbt in alles vechtñ






[59r] UIltu[241] an fassen ·
neben reitens nicht saltu lassen /
Das zunne zeigen ·
linke ermel treib wiltu neigen /
Das vorhawp taste ·
kegen nacken drük zere vaste /
das her sich swenket ·
selten weder auf/sich gelenket /
wer dir do remet ·
öbirgreif den der X[242] wirt beschemet /
Druk arm an hawpt ·
der grif ofte zatel rawbet /
Wilt aber dy masen ·
des vahens leicht von dir lasen /
Ringens den fure ·
gevangen hin ane snüre /
Den vorgrif merke ·
der bricht vörbas syne sterke /


[22r.2] wiltu amn vaßenn
neben reÿtens nicht soltu loßen
das sonne~ czeigñ
linck ermel I treibt wiltu neig
das võ hewbt dast
gege~ nack truck ser vast
das er sich swencket
vnd selten wider auff lencket
wer dir das remet
vber greiff den der wirt beschemet
truck an czu heubt
der greifft offt satell raw~pt

wiltu aber dich maßenn
deß vahens leich von dir laßenn
lãgens den fur
gefangenn hin ane var
den vor griff merck
der pricht fur pas sein sterck


[07r.4] wiltu anfassen
Neben reittens soltu nicht lassen
Das sunnen zaigen
linck ermel treib wiltu naigen
Das vor haubt taste
Gegen nack drvck sere faste
Das er sich swencket
vnd selden wider auff gelencket
wer dir das rempt
vber greiff den der wirt beschempt
Druck arem zw haubt
Der griff offt satel beraupt

wiltu aber dich massen
des vahens liecht von dir lassen
Ringens den
gefangen hin ane schnure
Den vor griff merck
Der pricht furpas sein sterck ~~~~


[105v.7] wildw an wassenn
neben rewtens nicht soltu lassenn
das sunnen zaigenn
linck erml treib wild dw naigen
das vorhaubt taste
gegen nach truck sere veste
das er sich swencket
vnd selten wider auf gelencket
Wer dir das rempt
vber greys [!] den der wirt geschämpt
druck arm zw haubt
der greiff offt satel peraubt

wild dw dich aber massen
des fachens becht von dir lassen
ringens den fure
gefangen an der snüre
den vor griff merck
der pricht fur was sein sterck


[164v.4] wiltu ann fassen
neben reittens soltu nicht lassen
Das sunnen zeigen
linck ermel treib wiltu naign
das vorhaupt taste
gegen nack druck sere faste
das er sich sch=
[165r] wencket
und selden wider auff gelencket
wer dir das rempt
ubergreiff den der wirt beschempt
druck arm zu haupt
der griff offt sattle beraupt

wiltu aber dich massen
das vahens liecht von dir lassen
ringens den
gefangen hin ane schnure
Dein vorgriff merck,
der pricht fürpas sein sterck.


[18r.1] Wilt du ane fassen,
neben Reittens nicht solt du lassen,
das [Zo]nne zaigen,
linckh ermel wilt du naigen,
das vor haupt Taste,
gegen [r]ackh truckh seer vast,
das er sich schwenkhet
selten auff wieder sich gelenckhet,
wer dir da ramet,
vb greff den der wirt beschemet,
druckh arm an haupt,
der griff offt selten beraubt,

Wiltdu aber die maassen,
des fahens recht von dir lassen,
Rang, aus den
[h]ergefangen hin on schnuer,
den vorgrif merckh,
der bricht furbas sein sterckh,




[60r] WEr abesynnet ·
vechtens zu fuße begynnet /
Der schicke syn sper ·
zwey sten am anheben rechte wer /
Sper vnd orte ·
den vorstich ane vorchte /
Sprink vnd setz recht an ·
wert her ·zuk· das sigt ym an /
Wiltu vorstechen ·
mit zücken lere were brechen /
Merk wil her zihen ·
·von scheiden vnd wil her flyen /
So salt im nahen ·
·y· warte weislich des vahen /

[199r] Hie hebt sich an der Text unnd die Auslegung des Kampffechtn

Text

Wer absinet
Fechtenns zu fues beginnet,
Der schickh sein Sper,
Zwai sten, anheben recht wer,
Sper und ort,
Den vorstich, stich an vorcht,
Spring, wint, setz recht an,
Wert er, zuck, das gesigt im an,
Wildu vor
[199v.1] stechen
nit zucken lernne wer prechen,
Merck wil er ziehen,
von schaiden und will er fliehen,
So soltu im nehen,
Zu Weislich, Wart des vahen.

[18v] Fechten Im Harnasch zu fussen


Wer aber synnet
fechtens zu fuß begynnet,
der schickh sein sper
[g?]waisten an anheben recht wert
sper vnd [19r.1] Ort,
den vorstich stich on forcht,
spring vnd secz recht an,
wert er zuckh das sigt jm an,
wilt du vorstechen,
mit zuckhen, lere wöhr brechen
mörckh will er ziehen
von schaiden, vnd will er fliehen,
so solt jm nahen
weislich war des fahen,


[199v.2] Das sein die Ringenn zu Kampf.

Ob du willt ringen,
hinter pain recht lern springen,
Rigel fur schiessen,
das vor pain kunstlich schliessen

[200r.1] Von paiden hennden
ob du mit künst gerest enden,


[74v] Ob du wilt ringenn,
hinter pain Recht lernn springenn,
Rigelschliessenn,
das vorpain recht schliessenn,
von beden henden,
ob du mit kunst
[75r.1] gerst endenn,








[200r.2] ob es sich verruckht,
Das schwert gegen schwert wirt gezuckht,
Der stich ia war nimb,
Spring vach ringenns eill, zu Im
linckh lanng, von hant schlag,
Spring weislich und den vach,
Aber will zucken
von schaiden vach, Und druckh in,
das er die plos,
Mit schwerts ort verdros
Leder unnd hanntschuch
unnder augen plös recht
[200v.1] such,















[08v.5] Wo man von schaiden
swert zuck sicht von in paiden
So sol man stercken
Die schütten recht eben mercken
Vor vnd
[09r] nach dÿe zway dingk
Prueff weysleich lere mit ob spring
volg allen treffen
den starcken wiltu sÿ effen
Wert er so zuck
Stich wert er Jü zu ÿm ruck
Ob er lanck vichtet
So pistu kunstlich berichtet
Greift er auch sterck an
Das schiessen gesigt ÿm an
Mit seinem slahenden ort
Schützt er sich triff anne vorcht
Mit paiden henden
Dein ort zu den augen lere wenden
Des vorderen fuess
Mit slegen du hütten müest


[105v.12] wo man von schaiden
swert zucken sicht von in paidenn
So sol man streckenn
die schutten von in paiden mercken
vor nach die zwai ding
prüff weyslich lere mit ab springen
volg allenn treffen
den starcken wildw / äffen sy //
wert es zuck
stich werd es Ja zu im ruck
ob er lannck ficht
so pist dw künstleich
[106r] berichtet
greifft er mit sterck an
die sliessung gesigt im an
mit seinem slachenn dem ort
schuczt er sich triff ane vorcht
mit paidenn hennden
den ort zu den augen kere wenden
des vodern fuess
mit slegenn zw hüetten muesst


[129v.2] Wie man von scheydenn
Swert zucken sich von ÿn beydenn
So sol man sterckenn
die schutten eben recht mercken
vor vnd noch dÿ zweÿ ding
Bruff weyßlich ler mit ab spring
Volg allem treffenn
den starckenn wiltu sie effenn
Werter so zueck
Stich / wert er / zu ym rueck
Ob er lang vicht
So bistü künstig bericht
Griff er auch starck an
daß schiessenn gie sich ym an
Mit sinem schliechendenn ortt
Schutz er sich trifft on vorcht

[130r] Mit beden hendenn
dein ort zu den ougen lere wendenn
des vorderenn fusses
Mit schlegenn du hueten muest



[200v.3] ~Wo man von der schaiden,
schwert zucken sicht von in baiden,
so sol man stercken,
die schutn eben mercken,
Vor und nach die zwai ding,
Prief weislich lere mit ob spring
Volg ~Allen trefen
Den Starcken ~Wil
=
[201r] tu sÿ effn
wert er so Zuck
stÿch wert er ia zu im ruck
ob er lanck vÿchtet
so bistu kunstlich berichtet
grift er auch sterck an
das schiessen gesigt im an
mit seinem schlahenden ort
schutzt er sich triff anne vorcht
mit paÿden hendn
dein ort zu den augen lere wenden
des vordern vues
mit schlegen du huten muest


[19r.5] Wo man von schaiden,
schwert ruckhen sicht von in baiden
do solt man streckhen,
die schutten recht eben mörckh(en)
vor nach die zway ding,
prüff weislich leer mit abspring
vol gallen[257] treffen,
den starckhen wilt du si effen,
wert er so zuckh,
stich wört er so zu jm ruckh,

[19v] Ob er linkh ficht,
so bistu kunstlich bericht,
greifft er auch sterch an
das schissen, das sichst jm an,
mit seinem schlan, den ort,
schuczt er sich [t]riff on forcht,
mit baiden henden,
der ort zu augen leere wenden,
des fordern fueß,
mit schlegen du huetten muest,


Additional Resources

The following is a list of publications containing scans, transcriptions, and translations relevant to this article, as well as published peer-reviewed research.

