Call for contributors

Translation and Studies of Jordanus Rufus’s Treatise on Horsemanship

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

“No animal is nobler than the horse, for by the horse kings and princes are distinguished from other poor people” says Jordanus Rufus in the opening lines of his treatise on horsemanship. Rufus’s work was a medieval bestseller, surviving in 173 copies in numerous languages. Most of the copies are in Latin, but some are in Italian, Occitan, French and German, with one copy being in Hebrew. The treatise was also plagiarized by other medieval authors, notably Laurenco Rusio, whose work went into print in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century.

It is no exaggeration to say that medieval European horsemanship was informed by Rufus’s premises, albeit these were modified to suit regional practices and technological developments, such as the possibility to produce more elaborate bits.

Neither Rufus’s treatise nor any of the texts it influenced were ever translated into English in the medieval or early modern periods, accounting for the fact it is little known to anglophone historians. This is highly regrettable: not only Rufus’s text was highly influential and allows us to better understand medieval practices of working with horses, but some of its advice, especially on horse training, is still topical. In many parts of the treatise, Rufus’s treatment of horses is consistent with modern standards of animal ethics, showing respect for the animal and attention to its physical and emotional needs.

This project aims to make Rufus’s text accessible to the modern audience, to medievalists, horse historians and horse people interested in the historical methods of horse training and care. We are going to produce a reader-friendly English translation of the Latin version, with critical apparatus highlighting the differences between different redactions and translations following after the text. Apart from the introduction, the text itself and the notes, we will include a selection of studies dedicated to various aspects of Rufus’s work, including the practical application of Rufus’s training methods, studies, reconstructions and practical experiments of bits mentioned by Rufus and illustrated in some later copies, and commentaries on the changes and additions introduced by different translators and copyists.

WHO IS WORKING ON THE PROJECT

Currently, the project team consists of Anastasija Ropa (Latvia), Emma-Herbert-Davies (UK), Camille Vo Van Qui (UK) and Xavier Baecke (Belgium). 

WHOM WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We need more contributors for this ambitious project! 

To produce the translation, we are going to read and transcribe the copies in Latin and other languages, as well as to analyze illuminations and bit catalogues. 

If you are interested in the project and

- if you are good at medieval Latin, German, French, Occitan, Italian or Hebrew;

- if you have good codicology skills in one of the above languages;

- if you know how to do critical editions of original texts;

- if you train horses using historical methods; or

- if you are a maker of historical horse equipment, including saddles, bits, halters, etc.

then get in touch with us.

SUBMISSION OF INTEREST

Please email anastasija.ropa@trivent-publishing.eu by 10 March 2023, stating what contribution you would like to bring to the project.

PUBLICATION

The book will be published in the Rewriting Equestrian History series, ISSN 2676-8097.