Buckler

Origin

The buckler is seen as having developed in 13th-century Europe as a shield of both self-defense and combat, used by townsfolk and warriors alike. If the large shield was for the close formation of the battlefield, the buckler was a small shield refined for the individual swordplay, gripped in one hand and worked quickly, and for the self-defense of daily life. The oldest surviving European fencing manual, the MS I.33 of about the 13th century, treats this very sword and buckler, showing that the technique was already taught systematically from the early Middle Ages. It was used widely across Europe from the 13th to the 16th century and settled in as a defensive piece that anyone could possess, regardless of rank.

Features

• A small round metal shield about 20 to 40 cm in diameter
• Active defense, gripped in the fist by a handle behind the central boss
• Worked to glance a blow or master the foe's weapon and make an opening
• The core gear of sword-and-buckler fencing
• Easy to carry, small enough to hang from the belt
• Cheap, made from a single sheet of metal, and accessible to all

Stories

The buckler was used both as a combat technique with a sword and as a self-defense piece of the townsman. Gripping the handle behind the boss in the fist and thrusting the arm forward, one struck the opponent's blade to glance or push it down, and in that opening drove in with the sword in the other hand. Kept close to the sword hand, the small shield guarded the hand and wrist together, and thrust far out it was used to block the foe's sight or to wind up his weapon. At ordinary times it hung lightly from the belt, drawn at once in an emergency to fight paired with the sword.

Weakness

The weakness of the buckler comes from its small size. A small shield gripped in one hand, it was ideal to work actively, but far too little to cover the whole body from an arrow or missile coming from afar. A defense of crouching and blocking in one place, like a large shield, was impossible from the start, so it relied wholly on the wielder's skill and timing. Thus the buckler shone in one-on-one swordplay and self-defense but did not suit the battlefield where arrows poured down, or the defense of a close formation.

Cultural Significance

The buckler is a shield that symbolizes medieval fencing culture and the martial art of the townsman. The fact that the oldest surviving European fencing manual (MS I.33) treats sword and buckler tells that this small shield was, beyond mere gear, at the center of an intricate martial system. The English word 'swashbuckler', meaning an adventurer who shows off his prowess, comes from the swordsmen who swaggered, striking their bucklers loudly with the sword, showing how deeply this small shield seeped into daily life and culture. In the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) of today, sword and buckler is one of the most popular disciplines, actively studied.

In Popular Culture

The buckler appears often as the gear of swordsmen and townsman-warriors in films, dramas, and games about the Middle Ages. If the large shield is the symbol of the heavy knight, the buckler is drawn as gear suited to the nimble striking-and-withdrawing fencer or the swordsman of the town. In games it is commonly realized as a light auxiliary piece that aids evasion and counter rather than raw defense. In fiction, however, the buckler is often treated simply as a 'small shield', so the real flavor of its active use, mastering and glancing the foe's weapon rather than blocking, is often not shown.

Trivia

• The oldest surviving European fencing manual, the MS I.33 of about the 13th century, treats this very sword-and-buckler technique.
• The English word 'swashbuckler', for an adventurer who shows off his prowess, comes from the swordsmen who struck their bucklers loudly with the sword.
• In the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) of today, sword and buckler is one of the most popular disciplines, actively studied.