Equitation Tips from Medieval Germany

Codex Manesse, UB Heidelberg, Cod. Pal. germ. 848, fol. 413v: Meister Rumslant. Between 1305 and 1315. Via Wikicommons, added to web by University of Heidelberg.
Codex Manesse, UB Heidelberg, Cod. Pal. germ. 848, fol. 413v: Meister Rumslant. Between 1305 and 1315. Via Wikicommons, added to web by University of Heidelberg.

Thank you to Justin E H Smith for his translation of this “Blessing for Horses,” a twelfth-century German poem included in the Codex Manesse.

A man went his way ·
dragging his steed ·
There my lord met him ·
With all of his men ·

How · is it going · man?
Why aren’t you riding?
How can I ride when ·
my steed is all stiff?

Just push at his flank, man ·
while whispering to him ·
he’ll step with his right foot ·
and get along good ·

And the original Middle High German:

Man gieng after wege ·
zoh sin ros in handon ·
do begagenda imo min trohtin
mit sinero arngrihte ·

wes · man · gestu ·
zu ne ridestu ·
waz mag ih riten ·
min ros ist errehet ·

nu ziuhez da bi fiere ·
tu rune imo in daz ora ·
drit ez an den cesewen fuoz ·
so wirt imo des erreheten buoz ·

Published by Susanna Forrest

Writer Amazons of Paris, The Age of the Horse and If Wishes Were Horses.

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3 Comments

  1. The post title really captured my attention! How interesting. Just curious, how is it evident that “lord” is Jesus and not some random medieval lord? I’m a bit of a history geek, so this kind of stuff is fascinating to me.

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