Latin translation needed

[sugoll]

Hello, Lazyweb.

A friend of mine is looking for a latin translation of "Helsinki Liechtenauer Academy". (Liechtenauer was a Medaeval German fencing master who wrote one of the earliest known treatises.) My friend writes:

I'm kind of hoping to get some form of a fencing group going at some point, so I was wondering how something like "Helsinki

Comments

[kalypso_v]

Definitely Academia. Helsinki, it seems, can be Helsingia, Helsinkium or Helsingforsia; I think you could either say Academia Helsingiae/Helsinkii/Helsingforsiae (the Academy of Helsinki) or Academia Helsingiensis (the Helsinkian Academy). On the whole, modern surnames tend not to be latinised or even declined; it's possible that as a mediaeval figure Liechtenauer used some variant, but I'm guessing not, as he appears to have used a latinised forename (Johannes) rather than Hans, so if he'd wanted to latinise both names he probably would have done.

So possibly Academia Liechtenauer Helsingiensis. But I'd be happy to listen to alternative suggestions, particularly on the Liechtenauer question.

[iainjcoleman]

Even with my very rusty Latin, Academia Helsingiensis sounds right to me. I'm a bit torn on whether it would be best to Latinise "Liechtenauer": aesthetically, I think it would have a nicer ring if you did, but if you want the "Liechtenauer" name to be obviously prominent to non-classicists it might be best to leave it in its original form.

[sugoll]

I have passed this onto m'swordy collegue, and he sends back grateful thanks.

[kalypso_v]

It looks as if there are Latin texts that may refer to Liechtenauer around - Paulus Hector Mair, possibly Peter von Danzig? - but I can't find any actual Latin transcripts online to see what they do with the name.