Peter Falkner
Annotations
These are the transcription and the translation into Modern German of a manuscript by Peter Falkner. It originates from the end of the 15th century and is under the number of KK 5012 in the possession of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Unfortunately, I can only present the text passages here due to copyright restraints and have to dispense with the illustrations.
The text was written by two scribes: The passages about the longsword and the messer come from one hand, the sections about dagger, staff, pollaxe, long shield and horsefighting from another.
The transcription
The transcription follows the original as closely as possible. I have not dissolved the letter “v” in either “u” or “v”. Abbreviations, duplication characters remain mostly intact – considering the restraints of internet typography. Further diacritical characters like the letter “y” with a diaeresis are omitted.
The manuscript features various forms of the letter “s”. The according ligatures are dissolved including those with a long and a round “s” at the end of words. The second scribe who wrote the sections from dagger to horse fighting frequently utilises an elongated final “s” which is hardly distinguishable from from an “ß” ligature at the end of words.
The translation
To enable a side-by-side comparison, I have put the translated sections opposite to the transcribed parts. I have endeavoured to transform the Early High German manuscript into a modern language that is easy to understand without being too unjust to the original. Occasionally I took some liberties that hopefully are true to the original meaning and are not too far from the source.
I wish to express my sincerest thanks to Christian Tobler for his invaluable assistance.
Dierk Hagedorn, January 2009