TRENDING:

The Wreath or the Cash? On Tournament fighting
The Dussack – a weapon of war
About the flat parry
HROARR
  • COMMUNITY
    • Community News
    • Faces of HEMA
    • The HEMA Blogosphere
    • Blogs & Forums
    • Events
      • Instructors
      • Workshops
    • Organizations
  • STUDY
    • News
    • Study Videos
    • Anatomy of a sword
    • Old manual section
    • New Manual section
    • Printed books
    • Galleries
  • TRAIN
    • News
    • TRAINING VIDEOS
    • Training gear
    • Club Finder
    • Sword maintenance
  • TEACH
    • News
  • RESEARCH
    • News
    • Research Videos
    • Research projects
    • Scholar Awards
    • What to write about and how
    • Types of texts
    • Basic questions…
    • Writing references
    • Example project and tools
    • Tools for research
  • SEARCH
  • ABOUT
    • About HROARR
    • Patrons of HROARR
    • Support HROARR!
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyrights and licenses
    • Contact

Select Page

Sword Dancing

Metzgertanz beim Schembartlauf 1449 (Butcher's Dance)<br /> Staatsbibliothek Berlin<br /> Ms germ fol 492<br /> <br /> Not really sword dancing, but interesting nevertheless.
Am 17. Februar 1578 wird in Zürich unter der Leitung von Junker Caspar Krieg ein Schwerttanz aufgeführt.<br /> <br /> Aus Johann Jakob Wick: Sammlung von Nachrichten zur Zeitgeschichte aus den Jahren 1560-87<br /> <br /> Ms_F_27_f062v_f063r
Sword dancing in Kremnica, Slovakia c1580.<br /> <br /> Image is almost identical to an image in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, depicting a sword dance for the Schwertfeger of Nürnberg in 1629.
Sword dancing in Kremnica, Slovakia c1580.<br /> <br /> <br /> Image is almost identical to an image in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, depicting a sword dance for the Schwertfeger of Nürnberg in 1629.
Sworddance of the Schwertfeger of Nürnberg, 1629.<br /> <br /> Almost identical to the preceding image in this album.
Swiss 16th Century stained glass scene of Cuttlers performing their traditional sword dance and with Meisters des Schwert fencing on a platform of swords that are interlaced into a "Rose" in the dance, similarly to Morris Dancing and other similar dances throughout Europe.<br /> <br /> Note that the fencers all wear gloves and they all carry fechtschwerter. The jester on the left carries the coat-of-arms of the Messerschmidt guild.<br /> <br /> From the Burrell Collection, Glasgow.<br /> <br /> The colours have been corrected digitally, as the colours had yellowed quite a bit over time.<br /> <br /> Huge thanks to Michael Smallridge for contributing with this one! Love it!
Sword dance of the Messerschmied (Knifesmiths), probably in Nürnberg late 1500s.
Sword dance of the Messerschmied (Knifesmiths), probably in Nürnberg late 1500s.
Sword dance of the Messerschmiede (Knifesmiths) of Nürnberg ca1600
Sword dance of the Messerschmiede (Knifesmiths) of Nürnberg ca1600
Schwertertanz und fechtspiel der Nürnberger-messerschmiede 1600
Tanz der Nürnberger Messerschmiede 1600 (Druck nach einer Federzeichnung aus der Nürnberger Stadtbibliothek
Schwertertanz und fechtspiel der Nürnberger-messerschmiede 1600
Nürnberger Schwerttanz um 1500
RBA-098-750<br /> <br /> Rheinische Bildarchiv, Köln
Sword dancing shown in image from Codex 10779 from 1623, a fencing treatise in the collection of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.<br /> <br /> http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=304263799604883#!/media/set/?set=a.464396110258317.109116.304263799604883&type=3
Festivities at Kermis of St. Georg's Day, 1553-1556.<br /> Hieronymous Cock, after Pieter Bruegel d.Ä<br /> <br /> Image from the British Museum
Schwerttanz, Detail aus „Kirmes (Church Mass) am Sankt Georgstag“, 1528-1569 (Kupferstich von Hieronymus Cock nach Pieter Bruegel d.Ä.)
Image from the Swede Olaus Magni's "History of the Nordic People", published in Rome in 1555.<br /> <br /> Here is a quote I found online:<br /> <br /> "I find a curious and very minute description of the Sword Dance in Olaus Magnas.<br /> <br /> He tells us that the Northern Goths and Swedes have a sport wherein they exercise their youth, consisting of a dance with swords in the following manner: first, with their swords sheathed and erect in their hands, they dance in a triple round:<br /> <br /> then with their drawn swords held erect as before: afterwards, extending them from hand to hand, they lay hold of each other’s hilts and points, and while they are wheeling more moderately round and hanging their order, throw themselves into the figure of a hexagon, which they call a rose:<br /> <br /> but, presently raising and drawing back their swords, they undo that figure, in order to form with them a foursquare rose, that they may rebound over the head of each other.<br /> <br /> Lastly, they dance rapidly backwards, and vehemently rattling the sides of their swords together, conclude their sport. Pipes or songs (sometimes both) direct the measure, which at first is slow, but increasing afterward, becomes a very quick one towards the conclusion."<br /> <br /> Again, The Rose is mentioned. However, I have also seen references explaining that the Rose is the platform of interlaced swords in other images.
Ottoman Janissary troops performing a sword dance.<br /> <br /> Illustration originally likely comes from Münster's Cosmographia, which explains the outfits, as they are really showing Germans performing the same.<br /> <br /> From a book found by Olivier Dupuis, entitled "Erste Theil der Hoffhaltung des türckhischen Keysers und othomannischen Reichs" a translation" by Nikolaus Höniger from an earlier work(*). It was printed in 1596<br /> <br /> (*) The original title was "Estat de la court du Grant Turc, l'ordre de sa gendarmerie, et ses finances, avec ung brief discours de leurs conquestes depuis le premier de ceste race" and was published in 1542. The author, Antoine Geuffroy, was a knight of Saint John of Jerusalem. (http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k201042s)"<br /> <br /> Compare to the previous image, from Olaus Magnus
Swedish youths performing Sword Dancing with sharp swords. <br /> <br /> From "Beschreibung allerley Gelegenheyte, Sitten, Gebräuchen und Gewonheyten" of 1567.<br /> <br /> Originally from Olaus Magnus "History of the Nordic People" of 1555.<br /> <br /> http://books.google.se/books?id=qYlOAAAAcAAJ&pg=PT483&dq=schwert+tanz&hl=sv&sa=X&ei=ZkmST5rWCM2B4AT5j-DQDw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=schwert%20tanz&f=false
Schwerttanz in Zürich 1578<br /> <br /> Here is a review of the book from which it is taken. Particularly interesting is the mentioning of the lock "The Rose" used in the dances in both England and Germany. Could this relate to Die Rose described in several fechtbuchen, for instance by Meyer?<br /> <br /> http://www.jstor.org/pss/4521015<br /> <br /> http://www.americanmorrisnews.org/pastissues/december2007v27n3/current_issue/stephencorrsinv27n32007europeansworddances.html
The King of France enters Straßburg in 1744, artwork from 1748. Sword dancing with the forming of the Rose, the platform of swords.<br /> <br /> Thank you Olivier Dupuis for sharing this one!
Sword dancers in Traunstein 1926.
Schwertertanz in Marburg 1927
Turnierspiele im alten Stallhof, Dresden 1936
Sword dancing in Traunstein 1940s.
Schwertertanz Traunstein 1997.
Sword dancing in Croatia 2006.
Sword Dancing in Traunstein.
Craftsmen, most likely cuttlers, performing a traditional Schwerttanz to celebrate spring, in late 1500s in Nürnberg. Joachim Meyer was also a cuttler by trade at one time, and likely took part of these on top of the platform of interlaced swords called the Rose.
From Johann Georg Puschner's "Neue und curieuse theatrialische Tantz Schul : Deliciae theatrales Sigº. Gregº. Lambranzi di Venetia" of 1716.<br /> <br /> Not properly sword dancing, but related and interesting.

