Royal Armouries Ms. I.33

fol. 32r showing the priest in first ward and in schutzen, and Walpurgis remaining in her 'special ward' on the right shoulder
fol. 4v showing the student first in krucke and then gripping the priest's arms with his shield arm

Royal Armouries Ms. I.33 is the earliest known surviving European fechtbuch (combat manual), and one of the oldest surviving martial arts manuals dealing with armed combat worldwide. I.33 is also known as the Walpurgis manuscript, after a figure named Walpurgis shown in the last sequence of the manuscript,[1] and "the Tower manuscript" because it was kept in the Tower of London during 1950-1996; also referred to as British Museum No. 14 E iii, No. 20, D. vi.

It was created around 1300 in Franconia and is first mentioned by Henricus a Gunterrodt in his De veriis principiis artis dimicatoriae of 1579.

The manuscript is anonymous[2] and is so titled through an association with the Royal Armouries Museum.[1]

  1. ^ a b Kenner, Andrew (2014). I33: Fencing in the Style of the Walpurgis Manuscript. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. p. 11. ISBN 9781291649475.
  2. ^ Green, Thomas A; Svinth, Joseph R (2010). Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation. Vol. 2. ABC-CLIO 2010. p. 244. ISBN 978-1598842432.