The Weekly Warfare   Musings martial from across the SCA

 

Translation by Rachel Barkley

Two blows against their own evasions

You should position yourself by this rationale in mutual combat. You have remembered to put forward the left foot, you should hold the raised sickle with the right hand, you turning toward the enemy, and you should scratch either part of the neck or the left side[1].

When your adversary attempts to cut you similarly, you placing forward the  right foot against the same, attack the enemy’s right hand with the left hand, if you will have lifted upwards that hand, you avoid the hostile incision. Thence you should not hesitate to force the sickle into the left part of the enemy’s neck.

But if he has attacked you at the same time from above, you should seize his inner right elbow with the left hand and you should strongly remove him with the same hand to your left flank.  You should repel thus your enemy’s strength[2]. Without warning then you, pursuing with the right foot inward, from his left side, immediately if you have drawn up your right hand, plough up the left side of the enemy’s body with the sickle, and from here be careful to retreat from the enemy.

Notes:

[1]The interpreter’s original guess that this referred to “scratching either side of the neck” was not born out by the Latin.  Pars is feminine while latus is neuter, and sinistrum here agrees with latus. Two potential, and distinct in range and line, targets are considered.

[2]Word used is vis, here as vim in the accusative. This can get translated a lot of ways, such as “violence” or “strength” or “attack.” In this particular part of the plate, the idea is that you overpower the enemy by brute force.

 

 

Interpretation by Owen Townes

Setup:

Agente:
Left foot forward
Sickle extended in middle guard

Patiente:
Left foot forward
Sickle extended in guard

Play:

Agente:
Onside ‘scratch’ to neck

Patiente:
Step in with Right foot
Block Agente’s Right hand with Left hand and raise up
Offside to neck

Agente:
Seize inner Right elbow
Step in and attack onside

 

 

A&P: L Foot Forward guard
A: Onside to neck
P: Step in w/ R foot, block R hand w/ L hand and lift up, offside to neck
A: Seize inner R elbow, step in and attack onside