References

  1. When German writers were aware that a person was dead, they would add a formulaic blessing after their name (i.e., "God be gracious to him"); this manuscript doesn't, but 15th century manuscripts do.
  2. See folio 13v, trans. by Michael Chidester.
  3. Christian Henry Tobler. "Chicken and Eggs: Which Master Came First?" In Saint George's Name: An Anthology of Medieval German Fighting Arts. Wheaton, IL: Freelance Academy Press, 2010. p6
  4. The Fellowship of Liechtenauer is recorded in three versions of Paulus Kal's treatise: MS 1825 (1460s), Cgm 1507 (ca. 1470), and MS KK5126 (1480s).
  5. The figures are also often given as a preamble for the gloss of Lew, and a fragment of the short sword appears at the beginning of one strand of the treatise of Martin Huntsfeld, but those instances will likewise not be included below and instead treated as part of those treatises.
  6. Zettel is a tricky word to translate. The closest English cognate is “schedule” (both come from the Latin schedula), but only in the more obscure legal sense of a formal list, not the familiar sense of a timetable. It’s commonly used in modern German to denote a short list or a scrap of paper that could hold a list (like a receipt). I translate Zettel as “record” here (and capitalize and italicize it as the title of a written work), but other common translations include “epitome”, “notes”, and “recital”.
  7. More literally ‘dem Gott gnädig sei=may God grant him grace’. When German writers were aware that a person was dead, they would add this formulaic blessing after their name.
  8. The direct translation here would be “long sword”, but since it isn’t the sword that’s long and instead it’s holding the sword with both hands on the grip that ‘lengthens’ it, “extended sword” seems clearer. Compare “retracted sword” in the dueling lessons, which refers to placing the left hand on the blade. An alternative interpretation might be that the amount of blade extending in front of the hands is long in the langen Schwert grip and short in the kurtzen Schwert grip.
  9. The spelling ‘Schirmeister’ is ambiguous. A Schirmmeister is a fencing teacher, using the late medieval term for fencing (schirmen rather than fechten). A Schirrmeister is an aristocrat’s stablemaster, or a logistics officer in a military setting in charge of animals and anything pulled by animals (wagons, cannon, etc.). ‘Schirmeister’ could be a spelling of either one; Hans Medel reads it as the former. The Leichmeistere ridiculed by the author of ms. 3227a in their introduction, often translated as “dance masters” or “play masters”, might be a shortening of this phrase (leichtfertigen schirmaister).
  10. The individual section headings don’t seem to be part of Liechtenauer’s original Record—or at least, the scribes seem to have treated them as non-authoritative and felt free to expand, contract, modify, or omit them entirely. They are only included here in abbreviated form and can be hidden along with the footnotes for easier reading.
  11. Jay Acutt has pointed out that the structure of the Record of the extended sword could be framed in terms of Classical rhetoric following Cicero and others, in which case this preface is the exordium, the introduction that appeals to the audience by declaring the speaker/writer’s ethos.
  12. Some version of this preface to the Record appears in most 15th century witnesses but is absent from most from the 16th; it’s generally included as part of the teaching on fencing with the extended sword, but the author of ms. 3227a and Antonius Rast include abbreviated versions of it at the beginning of the mounted dueling verses, and Pseudo-Peter von Danzig includes it in their gloss of the retracted sword. Given this, and the fact that its teachings reference weapons only covered in the dueling section, I consider it a general preface to both sections of the Record.
  13. Note that though the preface is quoted by the glossators, it’s rarely discussed by them (see the notes below for exceptions).
  14. “That I laud” is an addition to serve the rhyme.
  15. Jens P. Kleinau has pointed out that in the first couplet, the second line is much longer than most in the Record, while in this second couplet, the version used by the Lew gloss only includes the first line (as does the Dresden version of Sigmund ain Ringeck's gloss) and the version appearing in H. Beringer and Hans Folz only includes the second line. This may be evidence of a ‘seam’ in the Record where two early proto-Records were merged together, each of which only mentioned loving god in the first couplet and had honoring women as the first line of the second couplet. See his 2020 blog post for more details.
  16. In the same blog post, Jens P. Kleinau points out that the mention of Ehre (rendered “fame” in this line to avoid repetition) may be a later addition to the text, since some versions have sehre instead of zu Ehre, which makes the phrase and meter smoother; additionally, the idea of warfare as an avenue of increasing one’s honor is mostly absent from contemporary literature. Hofieren is to serve, often in a feudal or courtly sense, so the alternate rhymed version would be “And serve you well in war some day”.
  17. Messer is a term that we often associate with the iconic German machete-like knife taught by Johannes Lecküchner and others, but both historically and today it can refer to any kind of knife; mentions of it in the Record are usually interpreted as referring to daggers by the glossators.
  18. More literally “manly”, not “gallant”, but I’ve used ungendered language for the most part in this translation because I want readers to be able to more easily see themselves and their training partners in it regardless of their genders.
  19. Bederben and verderben could be read as synonyms in Early New High German (ENHG), both meaning “to destroy”, but that doesn’t make sense in context so we tend to read bederben in its Middle High German (MHG) definition of “to use”. H. Beringer uniquely has ‘bedurfen=need or make use of’, which reinforces this reading and could represent an earlier, less ambiguous phrasing.
  20. Jens-Peter sees a division here where the moralistic/inspirational address to the young knight ends and practical advice to a fencing student begins. I disagree, and think couplets 6–9 are still about mindset and morality in fighting.
  21. I will generally translate the verb hauwen as “to cut” since that’s the common parlance, but remember that there’s no connotation that the intent is to cleave anything or otherwise directly hit your opponent. The word is instead often used to describe a cutting motion that will set up further techniques (such as cutting in order to hit with a thrust).
  22. More literally “Charge in, let it hit or pass”.
  23. Couplet 6 isn’t directly glossed, but is mentioned by the author of ms. 3227a in their gloss of the common lesson.
  24. The Lew gloss replaces couplet 7 with a completely different one:
    So that your art and skill surely
     Will then be praised as masterly.
    Lew then omits couplet 8 entirely. This could be seen as part of the same ‘seam’ mentioned in the note on couplet 2.
  25. This word pair is translated in all kinds of ways, from the abstract/geometric (dimension and extension) to the colloquial (time and place, weighed and measured) to the fencing-specific (distance and reach). My translation goes with a more moralistic read, outlining two qualities the young knight needs to develop, both of which point to the cardinal virtue of temperance. This couplet isn’t directly glossed, but is mentioned by the author of ms. 3227a in their gloss of the common lesson; it’s also invoked and connected to teachings in sword section of the Augsburg Group manuscripts.
  26. This couplet might instead have been intended to be combined with the previous one as two very long lines of a single couplet: "ettlich biderman in anden hanten veder ben / kunt er chunst er mocht wol eren erwerb".
  27. This couplet might instead have been intended to be combined with the previous one as two very long lines of a single couplet: "ettlich in andern hanten verderben / kündt er kunst er möcht ere erwerben".
  28. First letter almost illegible.
  29. First letter illegible.
  30. Classical rhetoric would label this section the narratio, the statement of basic facts and the nature of the things being discussed. This would suggest that this section is describing the basic model of how a ‘fight’ works: one fencer attacks with a downward blow from the proper side using proper footwork and threatens their opponent with the point, provoking a parry (the author of ms. 3227a terms this a ‘Vorschlag=Leading Strike’); after this, the attacker progresses to the skirmish, attacking whatever target the parry has exposed (termed a ‘Nachschlag=Following Strike’).
  31. The early glosses interpret this as an admonition against passively waiting for your opponent’s actions, but I phrased it in a way that it could also lead Andre Paurenfeyndt and Joachim Meyer to turn it into a teaching about footwork.
  32. Couplet 11 is glossed separately in Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew while 12–14 are grouped together as a sestain, but Sigmund ain Ringeck (and Hans Medel, who copies his text here) combine all four couplets into a single octet. The interpretation is the same in both groupings.
  33. This line is contentious because it encapsulates two approaches to striking among students of Liechtenauer in the 21st century: it either advises you to approach close to your opponent and then cut so you’re sure of hitting their head or body with your edge, or it advises you to cut so that your sword approaches close to your opponent and you can hit their face or chest with your point; I hold with the latter interpretation, which seems most in line with the instructions in the Sigmund ain Ringeck, Pseudo-Peter von Danzig, and Lew (RDL) glosses.
