Talhoffer: Alte Armatur und Ringkunst The Royal Danish Library Ms. Thott 290 2º / Volume 1: reproduction

by Hans Talhoffer and Michael Chidester (editor)

The Kongelige Bibliotek MS Thott.290.2º is a German fencing manual commissioned by Hans Talhoffer in 1459. This was our first facsimile, which is now sold out, so to keep the commentary volume useful, we decided to release the scans from the facsimile as a normal book.

This manuscript, Talhoffer’s third or fourth, seems to have been a reference book for his personal use. Aside from his own work, this manuscript also includes Liechtenauer’s Zettel and Konrad Kyeser’s Bellifortis. The text is inverted on the final ten folia, and opening the book from the back reveals a brief treatise on a variety of esoteric subjects.

Talhoffer’s writings cover a wide assortment of weapons, including the buckler, crossbow, dagger, flail, Messer, longshield, mace, poleaxe, spear, sword, and unarmed grappling, often both armored and unarmored, on horse and on foot, and in scenarios including tournaments, formal duels, and unequal encounters implying urban self-defense.

Despite the obvious care and detail that went into the artwork, the manuscript generally has only a few words captioning each technique (and in many cases none at all).

Version: 1st edition (November 2022)
Length: 300 pages