A rapier () or is a type of
sword
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (
duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules.
During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...
ing and self-defense) and as a military
side arm
Sidearm, side-arm or Side Arm(s) may refer to:
*Sidearm (weapon), a backup weapon
*Sidearm (baseball), a baseball throwing technique
*Sidearm, a flying disc (Frisbee) throw
*'' Side Arms Hyper Dyne'', a 1986 arcade game
*AGM-122 Sidearm
The ...
, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Important sources for rapier fencing include the Italian
Bolognese group, with early representatives such as
Antonio Manciolino Bolognese Swordsmanship, also sometimes known as the Dardi school, is a tradition within the Italian school of swordsmanship which is based on the surviving fencing treatises published by several 16th century fencing masters of Bologna,
As early as ...
and
Achille Marozzo
Achille Marozzo (1484–1553) was an Italian fencing master, one of the most important teachers in the Dardi or Bolognese tradition.Castle, Egerton (1885), ''Schools and Masters of Fenc'', Londra, G. Bell, rist. (2003) ''Schools and Masters of Fen ...
publishing in the 1530s, and reaching the peak of its popularity with writers of the early 1600s (
Salvator Fabris
Salvator Fabris (1544-1618) was an Italian fencing master from Padua. During his life he taught in various European countries, most notably in Denmark where he was the fencing instructor of King Christian IV. It was during his time in Copenhagen ...
,
Ridolfo Capo Ferro
Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli (Ridolfo Capoferro, Rodulphus Capoferrus) was an Italian fencing master in the city of Siena, best known for his rapier fencing treatise published in 1610.
He seems to have been born in the town of Cagli in the Provin ...
).
In Spain, rapier fencing came to be known under the term of ("dexterity") in the second half of the 16th century, based on the theories of
Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza
Don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza, ( es, link=no, Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza), Jerónimo de Carranza, pt, Hieronimo de Carança; c. 1539 – c. 1600 or 1608) was a Spanish nobleman, humanist, scientist, one of the most famous fencers, and ...
in his work ("The Philosophy of Arms and of their Dexterity and of Aggression and the Christian Defence"), published in 1569. The best known treatise of this tradition was published in French, by
Girard Thibault, in 1630.
The French
small sword
The small sword or smallsword (also court sword, Gaelic: or claybeg, French: or dress sword) is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The height of the small ...
or court sword of the 18th century was a direct continuation of this tradition of fencing, adapted specifically for
duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules.
During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...
ing.
Terminology
The term ''rapier'' comes from the french term "rapière" and appears both in English and German, near-simultaneously, in the mid-16th century, for a light, long, pointed two-edged sword. It is a loan from Middle French ''espee rapiere'', first recorded in 1474, a nickname meaning "grater".
[TFLi]
"1474 (Arch., JJ 195, pièce 1155 ds GDF.); 1485 rapiere (Archives du Nord, B 1703, f o 100 ds IGLF). Dér. de râpe*, la poignée trouée de cette épée ayant été comparée à une râpe (FEW t. 16, p. 672b, note 6)." The origin of the rapier shape is more than likely Spanish. Its name is a "derisive" description of the Spanish term "ropera". The Spanish term refers to a sword used with clothes ("espada ropera", dress sword), due to it being used as an accessory for clothing, usually for fashion and as a self-defense weapon. The 16th-century German ''rappier'' described what was considered a "foreign" weapon, imported from Italy, Spain or France.
Du Cange
Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange (; December 18, 1610 in Amiens – October 23, 1688 in Paris, aged 77), also known simply as Charles Dufresne, was a distinguished French philologist and historian of the Middle Ages and Byzantium.
Life
Educate ...
in his Middle Latin dictionary cites a form ''Rapperia'' from a Latin text of 1511. He envisages a derivation from Greek ραπίζειν "to strike."
Adelung in his 1798 dictionary records a double meaning for the German verb ''rappieren'': "to fence with rapiers" on one hand, and "to rasp, grate (specifically of tobacco leaves)" on the other.
The terms used by the Italian, Spanish and French masters during the heyday of this weapon were simply the equivalent of "sword", i.e. ''spada'', ''espada'', and ''épée'' (''espée''). When it was necessary to specify the type of sword, Spanish used ''espada ropera'' ("dress sword", recorded 1468), and Italian used ''
spada da lato
The ''spada da lato'' (Italian) or ''side-sword'' is a type of sword popular during the late 16th century.