  34. Schilt=shield’ is often treated as synonymous with the flanges that appear on some 15th-16th century fencing swords, but there’s no textual support for this (no, not even in Joachim Meyer’s treatises). ‘Shield’ instead seems to refer to the entire lower portion of the sword most often used for defense: the crossguard, the Strength of the blade (see below), and yes, also any flanges that appear near the shoulder of the sword.
  35. More literally “don’t avoid the skirmish”; German loves using double-negatives to emphasize a positive. Zecken is typically translated with a variety of words suggesting minor strikes (and Zeck also means “tick”, leading some to read it as something like “bug bites”), but the Lexer gives an alternative reading of “skirmish” or harassing actions. Rühren is “to stir up”, “to cause something to move”, and “to touch or hit” (including “to land a blow in fencing”); I summarize these senses as “harrying”. Zeckrühr doesn’t appear in Grimm or the Lexer, so I read it as a compound of these two words and render it as “harrying strikes” to express the idea of harassing during a skirmish. (Thanks to Christian Trosclair for digging up the zecken lemma.) The terms Zecken and Zeckrühr are not used again in the Record or in the glosses for any other section, so it’s hard to be sure what this term means. There are hints, though: Hans Medel’s gloss repeats this couplet when it covers the take-away (after couplet 28), the misser is described as rühren (see couplet 53), and two specific pieces are given in the gloss of this couplet in Pseudo-Peter von Danzig and Lew. Based on these examples, I surmise that it’s the term for actions that exit a bind and strike to a new exposure, creating a nice contrast between the skirmish and the ‘Krieg=war’ (mentioned in two places below, in which you remain in the bind and attack by turning your sword).
  36. More literally “When you want to drive something strongly, fence with your whole body”, but I went with this translation because one of my objectives was to make this stick in people’s brains, and “always fight with all your strength” has been part of our collective subconscious in Kunst des Fechtens ever it since was used by Sigmund ain Ringeck translators at the turn of the 21st century. Also, not much rhymes with ‘strength’.
  37. Schlecht often means “bad”, but it can also mean “straight, direct, simple”, and that makes more sense here (as Stephen Cheney pointed out), and really in most usages in this text.
  38. This quatrain is typically interpreted as referring to right- and left-handed fencers and translated accordingly, but the text just says “right” and “left” and it’s not clear whether it’s referring to handedness, which side of the body the sword is held on (regardless of handedness), or which foot is forward (thus echoing the first lesson, just as the fourth lesson—on Before and After—echoes the second lesson—on attacking to provoke a parry rather than waiting to parry the opponent’s attack). It would be odd indeed for Liechtenauer to make this one solitary mention of handedness when that subject is never addressed again, neither in his writings nor in the subsequent two centuries of writings based on his teachings.
  39. This line is the same as the first line of dueling couplet 62.
  40. Here the Record begins introducing what are sometimes called the ‘Five Words’: ‘Vor=Before’, ‘Nach=After’, ‘Stark/Stärke=Strong/Strength’, ‘Schwach/Schwäche=Weak/Weakness’, and ‘Indes=Within/Inside’. (There are two other words that are sometimes lumped in here, ‘Hart/Härte=Hard/Hardness’ and ‘Weich/Weiche=Soft/Softness’, though no one talks about Seven Words.) I generally capitalize these words, but in this translation I’ll leave them lowercase to avoid unnecessary reification.
  41. RDL read this as referring to the parts of the sword—the ‘Strength’ of the sword is the part closer to the hand and the ‘Weakness’ of the sword is part near the tip (perhaps specifically from the center of mass to the cross and from the center of percussion to the tip, as swordsmith Paul Champagne (God rest his soul) once opined.); in between is the ‘middle’, and this is where two other words, ‘Hardness’ and ‘Softness’, are felt. Conversely, the author of ms. 3227a doesn’t clearly distinguish these two sets of words and typically refers to things as being both “Hard and Strong” or “Soft and Weak” (perhaps owing to their love of hendiadys).
  42. The meaning of the word Indes changes significantly from MHG to ENHG. It may be translated “within” or “inside” in both languages, but in MHG, Indes was primarily a spatial adverb (i.e., within a place or location) and in ENHG it became primarily a temporal adverb (i.e., within a time or event). Liechtenauer’s Record seems to have been written in the midst of this transition and straddles both senses: the word ‘Within’ is used to describe actions the instant (time) when you have felt the pressure of the bind (place) and must choose a response. By the time of Joachim Meyer, this linguistic evolution was complete and this is perhaps what lead him to accuse masters who taught a spatial interpretation of Indes of conflating it with the Latin word Intus, which does indeed align closely with the MHG definition.
  43. Erschricken is often translated as “frighten”, but according to Grimm, it’s in the sense of a ‘jump-scare’ rather than a feeling of terror. This verse isn’t about cowardice or running away, but rather about panicking and doing something stupid when attacked (as Jessica Finley has pointed out).
  44. With full extension
  45. This couplet seems to replace the first line of couplet 15, leaving the second line of 15 as an orphan.
  46. Text terminates at this point. The leaves with the rest of the text are missing.
  47. kam
  48. deinen
  49. faler
  50. l corrected from t.
  51. This quatrain is often appended to the end of the common lesson, but the author of ms. 3227a places it as the beginning of the list of main pieces of the Record, and I think it makes the most sense there, where the five are actually listed and named.
  52. “Speed” is an addition to serve the rhyme.
  53. Couplet 22 is omitted from the Record in ms. 3227a; it’s also worded awkwardly (in German) and doesn’t rhyme. It’s possible that this was a late addition to the Record and perhaps even not authored by Liechtenauer.
  54. In Classical rhetoric, the third segment would be the partitio, the outline of the argument. It introduces the ‘hauptstuck=main pieces’ of the Record; curiously, Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew describes this list as five strikes and twelve main pieces, while Sigmund ain Ringeck (and Hans Medel, who reproduces his gloss of this section) describes it as seventeen main pieces. The author of ms. 3227a doesn’t use the term “main pieces” and instead mentions the five strikes and “the other pieces”
  55. Krumm und twer is an expression meaning something like “to and fro” (per Jessica Finley). Likewise, the cut of wrath is described by both RDL and the author of ms. 3227a as a ‘schlect haw=straight cut’, and schlect und krumm is an expression meaning “straight and crooked” (per Christian Trosclair). But since this couplet is clearly designed to be mnemonic rather than a functional description, I devised something memorable.
  56. Schiller mit Scheitler is listed as one of the six ‘master cuts’ that the Brotherhood of St. Mark would test prospective masters on, but neither RDL nor the author of ms. 3227a make any effort to explain these two things in context with each other. Hans Medel offers a play that he labels that way, though, and Hans Talhoffer modifies couplet 62 in the cockeye to include a reference to the part (see below).
  57. Note that den alber der versazung is another one of the six ‘master cuts’ that the Brotherhood of St. Mark would test prospective masters on. the author of ms. 3227a adds this unique quatrain to the description of the foolish guard that also connects it to parrying:
    Whenever they will cut or thrust
     The foolish one may break through thus:
    By angling in, or sweeping up,
     Pursuit, or parrying abrupt.
  58. Couplet 24 is strange: it can be read as describing the first five main pieces, but if that were the intent, we’d expect to see:
    Leger versetzt
     Nachreisen überlauff absetzt
    (which would even have the same meter). Instead, it says ‘Alber=poplar tree or foolish’ (see the note in the section on lairs) rather than Leger in the first line and ‘haw setzt=set [aside?] the cut’ (or, more commonly in other witnesses, ‘haw letzt=hinders cuts’) rather than absetzt in the second. This might signify that it was manipulated to make it more memorable than a simple list would be, so I similarly tried to phrase it into a narrative sentence. (Lew is unique in that the Record quoted there does indeed have absetzt, but no extant copy of the Record has Leger instead of Alber.)
  59. I’ve tried to emphasize opposing pairs whenever they are apparent, even if the Record doesn’t call attention to them. ‘Stossen=push’ and ‘zucken=pull’ are such a pair; they might be translated even better as “shove” and “yank”, emphasizing the forcefulness of the action, but I hate both of those translations (not for any good reason, they’re just not part of my dialect so they sound unnatural to me) so I’m going with push and pull.
  60. Or “crush”
  61. Or “twirl”
  62. According to Classical rhetoric, the partitio would be followed by the confirmatio (arguments) and refutatio (counterarguments), which might be separated or mixed together. This is the weakest part of the hypothesis, since you have to really work to frame the descriptions of five strikes and the first eleven of the twelve main pieces as argument and counterargument.
  63. This is the ‘schlecht haw=straight cut’, so I wrote this section to be simple and direct.
