THE ARMARIUM
Online Historical Fencing Manuals & Texts of the Doctrina Armorum

"Their works remain the foundation for our knowledge of the martial arts" 
- Sydney Anglo, ARMA Senior Advisor

See a complete listing of known surviving Medieval & Renaissance titles here.
Other manuals are available online at Wiktenauer.

Pre-1300
Viking Saga Excerpts
Viking Fighting
Selected Text from 23 Norse Sagas
Saxo the Dane -c. Early 13th Century
Saxo the Dane
Selected Anecdotes and Accounts
of Epic Combat
- from 12th & 13th Century Danish History
MS I.33 -c. 1295
MS I.33 - German Sword & Buckler Manual.
Oldest known European fencing manuscript of c. 1295
1300-1399
Hanko Döbringer's Fechtbuch on the Teachings of Johannes Liechtenauer -c. 1389
Hanko Döbringer's Fechtbuch on the Teachings of Johannes Liechtenauer
A side-by-side transcription and modern English translation of the earliest extant manuscript dealing with the longsword yet discovered.
 
1400-1499
Le Jeu de la Hache -c. 1400
ARMA Special - Complete Official English Translation of Le Jeu de la Hache - 15th century Treastise on the Polaxe!
Fiore Dei Liberi - Flos Duellatorum in Armis -c. 1410
Fiore Dei Liberi -Flos Duellatorum in Armis
Most prized of the Medieval Italian manuals.
MS 3542 - Harleian Manuscript or "The Man Who Wol" -c. 1430s
The MS 3542 Text Analysis Project - Interpretation of a 15th century English text on the two-hand or great-sword!

Verse Analysis Here.

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Gladiatoria -c. 1430
Anonymous German Fechtbuch manuscript from the mid-1400s - Gladiatoria. A significant work covering armored combat.
Sigmund Ringeck's Commentaries on Johann Liechtenauer's Fechtbuch-c. 1440
ARMA special - Sigmund Ringeck
Portions of Master Ringeck's comentaries on Liechtenauer‘s Fechtbuch c. 1440.  One of the major sources for the German school.
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Peter von Danzig Manuscript -c. 1452
Peter Von Danzig's Fechtbuch on Liechtenauer, 1452. Material in the member's area.
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Paulus Kal Fechtbuch -c. 1458-1467
Paulus Kal - Fechtbuch, c. 1460. Covers long-sword, messer, sword & buckler, dagger, and wrestling. Material in the member's area.
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Talhoffer's Fechtbuch -1459
Hans Talhoffer - Images from one of the great texts of the Medieval German Masters.

Talhoffer 1459 - New Transcription & Translation

Talhoffer's Fechtbuch -1467
Hans Talhoffer - Images from one of the great texts of the Medieval German Masters.

Editions from 1443 & 1459 and also Fechtbuch Edition 1467. Full PDF facsimile versions in the Members area.

Codex Wallerstein -c. 1470
Vom Bauman's Fechtbuch. Images from the Codex Wallerstein – a collection of anonymous German text and illustrations on fighting from c. 1470
Fillipo Vadi - Liber de Arte Gladitoria Dimicandi -c. 1482-1487
The Book on the Art of Fighting With Swords by Fillipo Vadi.
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Hans Lecküchner -c. 1482
Hans Lecküchner (Johannes Leckuechner) - Fechtbuch of c. 1482.  Original Langen Messer material now in the member's area.
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Mertin Siber's Fechtlehre -1491
Mertin Siber's Fechtlehre of 1491. A transcription, translation, and extensive analysis of this short work as a longsword text.
Mertein Hündsfelder - Fechtlehre mit dem Kurzen Schwert -c. 1491
Mertein Hündsfelder: Fechtlehre mit dem Kurzen Schwert. Fight-Lesson with the Shortened Sword from Codex Speyer circa 1491 AD.
Hugues Wittenwiller -c. 1493
The Fight-Book of Hugues Wittenwiller
from Late 15th Century AD.
Hans Wurm -c. 1490s
ARMA Special - Rare German wrestling plates from Hans Wurm -c. 1490s.

