EN Sigmund Ringeck Longsword and sword and buckler Ebook
Ringeck's gloss is the classic key to Liechtenauer's Zettel — the first sustained commentary that shows how the verse is actually meant to be read. A parallel edition of the longsword and sword-and-buckler sections of the Dresden manuscript Mscr. Dresd. C 487: the original wording beside the translation, with commentary on the individual plays and a glossary of terminology.
Sigmund Ringeck is among the most frequently cited names in the German fencing tradition, and for one reason: his gloss is where Liechtenauer's Zettel becomes usable. The verse on its own is sealed shut — a mnemonic written for people who already knew the art, and close to meaningless without a commentary. Ringeck unfolds it into a continuous explanation: what each technique means, when it is used, and how the opponent answers it. Generations of fencers have taken it as their first step into the tradition, and it remains the text most others are measured against.
This edition presents the gloss from the Dresden manuscript Mscr. Dresd. C 487 (Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden), covering two weapons: the longsword and the sword and buckler.
What the e-book contains
- The longsword and sword-and-buckler sections in full, in parallel layout — original wording and translation side by side, folio by folio
- Running commentary on the individual plays, including their relation to the other glosses of the tradition
- A glossary of terminology, with variant spellings of the same term gathered under a single entry
- An apparatus covering manuscript readings and the points where the sources diverge
- Illustrations from the manuscript
Editorial approach
The translation is deliberately kept on a short rein. The German term remains dominant and comes first, with the English equivalent following in parentheses; where no attested meaning exists, none is invented; uncertain readings are marked and discussed rather than smoothed over. The parallel layout means you can always check the translation against the original — which, with a source of this kind, matters more than fluency. This is a text built to be worked from and argued with, not simply read.
Two weapons in one volume
The sword and buckler is not an appendix to the longsword material. It is where the same principles are worked out with a second hand occupied and a shorter blade, which makes it the clearest test of what in the system is weapon-specific and what is not. Having both in one volume lets you see what carries across and what does not.
Who it is for
For fencers learning the Liechtenauer longsword from the source who need a reliable text to build practice on; for instructors who want something verifiable to teach from; and for anyone who has been working from loose transcriptions and wants a single edition with the wording, the commentary and the terminology in one place.
Scope
This edition covers the longsword and sword-and-buckler sections of the manuscript. The remaining parts of the codex are available in the Czech edition, which presents the manuscript in full.
The same material is also available as a video-book, which pairs this text with a playlist of 118 videos filmed from its content, play by play.