It is a continuation of the medieval knightly sword, and the immediate predecessor (or early form) of the rapier
A rapier () or is a ...
'' "side-sword" or ''spada da lato a striscia'' (in modern Italian simply ''striscia'' "strip"), sometimes also called ''Stocco''.The Spanish name was registered for the first time in las Coplas de la panadera, by Juan de Mena, written between 1445 and 1450 approximately.
Clements (1997) categorizes thrusting swords with poor cutting abilities as rapiers, and swords with both good thrusting and cutting abilities as
cut and thrust swords.
The term "rapier" is also applied by archaeologists to an unrelated type of Bronze Age sword.
Description
![Degen by Wendelin Boeheim](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Degen_by_Wendelin_Boeheim.jpg)
The word "rapier" generally refers to a relatively long-bladed sword characterized by a protective
hilt
The hilt (rarely called a haft or shaft) of a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pommel. ...
which is constructed to provide protection for the hand wielding the sword. Some historical rapier samples also feature a broad blade mounted on a typical rapier hilt. The term ''rapier'' can be confusing because this hybrid weapon can be categorized as a type of broadsword. While the rapier blade might be broad enough to cut to some degree (but nowhere near that of the wider swords in use around the Middle Ages such as the
longsword
A longsword (also spelled as long sword or long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for primarily two-handed use (around ), a straight double-edged blade of around , and weighing approximatel ...
), it is designed to perform quick and nimble thrusting attacks. The blade might be sharpened along its entire length or sharpened only from the center to the tip (as described by
Capoferro). Pallavicini, a rapier master in 1670, strongly advocated using a weapon with two cutting edges. A typical example would weigh and have a relatively long and slender blade of or less in width, or more in length and ending in a sharply pointed tip. The blade length of quite a few historical examples, particularly the Italian rapiers in the early 17th century, is well over and can even reach .
The term ''rapier'' generally refers to a thrusting sword with a blade longer and thinner than that of the so-called
side-sword
The ''spada da lato'' (Italian) or ''side-sword'' is a type of sword popular during the late 16th century.
It is a continuation of the medieval knightly sword, and the immediate predecessor (or early form) of the rapier
A rapier () or is a ...
but much heavier than the
small sword
The small sword or smallsword (also court sword, Gaelic: or claybeg, French: or dress sword) is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The height of the small ...
, a lighter weapon that would follow in the 18th century and later, but the exact form of the blade and hilt often depends on who is writing and when. It can refer to earlier ''
Spada da lato
The ''spada da lato'' (Italian) or ''side-sword'' is a type of sword popular during the late 16th century.
It is a continuation of the medieval knightly sword, and the immediate predecessor (or early form) of the rapier
A rapier () or is a ...
'' and the similar ''espada ropera'', through the high rapier period of the 17th century through the small sword and
duelling swords; thus context is important in understanding what is meant by the word. (The term
side-sword
The ''spada da lato'' (Italian) or ''side-sword'' is a type of sword popular during the late 16th century.
It is a continuation of the medieval knightly sword, and the immediate predecessor (or early form) of the rapier
A rapier () or is a ...
, used among some modern
historical martial arts reconstruction
Historical European martial arts (HEMA) are martial arts of European origin, particularly using arts formerly practised, but having since died out or evolved into very different forms.
While there is limited surviving documentation of the martia ...
ists, is a translation from the Italian ''spada da lato''—a term coined long after the fact by Italian museum curators—and does not refer to the slender, long rapier, but only to the early 16th-century Italian sword with a broader and shorter blade that is considered both its ancestor and contemporary.)
Parts of the sword
Hilt
Rapiers often have complex, sweeping hilts designed to protect the hand wielding the sword. Rings extend forward from the crosspiece. In some later samples, rings are covered with metal plates, eventually evolving into the cup hilts of many later rapiers. There were hardly any samples that featured plates covering the rings prior to the 1600s. Many hilts include a knuckle bow extending down from the crosspiece protecting the grip, which was usually wood wrapped with cord, leather or wire. A large
pommel (often decorated) secures the hilt to the weapon and provides some weight to balance the long blade.
