Peter Falkner on Wiktenauer

[Michael Chidester]

In honor of the release of Christian Tobler's new book, I give you a far less ambitious presentation of Peter Falkner's lovely manual. The transcription is by Dierk Hagedorn, and a special thanks goes to Andreas Engström for research assistance. I'm still considering whether I want to try to translate it, since the text is brief enough that it should be within my capacity. Here are the links:

http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Kunste_Zu_Ri ... (MS_KK5012)

http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Peter_Falkner

Enjoy.

[KeithFarrell]

Nice. I like the artwork in this manuscript, it's clear and colourful

[Ben Halliwell]

It's interesting to see Federschwert in use in a manual from the very late 15th century, I had always assumed that they were a mid to late 16th century training weapon. I wonder, is this the earliest example or does anyone know of an older source for their use?

[KeithFarrell]

Talhoffer's 1467 manuscript shows swords that have a bit of a schilt on them. I wouldn't necessarily class them as feders, but certainly weapons that were the forerunners of feders! The von Danzig manuscript from 1452 shows swords that have a schilt-like construction at the base of the blade. Paulus Kal's CGM 1507 from c.1470 shows blossfechten with what look like feders.

Feders were certainly in use in the 15th century, although perhaps they didn't take the more common mega-slim blade shape until the 16th century.

[Ben Halliwell]

With a bit of further research I've also found this from http://www.hroarr.com/articles/article- ... gsword.php

"How far back does the federschwert actually go?

Of course we have little idea of what was used before we see the first illustrated manuals, but the first "federschwert" can be found in the "Gladiatoria Fechtbuch" Ms.Germ.Quart.16, as seen below. Interestingly enough this manuscript shows the federschwert in the context of harnischfechten, in armoured combat. This is is just about 45 years after the important, but not illustrated manuscript Hs.3227a, which currently is considered to be the earliest manuscript in the Liechtenauer tradition, dated to about 1390. Not without dispute, of course. "

1435-gladiatoria-Ms-Germ-Quart-16.jpg (85.21 KiB) Viewed 5633 times