This is apropos of nothing, but the friend I referenced upthread who is big into Medieval sword fighting just posted on our private message board a cool description of his most recent tournament, and then followed up with a lengthy (but even more cool) description of the differences between swords, and I thought it would be interesting to you guys:
Yes laddies, I’m back from Texas. Why was I there you ask (go ahead, ask)? I participated in the Purpleheart Armory Open, which is the largest historical fencing tournament in the Southwest. It was my first time competing in the open steel longsword category. Last year at Longpoint, I participated in the synthetic pool, which is the beginner’s pool. But I made the elimination round in that event, when disqualified me for novice status (even if I’d wanted to enter).
So this was my first time in the deep end of the pool, so to speak. And it went about as well as I’d expected–I got my head handed to me. Lost every bout in my pool. There were varying degrees of loss, from close to complete beatings. But I expected this as I was now in a totally different, more competent and aggressive pool of fencers. I am, in fact, covered with bruises. Most notably a very large purple one on my upper left arm and a bullseye-shaped bruise on my right bicep from a direct thrust (the upper arms happen to also be the least armored part of my kit). And some bruises on my left hand that got THROUGH the heavy gauntlets I was wearing due to sheer kinetic energy. (Note to self, buy heavier gauntlets).
But despite the beatings, I learned a lot and got good feedback. This event was really a litmus test for Longpoint in July, where I’ll be competing in steel longsword (as well as rapier and sword and buckler) again. So now I know what I need to work on. I also had some one on one time with a very cool rapier coach and learned some very sweet moves with the old rapier and dagger.
And being a bunch of historical fencers, there was much drinking after the event. On Saturday we piled into school buses (the event is held in the gym of a Lutheran high school in north Houston) and drove out of town to a place called Newman’s Castle. But unlike the bus trips of our youth, this was soaked in booze. A group of fencers from Louisiana had some wicked good (and very potent) home made mead that they kindly shared with the bus. Newman’s Castle is a castle, complete with moat and treadmill-powered drawbridge. It has a great hall and guest rooms (they’re adding more). So there was much feasting (two whole pigs each surrounded by a half dozen or so roast chickens) and of course lots of drinking. Later there was fully armored combat in the muddy courtyard (it had been raining) for our entertainment. On Sunday after the event, we decanted to a bar called Mongoose Versus Cobra in a very hip part of Houston near downtown. Several of the event’s participants were also staff/managers at the bar (which also kindly provided much of the liquor for the event), which made it relatively easy to take over the bar. Some observations. Being covered with bruises is a conversation starter. Also there was fencing on the bar’s long, benchlike tables. Much fun.
So all in all, it was a great experience. Learned some important things I hope to apply in a few months and understand what areas I need to work on. Also met and hung out with (and got beaten up by) some very cool people.
OK, let’s try this again.
The longsword is a primarily two-handed weapon used from the high middle ages to the early Renaissance (roughly 1350ish to the first half of the 1500s). It can also be used one-handed, hence the English term “bastard” sword. However, in German and Italian fighting traditions (the ones almost everyone uses because that’s where the surviving manuals come from), it is mostly used two-handed. Designs also changed over time and region with some handles only being able to accomodate a hand and a half (the half bit usually means the non-primary hand is gripping the pommel) to full two-handed grips. Later longswords also got very pointy (as did single-handed swords) for getting into the edges and cracks in plate mail.
Although they are a mainly two-handed weapon, they are not a true two-handed sword. Longsword blades are only slightly longer than single handed swords. If you stood a longsword point down, the pommel should come up to roughly around your sternum. A true two-hander usually has a roughly four-foot long blade and the pommel should come up to your chin. (Here’s another historical note. Back in the day, when you had a sword made, it’s length was usually proportional to your height. But all bets were off if you passed it on to your kids.)
Longswords were mainly a knight’s weapon (or well-off man at arms). Interestingly enough, in the late 1500s through the early 1600s, they became more of a sport weapon (the sparring swords we use are based on Renaissance sparring/training longsword designs).
Your standard one-handed sword had many forms across time in Europe, but they were commonly known as arming or side swords (because you wore it at your side). Bucklers are small one-handed shields. Sword and buckler fighting is a very long tradition in Europe. The oldest surviving fencing manual that we know of (from the 14th century) is a sword and buckler manual. A buckler is a small shield anywhere from six to twelve inches across. They could be made of metal, wood or leather (or a combination of all three–depending on your budget).
Bucklers were popular because they were handy. You could hang one off your belt or your sword and walk around town with it, unlike a full shield. They were a kind of everyman’s weapon, but they were used widely by nobility and commoners. You can stop a sword blow with a buckler by itself, but they were always intended to work in conjunction with a sword. The buckler is mainly there to protect your sword hand. In unarmored (and even in fully armored) fighting, a blow to the hand or fingers is going to end a fight fast. In fact, some fencing masters condoned hand sniping as a quick way to end a fight. So with a buckler, when you swing your sword at an opponent, the hand with the shield covers the sword hand. When you parry, you parry with the sword AND the buckler–usually to trap/bind the opponent’s blade so you can hit him back safely. You can also punch someone with a buckler.
Archers and soldiers like pikemen and later early musketeers/matchlock men would carry swords and bucklers as backup weapons. They were most commonly used in civil circumstances–as personal protection when traveling or going about town. Again, they didn’t get in the way like a full shield would and you could go about your business with one hanging from your sword belt. They are also handier than full shields when you’re in a confined space or an alley. Historical note: Shakespeare coined the term “swashbuckler.” It’s a derogatory term for armed young toughs strutting around looking for a fight.
Rapiers are (mainly) civilian dueling/defense weapons that originated in the mid-1500s and were in use in places like Spain until the late 1700s. They were ultimately replaced by small swords for a number of reasons, but not necessarily because the small sword was a better weapon–but I digress and that’s the subject of another post). So rapiers have long, thin blades. Those swords you see in Three Musketeers movies–those are rapiers. The blades are optimized for stabbing, but you can still give a nasty cut with most rapier blades. The guards are what is referred to as “complex guards”–lots of swirls of metal to protect the hand. Once complex guards showed up, bucklers started to fade from use because the guard did the same job of protecting the hand. That and you could always use a dagger to parry with (rapier and dagger fighting is a blast–but that’s another post too).
I say they were primarily civilian weapons because they were mostly used for self-defense and dueling. But they are a type of cut-and-thrust sword and military versions would have slightly heavier blades but still perform many of the same functions. Anyway, this was the primary type of personal weapon in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were also very blingy, and if you had the bucks you’d strut around with a really fancy, decorated sword (lots of fine, clever metalwork on the guard).
So that, in a nutshell is the difference between a longsword, sword and buckler and a rapier.
To close out this post and to demonstrate the physicality of historical European fencing, I’m posting a link to a highlight reel of my fencing school’s participation at last year’s Longpoint tournament up in Ellicot City. You won’t see any rapier or sword and buckler (they didn’t run those tournaments last year, but they will this year) but you’ll see cutting (as in cutting things with sharp swords), wrestling (because its used in grappling and it was a common sport in medieval Europe), messer fighting (a messer is a type of one-handed German sword) and lots and lots of longsword fighting. I’m in the video for about three seconds somewhere about the 3:50 mark. My fencing club/school are all the folks in the blue jackets. Enjoy!