Search HROARR

Generic filters
Exact matches only
Filter by Custom Post Type
Posts
Pages
Downloads
Filter by Categories
Articles
Arms & Armour
Fencing Culture
Meyer Articles
Meyer Dagger
Meyer Dusack
Meyer Halben Stangen
Meyer longsword
Meyer Rappier
Teaching & training methods
Techniques & interpretation
Community Interviews
Community news
HROARR Announcements
IFHEMA
IFHEMA News
Instructors
News & Announcements
Notes
Research
Research articles
Research interviews
Research Methodology
Research News
Reviews
Bags
Books
Knives
Protective gear
Shoes & clothing
Swords
Study
Reading
Study Articles
Study Book reviews
Study Interviews
Study News
Teaching
Teaching Course plans
Teaching Curriculum
Teaching Interviews
Teaching Lesson plans
Teaching Methodology
Teaching News
Teaching Pedagogics
Teaching Syllabus
Teaching tips
Train
Reading
Psychology & Mentality
Training exercises
Training Gear reviews
Training Interviews
Training methods
Training News
Uncategorized
Workshops

Galleries

  • HEMAtrix
  • European Combat Arts & Sports through history
  • HEMA Pioneers
  • Christian symbolism in HEMA, Planetenkinder, Astrology, Alchemy
  • Landsknechten, Reisläufer
  • Female Fighters
  • Sword Dancing
  • Protective gear in history
  • Longswords, Zweihänder, Schlachtschwert
  • Practice weapons in history
  • Fechtschwert, Federschwert, paratschwert, flared schilt
  • The Dusack
  • Staff Fencing
  • Sword & Buckler
  • Pflegeln, Flails
  • War hammers and shields
  • Pilum, javelin, war darts

Follow Us

  • 6.2k Followers
  • 1.9k Followers

Become a patron of HROARR!

Support HROARR on Patreon.com/hroarr

HROARR SUPPORTS

Fighters Against Racism

HEMA Companies

ASSOCIATED WITH

Acta Periodica Duellatorum

Bookmarks

  • Agea Editoria
  • Lingsök – Scandinavian fencing treatises
  • Wiktenauer – The world's largest collection of HEMA resources

Follow HROARR

  • 6.2k Followers
  • 1.9k Followers

Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress

sponsored