Cgm 558
Encyclopedia
The Cgm 558 is a convolution of two 15th century manuscripts with a total of 176 folia, bound together in the 16th century. It is kept at the Bavarian library in Munich
. The first manuscript
contains two chronicles composed by one Otmar Gassow in 1462, one concerned with Zürich
, the other with the Toggenburg (see Old Zürich War
), and a copy of the 13th century Schwabenspiegel
law codex.
on 12 pages, penned in Hand B, attributed on fol. 141r to per manus Hugonis dicti Wittenwiller (c.f. Heinrich Wittenwiler
who may be of the same family), together with an illegible date. The text's language is High Alemanic
, and it was probably written in or near the Toggenburg
.
The treatise consists of 122 short paragraphs, numbered by de Grenier (2004), treating the long sword (1–50), pole weapons (halberd
, spear
51–55), combat on horseback with sword or spear (56–64), the baselard
(65–80), dagger
on foot and on horseback (81–85), knife (86–90), unarmed defense against an attack with a baselard, a dagger or a knife (91–98) and grappling (99–122).
Paragraphs numbered 44 consists of three rhymed couplets, the last one reading
This is reminiscent of one of Johannes Liechtenauer's verses, c.f.
The long sword terminology seems also loosely influenced by the German school
, but it has some terms that are not encountered elsewhere (gassen how, schlims how (two strikes), drig angel "triangle" (a stance or stepping action)).
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. The first manuscript
contains two chronicles composed by one Otmar Gassow in 1462, one concerned with Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, the other with the Toggenburg (see Old Zürich War
Old Zürich War
The Old Zürich War , 1440–46, was a conflict between the canton of Zürich and the other seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy over the succession to the Count of Toggenburg....
), and a copy of the 13th century Schwabenspiegel
Schwabenspiegel
The Schwabenspiegel is a legal code, written in ca. 1275 by a Franciscan monk in Augsburg. It deals mainly with questions of land ownership and fiefdom, and it is based on the Pentateuch, Roman law as well as Canon law...
law codex.
Contents
- first part, by Otmar Gossow 1462, foll. 1–100.
- 1r–94v: Schwabenspiegel
- 94v–100r Landfried König Rudolf, 1287 (biography of Rudolph I)
- second part, in two 15th century hands, foll. 101–160.
- scribe A, 101–124
- 101r–109v Chronik von Zürich, Eberhard von Müllner (chronicle of Zürich)
- 109v–113r Chronistische Notizen zur Schweizergeschichte, 1385–1446, appendix to the Zürich chronicle)
- 113r–124r Kleine Toggenburger Chronik, 1314 (Petite Chronique de Toggenburg)
- scribe B (Hugo Wittenwiler), 125–150
- 125r–136v Fechtbuch (combat treatise)
- 136r–141r Lehre von den Zeichen des Hirsches (on hunting the stag)
- 141r–150r Beizbüchlein (hunting manual, incomplete)
- scribe A, 151–160
- 151r-153r Planetenverse (astrological verses)
- 153r-160r Monatsregimen, mit verworfenen Tagen (calendars)
- scribe A, 101–124
The Fechtbuch
The second part contains a short FechtbuchFechtbuch
Martial arts manuals are instructions, with or without illustrations, detailing specific techniques of martial arts.Prose descriptions of martial arts techniques appear late within the history of literature, due to the inherent difficulties of describing a technique rather than just demonstrating...
on 12 pages, penned in Hand B, attributed on fol. 141r to per manus Hugonis dicti Wittenwiller (c.f. Heinrich Wittenwiler
Heinrich Wittenwiler
Heinrich Wittenwiler was a late medieval Alemannic poet . He is the author of a satirical poem entitled The Ring . He may be identical to an advocate to the bishop of Konstanz, mentioned in 1395. Heinrich may be of the family of the former rulers of Wittenwil in the Thurgau, who became destitute...
who may be of the same family), together with an illegible date. The text's language is High Alemanic
High Alemannic German
High Alemannic is a branch of Alemannic German and is often considered to be part of the German language, even though it is only partly intelligible to non-Alemannic speakers....
, and it was probably written in or near the Toggenburg
Toggenburg
Toggenburg is the name given to the upper valley of the Thur River, in the Swiss Canton of St. Gallen. Currently, it is one of the eight constituencies into which the canton is divided....
.
The treatise consists of 122 short paragraphs, numbered by de Grenier (2004), treating the long sword (1–50), pole weapons (halberd
Halberd
A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm , and Barte - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on...
, spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
51–55), combat on horseback with sword or spear (56–64), the baselard
Baselard
The baselard is a historical type of dagger or short sword of the Late Middle Ages.In modern use by antiquarians, the term baselard is mostly reserved for a type of 14th...
(65–80), dagger
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
on foot and on horseback (81–85), knife (86–90), unarmed defense against an attack with a baselard, a dagger or a knife (91–98) and grappling (99–122).
Paragraphs numbered 44 consists of three rhymed couplets, the last one reading
- Iunk man lern maister ler / hab got lib und frowen er
- "Young man, learn masters' lore, love God and honour noble women"
This is reminiscent of one of Johannes Liechtenauer's verses, c.f.
- Jung Ritter lere / got lip haben frawen io ere
- "Young knight, learn to love god, and to honour noble women"
The long sword terminology seems also loosely influenced by the German school
German school of swordsmanship
The German school of fencing is the historical system of combat taught in the Holy Roman Empire in the Late Medieval, Renaissance and Early Modern periods , as described in the Fechtbücher written at the time...
, but it has some terms that are not encountered elsewhere (gassen how, schlims how (two strikes), drig angel "triangle" (a stance or stepping action)).
External links
- transcription by Didier de Grenier (2004, PDF file)
- html version (freywild.ch, with glossary)