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A buckler (French ''bouclier'' 'shield', from Old French ''bocle, boucle'' '

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...

') is a small shield, up to 45 cm (up to 18 in) in diameter, gripped in the fist with a central handle behind the boss. While being used in Europe since antiquity, it became more common as a

companion weapon The term companion weapon is used in historical European martial arts to refer to an item used in conjunction with the larger weapon in the non-sword hand while fencing with a rapier or sword. The popular companion weapon forms include: * sword a ...

in hand-to-hand combat during the

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

and

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

periods. Its size made it poor protection against missile weapons (e.g., arrows) but useful in deflecting the blow of an opponent's weapons, binding his arms, hindering his movements, or punching him.

MS I.33 Royal Armouries Ms. I.33 is the earliest known surviving European ''fechtbuch'' (combat manual), and one of the oldest surviving martial arts manuals dealing with armed combat worldwide. I.33 is also known as the Walpurgis manuscript, after a fig ...

, considered the earliest extant armed-combat manual, (around 1300) contains an early description of a system of combat with buckler and sword.

Typology

According to the typology of Schmidt, there are three main types of buckler regarding their shape: *Type I: round *Type II: rectangular or trapezoid *Type III: oval or teardrop-shaped These types are combined with the cross sections: *Type a: flat *Type b: concave *Type c: convex *Type d: wavelike These apply also if the cross section is only apparent on one axis. The typology consists of the combination of these two characteristics. A Type Ia would be a round, flat buckler, whereas a Type IId would be a rectangular, wavelike buckler typical of Italy in the 16th century.

Uses

The buckler was more widely used than is commonly known. It was a simple yet effective weapon, often combined with an arming sword,

falchion A falchion (; Old French: ''fauchon''; Latin: ''falx'', "sickle") is a one-handed, single-edged sword of European origin. Falchions are found in different forms from around the 13th century up to and including the 16th century. In some version ...

, or

rapier A rapier () or is a type of sword with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Impo ...

. It was popular circa 1100 to 1600. The buckler had a variety of roles when it came to swordplay, but five principal means come to the fore as described in

. Each use recognizes the shield's small size and maneuverability when dealing with light blades. *Hand protection: The primary use of the buckler was to protect the sword hand. *"Floating armor": Another significant use of the buckler was to hold it facing the opponent with the arm outstretched, when not actively using it for something else. This restricts the areas open to attack by the opponent by closing the line of attack between the opponent's sword and most of wielder's torso and sword arm. *Deflector: The buckler's lightness and curved center made it excellent for deflecting attacking blades. *Blinder: The light blades used in conjunction with the buckler depended on rapid movements, which meant that a single second was an important advantage. The wielder of the buckler could use the buckler to shield his sword-hand's position from view, keeping his opponent from guessing his next strike. *"Metal fist": A buckler could be used to directly attack an opponent by punching with either its flat face or its rim. *Binder: The buckler could be used to bind an opponent's sword hand and weapon as well as their buckler against their body. The buckler was also very useful in grappling, where it allowed an opponent's arms to be easily wrapped up and controlled.

Decoration

classical antiquity Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...

, bucklers on

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

s were either used to signify public vows rendered to the gods for the safety of a prince, or that he was esteemed the defender and protector of his people: these were called ''votive bucklers'', and were hung at altars, etc.

References

Bibliography

External links