File:Rapiere-img 0100.jpg
File:Rapiere-img 0099.jpg
File:Rapiere-img 0096.jpg
File:Rapiere-img 0095.jpg
Blade
Various rapier masters divided the blade into two, three, four, five or even nine parts. The
forte
Forte or Forté may refer to:
Music
*Forte (music), a musical dynamic meaning "loudly" or "strong"
*Forte number, an ordering given to every pitch class set
*Forte (notation program), a suite of musical score notation programs
*Forte (vocal gro ...
, strong, is that part of the blade closest to the hilt; in cases where a master divides the blade into an even number of parts, this is the first half of the blade. The
debole, weak, is the part of the blade which includes the point and is the second half of the blade when the sword is divided into an even number of parts. However, some rapier masters divided the blade into three parts (or even a multiple of three), in which case the central third of the blade, between the forte and the debole, was often called the medio, mezzo or the terzo. Others used four divisions (Fabris) or even 12 (Thibault).
The
ricasso
A ricasso is an unsharpened length of blade just above the guard or handle on a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet. Blades designed this way appear at many periods in history in many parts of the world and date back to at least the Bronze Age—ess ...
is the rear portion of the blade, usually unsharpened. It extends forward from the
crosspiece or quillion and then gradually integrates into the thinner and sharper portion of the blade.
Overall length
There was historical disagreement over how long the ideal rapier should be, with some masters, such as Thibault, denigrating those who recommended longer blades; Thibault's own recommended length was such that the cross of the sword be level with the navel (belly button) when standing naturally with the point resting on the ground. A small number of rapiers with extending blades were made with 4 surviving in modern collections.
The purpose of the ability is unclear, with suggestions including trying to gain the advantage of surprise in a duel or an attempt to get around laws limiting weapon length.
Off-hand weapons
Rapiers are single-handed weapons and they were often employed with off-hand
buckler
A buckler (French ''bouclier'' 'shield', from Old French ''bocle, boucle'' '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 an ...
s,
dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use de ...
s, cloaks and even second swords to assist with defense. A
buckler
A buckler (French ''bouclier'' 'shield', from Old French ''bocle, boucle'' '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 an ...
is a small round shield that was used with other blades as well, such as the
arming-sword. In
Capo Ferro's ''Gran Simulacro'', the treatise depicts how to use the weapon with the rotella, which is a significantly bigger shield compared with the buckler. Nevertheless, using rapier with its parrying dagger is the most common practice, and it has been arguably considered as the most suited and effective accompanying weapon for the rapier. Even though the slender blade of rapier enables the user to launch quick attack at a fairly long and advantaged distance between the user and the opponent and the protective hilt can deflect the opponent's blade when he or she uses rapier as well, the thrust-oriented weapon is weakened by its bated cutting power and relatively low maneuverability at a closer distance, where the opponent has safely passed the reach of the rapier's deadly point. Because of such insufficient cutting power and maneuverability at this situation when the opponent passes the deadly point, this scenario leaves opening for the opponent to attack the user. Therefore, some close-range protection for the user needs to be ensured if the user intends to use the rapier in an optimal way, especially when the opponent uses some slash-oriented sword like a
sabre
A sabre ( French: sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
or a
broadsword
The basket-hilted sword is a sword type of the early modern era characterised by a basket-shaped guard that protects the hand. The basket hilt is a development of the quillons added to swords' crossguards since the Late Middle Ages.
In mod ...
. A parrying dagger not only enables the users to defend in this scenario in which the rapier is not very good at protecting the user, but also enables them to attack in such close distance.
History
The ''espada ropera'' of the 16th century was a cut-and-thrust civilian weapon for
self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...
and the
duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules.
During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...
, while earlier weapons were equally at home on the battlefield. Throughout the 16th century, a variety of new, single-handed civilian weapons were being developed. In 1570 the Italian master
Rocco Bonetti first settled in England advocating the use of the rapier for thrusting as opposed to cutting or slashing when engaged in a duel. Nevertheless, the English word "rapier" generally refers to a primarily thrusting weapon, developed by the year 1600 as a result of the geometrical theories of such masters as
Camillo Agrippa,
Ridolfo Capoferro and
Vincentio Saviolo
Fencing master Vincentio Saviolo (d. 1598/9), though Italian born and raised, authored one of the first books on fencing to be available in the English language.
Saviolo was born in Padua. He arrived in London at an unknown date and is first ...
.