Also translation & commentary.

1500-1599
Anon Lib.pict A.83 -c. 1500
Anonymous Fechtbuch – Libr.Pict.A.83 - c.1500+. Armored and unarmored longsword, sword & buckler.
Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
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Das Solothurner Fechtbuch -c. 1506-1514
ARMA Special - Excerpts from Das Solothurner Fechtbuch, another rare Medieval German fighting manual. c. 1506-1514
Albrecht Duerer's Fechtbuch -c. 1512
Artwork from Albrecht Duerer's early 16th century Fechtbuch -c. 1512

Full PDF Facsimile Copy now in Member's area.

Goliath -c. 1510-1520
Anonymous Swiss-German manuscript circa 1510-1520 - Goliath. A significant work covering unarmored great-sword combat and wrestling.
Jörg Wilhalm -c. 1522
Jörg Wilhalm 1st edition - little known and excellent long-sword Fechtbuch from earlier edition, c 1522. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
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Jörg Wilhalm -c. 1523
Jörg Wilhalm -later edition two editions from 1523. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
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Christian Egenolph's Fechtbuch -c. 1531
Portions of Christian Egenolph's Fechtbuch compilation of c. 1482.  Original Langen Messer material, and 1531 long-sword translation now in the Member's Area.
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Additional Manuscript 39564 -c. 1535-1550
16th century English Sword Text  A short, rare text, known only as "Additional Manuscript 39564" (or MS. 39,564). 1535-1550
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Achille Marozzo - Opera Nova -c. 1536
Achille Marozzo - Images from Opera Nova, 1536. One of the major fencing texts of the period. Full PDF Facsimile copy now in Member's area.
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Paulus Hector Mair - Opus Amplissimum de Arte Athletica -1542
Images from Paulus Hector Mair's   extraordinary Fechtbuch of c. 1542 are now online here. Includes many unique elements and weapons.
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Martin Van Heemskerck - Fechter und Ringer -1550
Martin Van Heemskerck, Fechter und Ringer, engravings, 1550.
Material now in the member's area.
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Camillo Agrippa - Trattato di Scientia d'Arme, con vn Dialogo di Filosofia -1553
Images from Camillo Agrippa's 1553 treatise.  The first major 16th century work to focus on the thrust over the cut.
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Joachim Meyer - Kunst des Fechtens -1570
Images from Fechtmeister Joachim Meyer's Kunst des Fechtens - c. 1570
Giacomo Di Grassi - His True Arte of Defence (Italian edition) -1570
Images from the 1570 Italian edition of Giacomo Di Grassi's important work His True Arte of Defence on weapons and fencing.
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Frederico Ghisliero - Regole do molti cavagliereschi esserciti -c. 1587
ARMA Special - Introduction to Frederico Ghisliero’s Rapier Text of 1587.
Codex Guelf 83.4.Aug.8° -1591
Vincentio Saviolo - His Practice in Two Books -1595
Vincentio Saviolo: His Practice in Two Books - 1595. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
George Silver - Paradoxes of Defence and Brief Instructions Upon My Paradoxes of Defence -c. 1599
George Silver - The grand English sword master's Paradoxes of Defence and also Brief Instructions Upon My Paradoxes of Defence
Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
1600-1699
Anonymous Spanish Rapier Work -c. early 17th century
Anonymous Spanish Rapier Work. c. early 17th century. 35 images with titles and reference notes. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
Salvatore Fabris - Sienz e Practica d Arme -1606
Salvator Fabris - 1606, Sienz e Practica d Arme (“About Fencing, or Rather, the Science of Arms”) the first important Italian treatise on the true rapier.

Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.

