This amazing compilation of martial arts was commissioned by Paulus Hector Mair (1517–1579) during four complete years in Augsburg of hard work that involved a painter -Jörg Breu the Younger- and two experienced fencers, whom he charged with perfecting the techniques before they were painted. As per Paulus comments “the costs consumed most of his family's income and property”.
My surprise arrived when I could find on his BIO that not only did Paulus Hector Mair spend huge sums on his collections and on his projects: He also had a very expensive lifestyle, frequently hosting receptions for the more important burghers of Augsburg. As his own income was not sufficient for this, he misappropriated funds from the city treasury. An internal auditory revealed this fact in 1579, and Paulus was hanged as a thief at the age of 62.
There’re three preserved versions of his compilation.
External references:
- Hunt, Brian. "Paulus Hector Mair: Peasant Staff and Flail." Masters of Medieval and Renaissance Martial Arts. Ed. Jeffrey Hull. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 2008. ISBN 978-1-58160-668-3 (link provided is based on a search done by ISBN on google)
- Knight, David James, and Hunt, Brian. The Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 2008. ISBN 978-1-58160-644-7 (same thing but not first result returned)