  64. Who is wrathful here? In Medieval art, the concept of ‘wrath’ is often represented as a man stabbing himself to show its self-destructive nature; the name of the ‘wrath cut’ may thus be meant to indicate that you are offering your point for a wrathful opponent to impale themselves upon (as Jessica Finley has pointed out). The author of ms. 3227a indicates that this strike is meant to be used against a person in their anger and wrath (as Maciej Talaga has pointed out), which supports this interpretation. However, RDL offer the instruction to “cut wrathfully” against your opponent’s cut, implying that you are the wrathful one. With respect to that, it’s worth noting that Grimm states that Zorn began as a term for excitement in battle, not an expression of irritation or hatred. The Record doesn’t explicitly assign wrath to either side, which I tried to preserve in my phrasing here, though it does contain admonitions to remain calm and controlled while using the ‘wrath cut’ and its pieces which could be a reminder not to be wrathful yourself.
  65. Lew and Hans Medel group this couplet together with the next one as a quatrain while Pseudo-Peter von Danzig and Sigmund ain Ringeck separate them; they all seem to have at least a somewhat shared understanding of the underlying techniques, though.
  66. Werner Ueberschär has suggested that there may be a double-meaning in this verse: ohne Fahr would be “without danger” (rendered as “care not” here), but ohne Farr would be “without ox”, emphasizing that this technique is used instead of turning your sword into guard of the ox (which the next couplet describes).
  67. In this quatrain, we have taking off above and below. Lew presents these as equal options that you’re free to choose between, whereas Sigmund ain Ringeck and Pseudo-Peter von Danzig offer specific cues that lead you to choose one or the other, and both the author of ms. 3227a and Paulus Kal present them as a sequence of motions, taking off below only after you’ve taken off above.
  68. This line is the same as the second line of couplet 97, in the section on the angles.
  69. Some witnesses have vor instead of far or var, and the alternate rhymed version would be “‘Within’ the after and before”.
  70. As mentioned above, the ‘Krieg=war’ could be read as the counterpart to ‘zecken=skirmish’. The war is defined in RDL as a term for attacking by turning your sword toward new exposures in the bind, but once it’s introduced here and mentioned once in the final quatrain of the curve, it doesn’t appear again in the Record. Instead, the verb “to turn” is preferred. The contrasting admonitions to ‘embrace the skirmish’ but ‘don’t rush to war’ are interesting, and would be more interesting if these terms were commonly used to describe fencing in the Liechtenauer tradition (but they aren’t).
  71. The Gotha ms. inserts a new title here: Das ist der krieck (“This is the War”), separating the following couplets from the wrath cut. No other witness divides the Record that way.
  72. Couplet 32 uses similar phrasing to 80, in the section on overrunning, and dueling couplet 36.
  73. Sigmund ain Ringeck groups this couplet together with the previous quatrain as a single sestain (as does Hans Medel, who copies his text here), while Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew separates it; the interpretation of the verses is the same in either arrangement.
  74. The RDL glosses discuss shaming the opponent both above and below, and Werner Ueberschär has pointed out that this couplet could be read to support that (‘If they aim at the war, bring them shame above and below’) since there’s no punctuation to force a specific division of words, but I think the Record intends to contrast high and low rather than join them, and in the other places where this phrasing is used, the glosses do place one fencer high and one low. Curiously, the Lew gloss uniquely moves oben before rehmet, solidifying the ‘war above’ reading even as it describes war above and below.
  75. I render winden as “to turn”, following Harry R. and Dierk Hagedorn, which I agree makes the text read more smoothly. It also avoids some of the stranger interpretations that people have imposed based on the more popular translation of “to wind”.
  76. The text actually names the three attacks again, but I have “which one of them” to avoid redundancy and make the text smoother.
  77. Werner Ueberschär has suggested that this couplet would make more sense if it appeared after the couplet about confounding the masters (35) rather than before, though I don’t see a reason for his complaint. The statement of the Record at the beginning of the Dresden manuscript moves couplet 35 before the one about turning (33), but it’s unique in making this change.
  78. Treffen=touch, meet, hit, contact, encounter, etc.’ can be ambiguous. It’s not talking about a conference with the masters, nor is it about hitting the masters with your sword; instead, when treffen is used in the Record, the glosses agree that it refers to one sword hitting another sword, and I try to make that explicit in this translation.
  79. Couplet 35 is very close to 90, in the section on pulling, and dueling couplet 63.
  80. Effen, translated “confound” here, can also mean “to imitate”, so this could alternatively be read as a statement about acting like a master. RDL frequently invoke the archetype of the ‘master’, which is a fencer who seeks to bind and turn (essentially the opposite of the ‘buffalo’ mentioned below), and this could be another reference to that. However, the other places where this construction is used are more clearly about causing trouble for the opponent, not imitating them.
  81. Or “This is the about the Wrath cut, which slices apart.”
  82. Or “wind more broadly”
  83. I.e. to the action described next
  84. 84.0 84.1 remen => räumen, meaning “to make space, clear away, evacuate”.
  85. This section is often grouped together with the wrath cut, but its teachings seem to be more general. Together with the common lesson, in bookends the presentation of the ‘straight fight’. The only other segment of the Record to be separated out with its own title that isn’t one of the main pieces is the spreading window, which is also part of the straight fight and also concludes with the same quatrain.
  86. Could also be “openings”, but I think “exposure” is more evocative of what’s being expressed. When fighting in literal armor, you do indeed attack the openings (i.e., gaps) in their armor, but unarmored, it’s all about which parts of your opponent are left exposed by their movements. Furthermore, Bloß literally means “nudity” or “nakedness” (Mayr’s Latinist renders it nuditas), and this meaning is encompassed by ‘exposure’ but not by ‘opening’. (I suspect the word ‘opening’ is imposed on the text as a borrowing from the lexicon of modern sports rather than because someone thought it was an accurate translation.)
  87. I generally read this verb as ‘rähmen/rehmen=aim, strive for, frame’, but it could also be ‘raumen=clear away, make space for’ (which is how Andre Paurenfeyndt and his followers render it). In this instance, I was able to fold in both meanings.
  88. Fahr/gefahr has two different branches of meaning: the first is “travelers, the movement of travelers, or the path or direction traveled”, and the second is “risk, hazard, danger” (which originates from the risk of ambush while traveling, leading back to the first one). Both senses are present in the Record, and it’s possible that both senses are implied simultaneously. In this translation, I’ve stuck with “threat/danger” as the more obvious sense in most cases.
  89. I read this as ‘brauchen=apply, use, exploit, abuse’, but it could also be intended as ‘brechen=break, counter’; the latter doesn’t seem to make sense here since whenever brechen is used elsewhere, it describes countering an action or position of the opponent, not an inherent quality of their anatomy/geometry.
  90. This would more literally just be “doubling”, but “redoubling” has the same meaning in English and ‘doubling’; has taken on the very different meaning of “simultaneously hitting and being hit” in the parlance of the Kunst des Fechtens community.
  91. This quatrain is very close to 100–101, in the section on the angles.
  92. Or “to the right”
  93. Or “slow”
  94. There is no space between "Dupliere" and "doniden", the "D" was possibly added later.
  95. In keeping with the contrast between straight and crooked, I translated this section in a way that suggests deception and subterfuge. In the glosses, its plays demonstrate how to artfully violate all the instructions given in the common lesson.
  96. An interesting facet of the Record on the extended sword that we see here and in the remaining three cuts is that Liechtenauer avoids reifying them—i.e., turning them into formalized ‘things’. For example, at no point does Liechtenauer tell you to “cut a crooked cut”; instead, he tells you to curve here, or to go crookedly there. It’s the glosses that turn these descriptions into formally-defined jargon like “the crooked cut”, and then this jargon is imposed onto the Record by the scribes adding red section headers.
  97. Krumm can mean both “curved” and “crooked”; it specifically describes a thing that is usually straight but has unnatural curvature. The spine of someone with scoliosis is krumm, whereas a lightning bolt definitely is not. A winding path is also krumm, because it curves back and forth rather than following a straight line. Physically, a person who is krumm is hunched or bent over. However, krumm also has shade of ethical meaning—a person is metaphorically krumm if they deviate from the ‘straight and narrow’ path of righteousness (we also have this sense in English with terms like ‘crooked politician’). I use “curved” as the adjective form and “crookedly” as the adverb.