Nicoletto Giganti - Scola overo Teatro -1606
Nicoletto Giganti's rapier treatise, Scola overo Teatro ("School or Theatre") - 1606. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli - Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma -1610
Images from Capo Ferro's 1610 rapier treatise, one of the most important works on fencing ever written. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
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Jakob Sutor - Neu Künstliches Fechtbuch -1612
Jakob Sutor - Neu Künstliches Fechtbuch of 1612  based on Joachim Meyer (1570). (3.61mb PDF).
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Antonio Quintino - Discorso or "Jewels of Wisdom" -1614
Antonio Quintino's Discorso. Genoese rapier material from 1614. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
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George Hale - The Private Schoole of Defence -1614
ARMA Special - George Hale's 1614 rapier text, The Private Schoole of Defence. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
Joseph Swetnam - Schoole of the Noble and Worthy Science of Defence -1617

Joseph Swetnam - One of the great English Masters of Defence on renaissance sword, staff, & rapier. Schoole of the Noble and Worthy Science of Defence
Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.

Modernized transcription by David Kite

Girard Thibault d'Anvers - Academie De L'Espee or "Academy of the Sword" -1630
Girard Thibault d'Anvers
Academie De L'Espee, "Academy of the Sword", 1630, Cologne.
Now in the Member's area.
Pallas Armata: The Gentleman's Armoury -1639
Pallas Armata: The Gentleman's Armoury, 1639 - Books I & II  One of the best English texts on differences between Renaissance sword & rapier. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
Francesco Alfieri - L'Arte Di Ben Manegiarre La Spada -1653
Images from Francesco Alfieri's 1653 L'Arte Di Ben Manegiarre La Spada, later transition rapier text. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
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Johann Georg Passchen - Vollstandiges Ring-Buch -1659
Johann Georg Passchen's 1659 wrestling & self defense text,
Vollstandiges Ring-Buch.
Johannes Georges Bruchius - "Of the Single Rapier" -1671
Johannes Georges Bruchius' Grondige Beschryvinge van de Edele ende Ridderlijcke SCHERM- ofte WAPEN-KONSTE ("Of the Single Rapier") c. 1671, reconfigured for better image placement.
Nicolaes Petter - Klare Onderrichtinge der Voortreffelijke Worstel-Konst -1674
Nicolaes Petter's 1674, Klare Onderrichtinge der Voortreffelijke Worstel-Konst
("Clear Education in the Magnificent Art of Wrestling")
Alvaro Guerra de la Vega - Comprehension of Destreza -1681
Comprehension of Destreza
by Alvaro Guerra de la Vega (1681). An interesting and valuable work comparing Italian and Spanish schools of small-sword. Translation by Miguel Gomez.
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Sir William Hope - The Scots Fencing Master (the Complete Smallswordsman) -1687
Sir William Hope: The Scots Fencing Master (the Complete Smallswordsman) - 1687. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
Sir William Hope - Advice to his Scholar from the Fencing Master -1692
Sir William Hope: Advice to his Scholar from the Fencing Master - 1692. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
Sir William Hope - Compleat Fencing-Master -1692
Sir William Hope: Compleat Fencing-Master - 1692. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
Sir William Hope - The Swordsman's Vade-Mecum -1694
Sir William Hope: The Swordsman's Vade-Mecum - 1694. Full PDF facsimile copy now in Member's area.
1700-Present
Henry Angelo - Hungarian & Highland Broad Sword -1798
Henry Angelo - 1798. Hungarian & Highland Broad Sword (26mb PDF).
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Alfred Hutton - Cold Steel and Old Sword-Play -c. 1889-1892
Alfred Hutton - Famous scholarly works by a Victorian era fencer and military man. Cold Steel, 1889 (11.1mb PDF) and Old Sword-Play,1892 (5.54mb PDF)
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See Also:

An Introduction to Historical European Martial Arts
and
Renaissance Martial Arts Literature

 

 
 

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