Introduction
‘Sword and buckler' is a term used to describe a system of fighting using a one-handed sword along with a small shield called a buckler. Arming swords, a type of one-handed sword commonly used in sword and buckler fighting. Arming swords are usually thirty-six to forty-two inches long and about two to three pounds. [1]
The Albion Bayeux, a reproduction of a one-handed sword depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
Courtesy of Søren Niedziella.
A breakdown of arming sword anatomy.
Courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art, edited by Nicholas Allen. Public Domain.
A buckler is a small shield used either defensively to parry incoming blows, or offensively against the opponent or their weapons. [2]
An example of a leather-faced steel buckler (front).
Courtesy of Purpleheart Armory.
A breakdown of buckler anatomy.
Courtesy of Purpleheart Armory, edited by Nicholas Allen. All Rights Reserved.
When used together, the sword and buckler can be a devastating combination, especially if the fighter uses the buckler offensively to hit or confuse the attacker as depicted in Talhoffer’s Fechtbuch MS Thott.290.2º.
A brutal maneuver with messers and bucklers designed to stun and incapacitate the opponent. Featured in Talhoffer’s Ms. Thott.290.2º, Folio 122v.
Courtesy of Wiktenauer.
Sources
German
Walpurgis Fechtbuch (MS I.33) (1320s): The earliest source on medieval fencing and one of the most widely referenced sword and buckler treatises, I.33 is written by three authors and illuminated by potentially as many as 17 illustrators. It contains beautifully lavish illustrations of guards and plays for the sword and buckler.
This video from the Royal Armouries gives further information about the background and importance of this historical text.
Andre Lignitzer (1452-1480): While his treatise on sword and buckler is brief, Lignitzer manages to distill the entire system into six “pieces,” making it an excellent counterpoint to I.33.
Italian
Antonio Manciolino (1531): Authoring the earliest example of the Bolognese school of swordsmanship, Manciolino’s use of the sword and buckler represents an excellent example of Italian sword and buckler.
Achille Marozzo (1536): Marozzo’s massive work Opera Nova (“A New Work”) was so extensive that it overshadowed Manciolino’s treatise of the same name. Marozzo covers everything from sword and buckler to longsword, greatsword, pole weapons, the rules of dueling, and fighting both unarmed and with a dagger. This penultimate work is an extensive and accessible resource to begin studying Italian sword and buckler.
Demonstration
Here is a detailed breakdown of the I.33 techniques.
An example of sword and buckler fighting.
Sword & Buckler sparring
The following video gives examples of the complexities and subtle nuances that exist in the bind.
Equipment
I have written an extensive list of recommended sword and buckler equipment for beginners in HEMA.
Works Cited
Footnotes
[1] "Category:Arming Sword ~ Wiktenauer ~☞ Insquequo Omnes Gratuiti Fiant", Wiktenauer.com, 2012, https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Category:Arming_Sword.
[2] R. Ewart Oakeshott, The Archaeology Of Weapons: Arms And Armour From Prehistory To The Age Of Chivalry (repr., London: Lutterworth Press, 1960).
Citations
"Category:Arming Sword ~ Wiktenauer ~☞ Insquequo Omnes Gratuiti Fiant". Wiktenauer.Com, 2012. https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Category:Arming_Sword.
Oakeshott, R. Ewart. The Archaeology Of Weapons: Arms And Armour From Prehistory To The Age Of Chivalry. Reprint, London: Lutterworth Press, 1960.
Written by Nicholas Allen, founder and former head instructor of the VCU HEMA club.
Edited by Kiana Shurkin, xKDF
Historical sources fact-checked by Michael Chidester, Editor-in-Chief of Wiktenauer