  98. “Down low” is an addition to text to serve the rhyme, but it’s supported by the glosses and establishes a nice pair with the next quatrain, which mentions going high.
  99. Couplet 43 doesn’t seem to be glossed by Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew; it’s grouped with the previous couplet as a quatrain and the gloss makes no mention of ‘versetzen=displacing’ or ‘absetzen=luring/enticing out of place, setting off/aside’ (or any other -setzen verb). Sigmund ain Ringeck glosses the verse as describing absetzen with the crooked cut, and my translation reflects this.
  100. More literally “Weaken the masters”.
  101. Couplet 44 is grouped together with the next one by Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew and glossed separately by Sigmund ain Ringeck, but they all present the same teaching for it.
  102. Could be any one of ‘glänzen=to spark or flash’, ‘glitschen=to slide or slip’, or ‘klitschen=to make a sound by striking something’. Paulus Hector Mayr’s Latinist reads it as the first one and renders it ‘coruscare=to spark, flash, gleam’. Rebecca L. R. Garber notes that in order for a cut to produce sparks, it strikes at an angle, slips along the edge, and moves off; this means that all three verbs are potentially active simultaneously when you smack your opponent’s blade.
  103. Couplet 45 uses similar phrasing to 81, in the section on overrunning.
  104. “Your plan concealed” is an addition to serve the rhyme; it also pairs nicely with the mention of showing/revealing the changing through in the next line.
  105. RDL and the author of ms. 3227a parse the first line, Krumm nicht kurz haw, very differently, and it’s hard for a singly translation to accommodate both interpretations. The author of ms. 3227a reads it as something like “Don’t cut the curve short” (essentially placing a comma after Krumm), while RDL reads it as something like “Don’t curve, cut short instead” (essentially placing a comma after nicht). The former becomes advice about recovering from a curved cut that misses, and the latter about feinting with the curved cut. (Note that it’s distinctly possible that the author of ms. 3227a had a piece like the one in RDL in mind when they wrote that the verses on the ‘Fehler=misser’ should be assigned to this section; see below.)
  106. This quatrain is the second and final place where the ‘Krieg=war’ is mentioned (this time labeled ‘edel=noble’) and describes ‘verwirren=ensnaring or confusing’ your opponent by continually turning your sword toward their exposures. However, Sigmund ain Ringeck and by Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew frame it quite differently; in the former, it’s a counter to your opponent’s crooked cut, while in the latter, it’s advice about pressing your attack if your opponent parries your crooked cut (the rhymed version of this latter reading would be something like “When down a crooked path you lead”).
  107. Corrected from »Im«.
  108. The text doubles the title of this section.
  109. H. Beringer’s use of the term ‘vom Himmel=from heaven/the heavens’ gives a bit of religious flavor to the first couplet, and I leaned into that further in translating this section.
  110. Twer has two basic meanings: across/crosswise and aslant/slantwise. Paulus Hector Mayr’s Latinist renders it ‘transversarius=transverse’, which has the same range of meaning. Back in 2006, Jeffrey Forgeng offered the watershed translation “thwart”, derived from “athwart”, a nautical term which refers to movement across the direction of travel (after the transverse beam of a ship called the ‘thwart’). “Thwart” is cool because it sort of sounds like Twer, but is less cool because it’s quite obscure and 21st century people who read “thwart strike” don’t think of an adjective that means crosswise, they think of the verb “to thwart”, meaning to obstruct or oppose. This also ‘makes sense’ as a thing that the strike can do, but it’s irrelevant to the actual meaning of the German term here so it’s sort of a linguistic trap. I translate Twer as “cross”, “across”, or “crosswise”, depending on which fits the sentence and meter better.
  111. This line is pure filler, since I used up all the text of this couplet in the first line.
  112. Both RDL and the author of ms. 3227a agree that couplet 51 is referring to the four exposures but assigning them cute little nicknames that are also the names of two of the guards. This explanation is nonsensical and these alleged names of the exposures are never invoked again (instead, exposures are uniformly described as upper/lower and left/right), so I suspect it’s an example of the glossators having no idea what Liechtenauer’s intent with this couplet was. Alternatively, it could possibly be another ‘seam’ in the Record—a place where Liechtenauer left evidence of one of the older teachings he integrated (one in which the four exposures were always named rather than described). Note that Hans Medel, on the other hand, does indeed give instructions for attacking these two guards with the crosswise cut, and brings this up again in the gloss of displacing the guards further on.
  113. Couplet 52 is grouped together with the previous one by Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew and glossed separately by Sigmund ain Ringeck, but they all present the same teaching for them.
  114. This is based on the witnesses that have Fehler ver führt, but others have ‘Fehler wer führt=Who leads by missing skillfully’; the second line would then need to change “go” to “goes”.
  115. A Fehler is the opposite of a ‘Treffer=hitter’ and signifies something that doesn’t hit whatever target it was aimed at. Here, it’s clearly an intentional miss. Harry R. renders it “avoidance”, which is similar in intent. I dislike the translation “failer”, even though I’m fond of cognates, because it doesn’t give any impression of what specifically is failing.
  116. Curiously, the author of ms. 3227a seems to indicate that verses 53–57 should appear before the crosswise cut, and also includes a statement that seems to associate them with the crooked cut. No other witness supports this change. However, the pieces described in the various glosses are only tenuously connected to the crosswise cut, and frequently disagree about whether they include the crosswise at all or are performed beginning with any cut from above or below, so they all could be transferred to the crooked cut with little or no modification. Werner Ueberschär has suggested that the only reason the misser is grouped with one of the five strikes at all rather than being listed as an additional main piece is because of the numerological importance of numbers like 5 and 12.
  117. Couplet 56 uses similar phrasing to 79, in the section on pursuit.
  118. More literally “Twice further”, but I think my reading captures the intent better (at least as far as the glosses interpret it).
  119. These two couplets are grouped together by Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew and glossed separately by Sigmund ain Ringeck. In this case their interpretations vary in significant ways; of the two, Ainringck’s explanation includes two missers (as the Record suggests) while Pseudo-Danzig/Lew’s only includes one. Oddly, Lew actually glosses this quatrain twice with different text each time—once in its proper place and again in between the cockeye and parter—and the second time, the interpretation is similar to Ainringck’s rather than Pseudo-Danzig’s.
  120. Fehler is the opposite of a Treffer, which is something that hits or succeeds. The Fehler is the losing throw in dice, the missed shot in archery and shooting. It is, however, an action that might hit, but it is assumed that it will miss.
  121. This line might instead have been intended to be combined with the previous ones as two lines of a single couplet: "den elenbog nym in der waug / und mach den fäler nit träg".
  122. 122.0 122.1 Corrected from »Twir«.
  123. haust
  124. These three fragments of lines were probably intended to be combined into a single line: "Zwifach mit macht virbas".
  125. This section uses several words that can be used to describe crime, so I decided to lean into that. Maybe it should be “the shifty-eyed cut”.
  126. Buffel=buffalo’ is explained as simply “a peasant” by the author of ms. 3227a, but RDL offer a more sophisticated explanation: a ‘buffalo’ is a fencer who doesn’t try to feel hard and soft in the bind (Pseudo-Danzig/Lew) and instead seeks to win purely through superior strength (Ainringck). Note that this doesn’t require a lack of skill or knowledge of fencing, merely an attitude that their opponent’s intentions don’t matter because the ‘buffalo’ is confident in their ability to overpower and overwhelm no matter what.
  127. Schielen is a tricky verb because it has a double meaning of “askew” and “cross-eyed” or “having a lazy eye” (both were once upon a time called ‘squint-eyed’), and the text relies on both meanings. “Cockeyed” is the closest we can get to both senses in one English word. (Thanks to Christian Trosclair for suggesting this translation.) When shielen is used to tell you to look at rather than strike something, I render it “cock [i.e., turn] your eye”.
  128. Kürtzen means “to shorten”, and the glosses interpret it as referring to an opponent who fails to extend properly in fencing, but it also has a financial meaning of failing to pay someone the full amount they are owed, just as we refer to ‘shorting’ or ‘short-changing’ someone in English. (Thanks to Christian Trosclair for the ‘shortchanging’ idea.)
  129. “Take your revenge” would more literally be “defeat them”.
  130. I decided to read obern Haubt as equivalent to Schaitel just like Hans Talhoffer does in order bridge the cockeye and parter slightly and to give us some Schiller mit Schaitler (as mentioned earlier).
  131. Or “destroy”
  132. Or “skill”