The rapier became extremely fashionable throughout Europe with the wealthier classes, but was not without its detractors. Some people, such as
George Silver
George Silver (ca. 1550s–1620s) was a gentleman of England during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, who is known for his writings on swordplay. He is thought to have been the eldest of four brothers (one of whom, Toby, was also a swordsm ...
, disapproved of its technical potential and the dueling use to which it was put.
File:Rapiere-Negative0-19-19(1).jpg, Swept hilt, an Italian fashion
File:Rapiere-Negative0-18-18(1).jpg, Swept hilt, an Italian fashion
File:Rapiere-Negative0-17-17(1).jpg, Pappenheimer, a German innovation
File:Rapiere-Negative0-20-20(1).jpg, Cup hilt, a later Spanish fashion created in the early 1600s
Allowing for fast reactions, and with a long reach, the rapier was well suited to civilian combat in the 16th–17th centuries. As military-style cutting and thrusting swords continued to evolve to meet needs on the battlefield, so did the rapier continue to evolve to meet the needs of civilian combat and decorum, eventually becoming lighter, shorter and less cumbersome to wear. This is when the rapier began to give way to the
colichemarde
Colichemarde is a type of small sword (often written "smallsword") blade that was popular from the late 17th century to the middle 18th century.
Overview
The small sword is considered to be a descendant of the "transitional rapier", which itself ...
itself being later superseded by the
small sword
The small sword or smallsword (also court sword, Gaelic: or claybeg, French: or dress sword) is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The height of the small ...
which was later superseded by the
épée
The ( or , ), sometimes spelled epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern derives from the 19th-century , a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. This contains ...
. Noticeably, there were some "war rapiers" that feature a relatively wide blade mounted on a typical rapier hilt during this era. These hybrid swords were used in the military or even in battlefield.
's carried a sword that was used in the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
and is a typical example of the "war rapier".
By the year 1715, the rapier had been largely replaced by the lighter small sword throughout most of Europe, although the former continued to be used, as evidenced by the treatises of Donald McBane (1728), P. J. F. Girard (1736) and Domenico Angelo (1787). The rapier is still used today by officers of the
Swiss Guard
The Pontifical Swiss Guard (also Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard; la, Pontificia Cohors Helvetica; it, Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; german: Päpstliche Schweizergarde; french: Garde suisse pontificale; rm, Guardia svizra papala)
is ...
of the pope.
Historical schools of rapier fencing
Italy
*
Achille Marozzo
Achille Marozzo (1484–1553) was an Italian fencing master, one of the most important teachers in the Dardi or Bolognese tradition.Castle, Egerton (1885), ''Schools and Masters of Fenc'', Londra, G. Bell, rist. (2003) ''Schools and Masters of Fen ...
, ''Opera Nova Chiamata Duello, O Vero Fiore dell'Armi de Singulari Abattimenti Offensivi, & Diffensivi''1536
*
Angelo Viggiani Bolognese Swordsmanship, also sometimes known as the Dardi school, is a tradition within the Italian school of swordsmanship which is based on the surviving fencing treatises published by several 16th century fencing masters of Bologna,
As early as ...
dal Montone, ''Trattato dello Schermo''1575
*
Anonimo Bolognese Bolognese Swordsmanship, also sometimes known as the Dardi school, is a tradition within the Italian school of swordsmanship which is based on the surviving fencing treatises published by several 16th century fencing masters of Bologna,
As early a ...
, L'Arte della Spada (M-345/M-346 Manuscripts)(early or mid 16th century) date it to "about 1550"
*
Antonio Manciolino Bolognese Swordsmanship, also sometimes known as the Dardi school, is a tradition within the Italian school of swordsmanship which is based on the surviving fencing treatises published by several 16th century fencing masters of Bologna,
As early as ...
, ''Opera Nova per Imparare a Combattere, & Schermire d'ogni sorte Armi''1531
*
Bondi di Mazo Bondi could refer to:
Places in Australia New South Wales
* Bondi, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia
** Bondi Beach, a beach and suburb of Sydney, Australia
** Bondi Junction, a suburb and commercial centre in Sydney, Australia
* North ...
, ''La Spada Maestra''1696
*
Camillo Agrippa, ''Trattato di Scientia d'Arme con un Dialogo di Filosofia''1553
*
Francesco Alfieri
Francesco Ferdinando Alfieri was a master of fencing of the 17th century. He was a representative of the Venetian school of fencing and “Maestro D’Arme” to the Accademia Delia in Padua in 1640. Alfieri was originally from Padua, which at t ...
