Tower Fechtbuch

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Royal Armouries or simply known as I.33 and the Tower Fechtbook is a manuscript comprised of 32 pages consisting of over a hundred ink-and-watercolour drawings, accompanied with Latin text describing the technique of sword & buckler combat. The original author is unknown to this day and the date of the manuscript is still in question, however, it has been dated to the late 13th century, and identified its owner as the secretary of Bishop of Wärzburg.

It is the oldest Fechtbuch preserved. It was created in Germany around 1290 and it may therefore be considered as still dating from the age of the crusades. The technique presented is one of two unarmoured opponents fencing with a one-handed sword and a buckler. This, together with the intriguing fact that the fencers depicted are a monk and a scholar or pupil that seems to suggest that the subject matter treated is not one of warlike or knightly fighting, but rather an art of self-defense outside the warrior class. Also, the drawings are in an unbloody and relaxed style, giving the impression that already, we have here an art of fencing that is in no direct relation with serious fights to the death, but rather a kind of hobby of a monk. Repeatedly, the text makes mention of the pupils or the youths or clients of the priest. Therefore, a monk, possibly a retired knight, was offering fencing lessons to young noblemen.