  133. Scheitel refers to the top of the front of the head, the hairline, and the part of the hair. The verb scheiden means “to divide or separate”, and the noun Schaiden refers to damage or harm. Thus, while Sigmund ain Ringeck is clear that the name refers to starting from the part of your hair (i.e., over your head) rather than targeting their hairline, the other potential meaning of “to part” (divide the opponent in half) may also be intended.
  134. I also decided to turn ‘Antlitz=face, countenance, visage’ into ‘under Augen=under the eyes, in their face’ (as a borrowing from the dueling verses), in order bridge the cockeye and parter slightly and to give us some Schiller mit Schaitler (as mentioned earlier).
  135. More literally “chest”, but “heart” is more poetic.
  136. Both this couplet and the previous one end in the word ‘Gefähr=threat’, which is weird and unusually awkward even for Liechtenauer. It’s even more awkward when some witnesses combine each couplet into a single line, producing one extra-long couplet where both lines end with the same word. I don’t know what this tells us about the Record, but it’s weird.
  137. “Refuse to kneel” is an addition to the text to serve the rhyme and make it more evocative.
  138. Streichen=to sweep’ is generally understood to refer to rising short-edge cuts from below, and is the subject of the short treatise Stuck im aufstreichen (“Pieces of sweeping-upon”). None of the glosses discuss sweeping in the section on the parter, despite it being a primary form of attack from the foolish guard and a likely response to the parter, so this may be another instance where the glossators are unaware of or failing to record Liechtenauer’s complete teaching.
  139. Unusually, Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew gloss this entire section as a single block of ten lines; witnesses of Sigmund ain Ringeck vary in how they divide up the section, ranging from grouping 63–64 and 65–67 together to treating 63, 64, and 65 separately and only grouping 66–67.
  140. Whatever comes from the Skull cut.
  141. This is the most obvious potential ‘seam’ in the Record on the extended sword. The common lesson and the five strikes form a coherent sequence of teaching that build upon each other layer by layer, but at this point, the teaching seems to start over. References to previous teachings are almost non-existent in the subsequent sections of the glosses, and instead it begins from basic principles with how to stand, then how to parry, then how to attack, etc. If Liechtenauer constructed his Record from shorter teachings that he learned in his travels, then this sort of abrupt discontinuity is exactly the sort of evidence of that process that we might expect to see.
  142. A Leger is a lair or place to lie down and also a military encampment (especially a siege camp). A Hut is a defensive position or guard (and cognate with the English word for a small, rough shelter). It has been proposed based on these meanings that Leger could have originally indicated a position used offensively and Hut a position used defensively, but there’s no evidence of this distinction in any treatises from Liechtenauer’s tradition and the terms are used interchangeably.
  143. On the subject of lairs/guards, the author of ms. 3227a offers another saying of Liechtenauer which isn’t part of the Record and appears in no other source in the tradition: “The living move around, while the dead lie still” (or in longer form, “Whoever lies still, they are dead; whoever moves around, they yet live”).
  144. While ‘ox’ refers to bovines trained as draft animals—usually castrated males, but sometimes bulls or cows—the term Ochs also encompassed the aurochs, the wild ancestor of domestic cows that was prized for its leather and hunted to extinction by the 17th cen. Unlike domestic cattle, the aurochs had horns that pointed inward.
  145. Albern is an adjective meaning “foolish” whereas Alber is a noun meaning “poplar tree”; Joachim Meyer interprets it as the former, which he justifies with the explanation that only a fool would use such a worthless guard; Paulus Hector Mayr reads it as the latter, and his Latin translator renders it ‘populus arbor=poplar tree’ without any explanation (PMM: 89r.2–90r.3). There’s no way to be sure which one Liechtenauer intended, but PD: 2r renders it Alwer, a MHG word meaning “simple or worthless”, and Hans Medel uses ‘alberlich=foolishly’ in relation to it (HM: 32r.5), giving the barest suggestion of a shared understanding early in the tradition.
  146. Could also be ‘von Dach=from the roof’. I went with “day” to match the pastoral theme of the others, and for the similarity to H. Beringer, which uniquely has ‘von Himmel=from the sky’.
  147. Note that the actual positions described by these names vary between texts. RDL assign the name ‘ox’ to the upper angle, ‘plow’ to the lower angle, ‘fool’ to the low guard, and ‘from the day’ to the high guard, the author of ms. 3227a and Hans Medel assign the name ‘plow’ to the low guard; 3227a then assigns the name ‘fool’ to the lower angle, while Medel assign the name ‘fool’ to the upper angle and the name ‘ox’ to the lower angle. These two also describe ‘from the day’ as the ‘long point’ or ‘spreading window’. The only other early Liechtenauer sources that address the names of guards are the treatises of Paulus Kal, which generally agree with RDL, and the Cl. 23842 (anonymous but connected in some way to Peter Falkner), which labels each position with both RDL’s and Medel’s preferred names and also shows a version of ‘from the day’ which resembles Kal’s ‘spreading window’.
  148. Or “flee”
  149. In the 15th century, the word versetzen encompassed both ‘versetzen=to move or shift location’ and ‘vorsetzen=to place in front’, and in this text it refers to a defensive action we might label a ‘parry’.
  150. The various glossators uniformly ignore the word ‘auch=also’ in this line: the author of ms. 3227a focuses on the first line and introduces four parrying actions without discussing guards, while RDL focuses on the second line and alludes to ways of attacking guards that were covered earlier in the five strikes with no mention of parrying.
  151. The sense of a hunter driving an animal from its lair comes from hunting literature, and Jessica Finley is responsible for the pioneering work on connecting hunting and fencing terminology.
  152. I’ve written before about the problems with couplet 71: existing witnesses of the Record include two different contradictory versions. One group essentially says, ‘parrying is risky, watch out’, while the other says, ‘parrying is awesome, do it a lot’. So I sort of tried to combine both meanings here, since sorting out which one Liechtenauer intended is Somebody Else’s Problem.
  153. Pseudo-Peter von Danzig separates couplets 70 and 71, while Lew, Sigmund ain Ringeck, and Hans Medel combine them into a quatrain. Curiously, the Salzburg witness of Lew separates the two couplets like Pseudo-Danzig, and it groups the standard Lew gloss under couplet 70 and then adds a paragraph from Ainringck as the gloss of 71. Despite these differences, RDL show a largely shared understanding of the meaning of the verses (whereas Medel has a different interpretation).
  154. Ansetzen=to set upon’ is rare in the extended sword but common in the spear and the retracted sword; it refers to placing your point on your opponent, and in armor is associated with ‘dringen=to crowd’, which refers to lodging your point in your opponent's armor and using it to push and lever them around. A sharp sword would presumably penetrate an unarmored opponent, but a blunt sword could be used to similarly push them around after setting upon them.
  155. I translate Enden as “extremities” here, but it could also be “ends” (the cognate) or “extents”; regardless, the glosses interpret it as a reference to the four exposures.
  156. After noting the awkward endings of couplets 63–64 in the parter section, this section gives us dich/dich (71), ist/ist (72), and enden/enden (74), the only couplets in the entire Record to rhyme a word with itself. This is probably not significant, but it is weird.
  157. Note that “pursuit” implies not only following or chasing something, but specifically overtaking and catching it.
  158. Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew combine this verse with the next quatrain, while Sigmund ain Ringeck glosses it separately (as does Hans Medel, who copies his text here). Ainringck presents two pursuits under this couplet, while Pseudo-Danzig/Lew only present the first one before moving on to the outer [mumble]; note that rather than appearing here, the second of Ainringck’s pursuits is discussed by Pseudo-Danzig under dueling couplet 63.
  159. The second word in the name of this piece is sometimes spelled ‘myn=form’ and sometimes ‘nym=take’. Myn tends to appear more commonly in the 15th cen. and nym in the 16th, but both appear in the earliest witnesses (sometimes even in the same witness) so it’s hard to say which one is the original term. Either would capture the essence of the piece, which is actions from a bind on the ‘outside’ (left) instead of the ‘inside’ (right). I decided to use both words in this translation.
  160. As before, “threat” could also be read as “path”, such as the path of a traveler or the trail left by a hunter’s quarry.
  161. Couplet 77 is very close to 109, in the section on the turns.
  162. It’s interesting that these two couplets seem to form a strong quatrain, but separated by RDL and Hans Medel.
  163. RDL and Hans Medel include an additional eight-line poem about the word ‘within’ which isn’t part of Liechtenauer’s Record:
    ‘Within’ above redoubles blows,
     And transmutes strikes to go below.
    ‘Within’ runs through, their space invades,
     And changes through from off their blades.
    ‘Within’ takes slices to suppress,
     And wrestles equally no less.
    ‘Within’ takes swords when it requires,
     And grants all that your heart desires.

    This could be evidence of another teaching poem used by Liechtenauer which he didn’t include in the Record.

  164. This verse technically says “pursue twice”, but all the glosses explain it as another outer takeforming, so I decided to render zweifach as “again”, which I admit is a stretch but it makes the verse make more sense.
  165. Couplet 79 uses similar phrasing to 56, in the section on the misser. The “old slice” is probably meant to mean ‘slice just like last time’, referring to that couplet.
  166. This line might instead have been intended to be combined with the previous ones as two long lines of a single couplet: "nun lerne in daß / den alten schnit mit macht".
  167. Hier hat der Schreiber offensichtlich ein Häkchen vergessen.
  168. Couplet 80 uses similar phrasing to 32, in the section on the cut of wrath, and dueling couplet 36.
  169. This is ‘overrunning’ in the sense of a river that overruns its banks or a cup that runneth over.
  170. Couplet 81 uses similar phrasing to 45, in the section on the curved cut.
  171. Absetzen is generally translated “setting aside” or “setting off”, but another sense of the word is “to lure someone away”, and RDL rely heavily on this meaning in the pieces they present for it. In a legal context, it means “to refute, to nullify, to abolish, to repeal”, and this sense is possibly represented in the second line here.
  172. Couplet 85 uses similar phrasing to 108, in the section on the turns.
  173. Or “counters”
  174. Or “him”
  175. “Your sword untied” is an addition to the text to serve the rhyme, but is supported by the RDL glosses.
  176. Both ‘durchwechseln=changing through’ and ‘zucken=pulling’ are sometimes translated as “disengaging” by others, presumably in a misguided attempt to impose terminology from Modern Olympic Fencing on Liechtenauer’s teachings. It isn’t the literal meaning of either verb, and imposing it on the text just seems to add more potential for misunderstanding.
  177. Werner Ueberschär points out that Bünde, which replaces Binde in a minority of witnesses, is a term used in fortifications. Johannes Lecküchner leans more heavily into the terminology of fortifications and siege warfare, but this could be an example of Liechtenauer doing the same.
  178. For a discussion of translating zucken, see the note for couplets 25–26.
  179. Couplet 90 is very close to 35, in the section on the cut of wrath, and dueling couplet 63.
  180. should be "dreffen"
  181. This section is followed by one titled "Von durchlauffen ab seczen", which repeat the verse on Absetzen.
  182. Sigmund ain Ringeck combines these two couplets into a quatrain, while Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew gloss them separately. The plays that the latter cover under couplet 93 are instead included by Ainring under couplets 72–73 in the second on displacement, and he doesn’t appear to offer any teachings specifically for 93.
  183. Note that Paulus Hector Mayr understands this as ‘pressing’ in the sense of crushing using a press (such as a wine press or a printing press), not in the sense of merely pushing; his Latinist calls it ‘ratio qua hostis manus comprimuntur=the method by which the hands of the enemy are crushed’.
  184. I don’t understand why this is a different main piece from slicing off, since it seems to just be an application of the four slices introduced in the previous verses. Given that the teachings in Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Lew for couplet 93 are unrelated to those given in RDL for couplet 94. It would be reasonable therefore to assign 94 to this main piece and make the four slices part of the teaching about hand-crushing. Unfortunately, there are no witnesses that specifically group the couplets in this way (though there are several that don’t include any divisions at all).
  185. Or “crushing”
  186. Or “yell”
  187. “To hang” is the cognate for hengen, but as much as I like cognates, “to angle” is the definition that will make the most sense and be the most actionable for most readers. Paulus Hector Mayr’s Latin translator agrees and used ‘inclinatio=inclination or angle’.
  188. This line is the same as the second line of couplet 30, in the section on the cut of wrath.
  189. The spreading window is not one of the five strikes or twelve key pieces, but it’s assigned a title whenever a witness gives any section a title. The only other segment of the Record to be separated out with its own title that isn’t one of the main pieces is the four exposures, which also concludes with the same quatrain.
  190. Sprechfenster is often read as Sprachfenster, meaning “window for speaking” and the term for the screen through which cloistered monastics could communicate with the outside world (but not, as far as I can tell, the term for a wicket—the small window inside a door that can be used to talk without opening the door). However, Paulus Hector Mayr’s Latin translator renders it ‘fenestra patula=spread-open window’, which seems to be based on reading it as Spreichfenster from ‘spreien=spread’. This is an intriguing possibility, and I incorporated both meanings here. (Liechtenauer could, of course, have also intended it to be read both ways.)
  191. This could equally be meant as ‘freilich=freely’ or ‘safely (due to freedom)’ or ‘fröhlich=joyfully, cheerfully, or funnily’; both spellings are attested in early witnesses of Liechtenauer’s Record. (Again, it could be intended to encompass both.)
  192. This is a bit of artistic license to draw the quatrain together; the text says to snap at them, but doesn’t mention the window.
  193. Some witnesses reverse the two lines of this couplet.
  194. This quatrain is very close to 40–41, in the section on the four exposures.
  195. Or “spraying”, or possibly “speaking”
  196. Perhaps the strongest argument for the Record being intended to follow the structure of Classical rhetoric is that this final section is typically labeled the conclusion or resolution of the Record (i.e., the peroratio required by that structure) despite the fact that it summarizes little and instead introduces new concepts and techniques just like most previous sections.
  197. Sometimes translated as “three wounders”, based on ‘Wunde=wound’, but this form of the word doesn’t seem to be supported in Grimm or Lexer or any other source I’ve consulted. Wunder is pretty much always “miracle”, “wonder”, or similar. (Thanks to Rebecca L. R. Garber for pointing this out to me.) It’s possible, of course, that readers were expected to notice the parallelism between these two words and read “thing that wounds” into the term, but there’s no way to be sure of that. Since this is the only part of the Record and gloss that uses the term, the specific meaning may not actually be all that important. (Since I wrote this note, Christian Trosclair has succeeded in locating a single Swiss source that seems to use wunder to refer to ‘a person who wounds’, so “wounder” is no longer out of the question; I remain unconvinced that that’s the intended meaning, and I still don’t think it’s very important what the word specifically means.)
  198. Couplet 108 uses similar phrasing to 85, in the section on setting aside.
  199. Couplet 109 is very close to 80, in the section on pursuit.
  200. Illegible word. Could be read as either ‘zo’ or ‘w’. In the glosses on 37r it says ‘zw’.
  201. Unlike the fencing verses, the dueling teaching has little overt structure. There are no section titles assigned apart from one (of the two) segments of wrestling in the dismounted dueling, and it certainly doesn’t follow any Classical rhetorical structures. Apart from a couple shared lines (see the footnotes), this section has so little in common with the fencing verses that it’s hard to believe they had the same author (the writing style is also different in ways that are hard to describe). This could be further evidence of Liechtenauer’s role as a compiler and editor rather than an author in the modern sense.
  202. Unlike the fencing verses, the dueling teaching has little overt structure. There are no section titles assigned apart from one (of the two) segments of wrestling in the dismounted dueling, and it certainly doesn’t follow any Classical rhetorical structures. Apart from a couple shared lines (see the footnotes), this section has so little in common with the fencing verses that it’s hard to believe they had the same author (the writing style is also different in ways that are hard to describe). This could be further evidence of Liechtenauer’s role as a compiler and editor rather than an author in the modern sense.
  203. 203.0 203.1 I went a little bit metaphoric at the beginning here because the glosses don’t really have much relevance to the text of the Record anyway.
  204. Couplets 2a–2e are very close to the mounted verses included in Martin Huntsfeld’s treatise (lines 3–4 and 11–18).
  205. 205.0 205.1 This line uses similar wording to couplet 6 in the foreword, so I translated it accordingly.
  206. With no gloss to guide us in these additional verses, it’s impossible to know whether the four uses of absetzen here are meant to mean “to lure” as in the fencing section or some other meaning of the word, so I decided to stick with a direct translation of “to set aside”.
  207. Couplets 3a–3c are very close to the mounted verses included in Martin Huntsfeld’s treatise (lines 19–20 and 35–38).
  208. Couplet 3d is similar to Liechtenauer’s 4th figure.
  209. 209.0 209.1 “But pull them left” carries over from couplet 3; these two are always presented as a quatrain in the glosses so this spillover seems fine, but annoyingly, the author of ms. 3227a inserts several extra couplets in between them in his unglossed presentation of the Record, which divorces this clause from its context a bit.
  210. Couplet 4a is similar to Liechtenauer’s 2nd figure.
  211. Couplet 4b is very close to the mounted verses included in Martin Huntsfeld’s treatise (lines 39–40).
  212. Stechen could simply mean “to stab”, but is also a term for one category of jousting games (the other category being rennen), which seems relevant here.
  213. Sittlich or sittiglich is a little tricky and doesn’t quite make sense here; it primarily means things like “according to custom” or “in a moral way”, but from there it gains connotations of “temperately” or “moderately” (i.e. demonstrating the moral virtue of temperance), and from there becomes things like “politely” or “decently”. The translation “calmly” tries to capture the sense of tempering one’s haste and using moderation.
  214. This line is the same as the first line of fencing couplet 31, in the section on the wrath cut.
  215. Couplet 5d is very close to fencing couplet 2a, in the common lesson.
  216. 216.0 216.1 A Taschen is a belt pouch or purse worn on the side toward the back; I was sadly unable to work Jessica Finley’s imagery of a cutpurse (i.e. pickpocket) into this translation. I’m not sad to not be using Stephen Cheney’s imagery of a ‘fanny pack’ (also called a ‘belt bag’, I assume by people who weren’t there in the 1980s and ’90s).
  217. 217.0 217.1 Here we see a major difference between the fencing and dueling verses: where the fencing verses offer descriptions which the glosses then turn into formal names (reifying them in ways that may or may not have been Liechtenauer’s intent), the dueling verses are prone to directly assign formal names to things. So here, the Record literally says something like “Seek and remember the Belt-pouch Cut”. In this translation, I have un-reified this terminology for aesthetic and mnemonic reasons, but be aware that this is going to be happening in the German through the rest of the text.
  218. 218.0 218.1 Ohne Fahr=without danger’ (rendered here as “care not” to match earlier uses) appears in both this line and the next one, so I omitted it here to avoid the redundancy. A final instruction to cause distress seems to have been added purely to complete Liechtenauer’s rhyme scheme and syllable count, but is omitted due to hitting my syllable cap.
  219. 219.0 219.1 Literally “from stirrup to hair”; Grimm indicates that ‘from soles to hair’ was an expression equivalent to ‘from head to toe’, so I assume this is similar.
  220. 220.0 220.1 This “knife” is interpreted as a dagger by the glossators.
  221. Couplet 13a is very close to 59, but the word ‘were=weapon or defense (with weapons)’ is unusual. All copies of verse 59 apart from the Rome version (and the Krakow version which is based on it) have ‘lere=learn’ instead.
  222. Couplet 14a is similar to Liechtenauer’s 13th figure.
  223. Couplets 14b–14e are very close to the mounted verses included in Martin Huntsfeld’s treatise (lines 5–6, 23–24, and 27–30).
  224. Couplets 14g–14h are very close to the mounted verses included in Martin Huntsfeld’s treatise (lines 7–10).
  225. Couplets 14j–14m are very close to the mounted verses included in Martin Huntsfeld’s treatise (lines 21&ndash22, 25–26, and 31&ndash34).
  226. Couplet 14n is similar to Liechtenauer’s 11th figure.
  227. 227.0 227.1 A Schaff is a large bucket, basket, or wash basin, and the name may arise from the method of carrying it by the handles (Thanks to Dierk Hagedorn for pointing this out to me.). Other translators have read it as ‘Schaf=sheep’, perhaps making a reference to holding sheep still for shearing. Paulus Hector Mayr reads it as Schopf and his Latinist renders it juba, meaning “horse mane” or “helmet crest”. This is another instance of the Record assigning something a proper name: “the bucket hold”.
  228. 228.0 228.1 Unter Augen=under the eyes’ is an expression suggesting it happens very close to them. I chose ‘under their nose’ as an equivalent English expression; Jessica Finley suggests ‘up in their face’ as another equivalent expression, and Jack Gassmann suggests ‘when toe-to-toe’. Note that in exactly one instance further down (couplet 56), the glossators interpret it literally and tell you to attack their physical eyes.
  229. Couplet 19a is similar to Liechtenauer’s 13th figure.
  230. 230.0 230.1 Jagen is literally “to hunt”, but also has a sense of “to run as if hunting or hunted” which might be intended here and all other instances of the word.
  231. 231.0 231.1 Literally just “the knife disarm”, but the glossators interpret it as a sword disarm, suggesting the reading that you’re applying a dagger technique to the sword. Lew uniquely has “the sword disarm” instead.
  232. 232.0 232.1 Should be “shame”, not “strife”, but rhyming is hard.
  233. 233.0 233.1 The direct translation of this line is just “the nameless [hold]”.
  234. 234.0 234.1 “Have your revenge” is standing in for a phrase that would be more directly translated ‘verderben=spoil, ruin, destroy’.
  235. 235.0 235.1 The direct translation of this line is just “the sun show” (‘bowing’ is pulled from the next line). This is a piece in which you turn your opponent’s face upward to ‘show them the sun’, but it could also be understood as a reference to the gnomon or ‘pointer arm’ (Zeiger) of a sundial (Sonnenuhr).
  236. 236.0 236.1 Couplet 36 uses similar phrasing to fencing 32, in the section on the wrath cut, and 80, in the section on overrunning.
  237. 237.0 237.1 This time it’s ‘messen=measured’ rather than sittiglich, which is also one of the two virtues prescribed in couplet 8 of the preface.
  238. 238.0 238.1 Literally ‘fuhren=to lead or guide’ rather than “found”, though this verb is missing from the Rome ms. (breaking the rhyme scheme).
  239. 239.0 239.1 Vorgriffen is usually read as ‘vor=before’ + ‘griffen=grabbing’, but Jessica Finley has pointed out that, just as angriffen means both “grab” + “on” and “attack”, vorgriffen could also mean “attack before” and perhaps even be related to the ‘Vorschlag=leading strike’ that is the centerpiece of the author of 3227a’s gloss of the common lesson with the extended sword. For this reason, and because the term isn’t otherwise clearly defined, I’ve translated it similarly to that text. Only the Pseudo-Peter von Danzig gloss clearly associates this verse with Before and After.
  240. 240.0 240.1 “Work great deeds” is an addition to serve the rhyme.
  241. A guide letter “w” is visible under the “U” (apparently ignored by the rubricator), making the intended word “Wer”.
  242. Covering a deletion.
  243. 243.0 243.1 Sigmund ain Ringeck groups couplet 42 together with the previous one as a quatrain, but Pseudo-Peter von Danzig glosses them separately.
  244. 244.0 244.1 Sigmund ain Ringeck groups couplet 44 together with the previous one as a quatrain, but Pseudo-Peter von Danzig glosses them separately.
  245. 245.0 245.1 This Vorstich also tends to be glossed in a way reminiscent of the description of the ‘Vorschlag=leading strike’ that is the centerpiece of the author of 3227a’s gloss of the common lesson, so I’ve again translated it similarly.
  246. This section title comes from Antonius Rast's ms., since it's less wordy than the Rome.
  247. 247.0 247.1 I can’t for the life of me understand why this is the only ‘section title’ in the entire dueling Record apart from the introductions to mounted and dismounted. It’s not even the only wrestling segment (nor even the only dismounted wrestling segment), and most of the verses after it aren’t about wrestling. It’s interesting to note, though, that couplets 41–47 are included at the beginning of one branch of Martin Huntsfeld’s armored fencing treatise, and that two witnesses—Salzburg and Rostock—begin with couplet 48 and skip 41–47 entirely.
  248. 248.0 248.1 Schaden=injury, harm’ and ‘Scheiden=scabbard, sheath’ can be spelled the same, and the verb zucken can equally mean drawing a weapon or drawing yourself back (in fear), so it’s not always clear which one is intended in the Record. I use the interpretations in RDL to guide my choices here.
  249. 249.0 249.1 This is generally ‘unter Augen=under the eyes’, but a minority reading has ‘und Augen=and the eyes’, which makes more sense in a list of potential targets.
  250. 250.0 250.1 Again, the direct translation of this line is just “The Forbidden Wrestling” (“learn” is from the next line).
  251. 251.0 251.1 This line is the same as the first line of fencing couplet 17, in the common lesson.
  252. Couplet 63 is the same as fencing couplet 79a, in the section on the pursuit, and is very close to fencing couplet 35, in the section on the cut of wrath, and 90, in the section on overrunning.
  253. 253.0 253.1 This couplet is skipped in the Pseudo-Peter von Danzig gloss.
  254. 254.0 254.1 More literally “their eyes”.
  255. 255.0 255.1 This line is pure filler, since I used up all the text of this couplet in the first line.
  256. Couplet 63 is very close to fencing couplet 35, in the section on the cut of wrath, and 90, in the section on overrunning.
  257. Apparently the writer misplaced the space here.