, ''La Scherma di Francesco Alfieri''1640
*
Francesco Antonio Marcelli, ''Regole della Scherma''1686
*
Giacomo di Grassi Giacomo is an Italian name. It is the Italian version of the Hebrew name Jacob.
People
* Giacomo (name), including a list of people with the name
Other uses
* Giacomo (horse)
Giacomo (foaled February 16, 2002 in Kentucky) is a champion America ...
, ''Ragion di Adoprar Sicuramente l'Arme si da Offesa, come da Difesa''1570
*
Giovanni dall'Agocchie
Giovanni Dall'Agocchie was an Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian langua ...
, ''Dell'Arte di Scrimia''1572
*
Giuseppe Morsicato Pallavicini
Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph,
from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף.
It is the most common name in Italy and is unique (97%) to it.
The feminine form of the name is Giuse ...
, ''La Scherma Illustrata''1670
* Marco Docciolini, ''Trattato in Materia di Scherma''1601
*
Nicoletto Giganti
Nicoletto Giganti was a 17th-century Italian rapier fencing master. The frontispiece of his 1606 work names him as “Nicoletto Giganti, Venetian”, although evidence suggests he or his family, moved to Venice from the town of Fossombrone, in Le ...
, ''Scola overo Teatro''1606
*
Ridolfo Capo Ferro
Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli (Ridolfo Capoferro, Rodulphus Capoferrus) was an Italian fencing master in the city of Siena, best known for his rapier fencing treatise published in 1610.
He seems to have been born in the town of Cagli in the Provin ...
, ''Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma''1610
*
Salvator Fabris
Salvator Fabris (1544-1618) was an Italian fencing master from Padua. During his life he taught in various European countries, most notably in Denmark where he was the fencing instructor of King Christian IV. It was during his time in Copenhagen ...
, ''De lo Schermo ovvero Scienza d'Armi''1606
Spain
*
Girard Thibault, ''Academie de l'Espee, ou se demonstrant par Reigles mathematiques, sur le fondement Cercle Mysterieux'' (1630)
*
Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza
Don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza, ( es, link=no, Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza), Jerónimo de Carranza, pt, Hieronimo de Carança; c. 1539 – c. 1600 or 1608) was a Spanish nobleman, humanist, scientist, one of the most famous fencers, and ...
, ''De la Filosofía de las Armas'' (1569)
*
Luis Pacheco de Narváez
Don Luis Pacheco de Narváez (1570–1640) was a Spanish writer on '' destreza'', the Spanish art of fencing.
He was a follower of Don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza.
Some of his earlier works were compendia of Carranza's work while his later w ...
, ''
Libro de las Grandezas de la Espada
(lit. ''Book of the Greatness of the Sword'') is a 16th-century Spanish treatise on fencing written by Don Luis Pacheco de Narváez, who is considered one of the founding fathers of Spanish fencing (''destreza'') and the disciple of Jerónimo Sán ...
'' (1599)
France
*
André Desbordes, ''Discours de la théorie et de la pratique de l'excellence des armes '' (1610)
*
Charles Besnard
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
, ''Le maistre d'arme liberal'' (1653)
*
François Dancie, ''Discours des armes et methode pour bien tirer de l'espée et poignard'' (c.1610) and ''L'Espee de combat'' (1623)
England
*
Joseph Swetnam
Joseph Swetnam (died 1621) was an English pamphleteer and fencing master. He is best known for a misogynistic pamphlet and an early English fencing treatise. Three defensive responses as pamphlets were made by Rachel Speght, Ester Sowernam and ...
, ''The Schoole of the Noble and Worthy Science of Defence'' (1617)
* ''The Pallas Armata'' (1639)
*
Vincentio Saviolo
Fencing master Vincentio Saviolo (d. 1598/9), though Italian born and raised, authored one of the first books on fencing to be available in the English language.
Saviolo was born in Padua. He arrived in London at an unknown date and is first ...
, ''His Practise'' 1595
Germany
*
Jakob Sutor, ''Künstliches Fechtbuch'' (1612)
*
Joachim Meyer
Joachim Meyer (ca. 1537–1571) was a self described Freifechter (literally, Free Fencer) living in the then Free Imperial City of Strasbourg in the 16th century and the author of a fechtbuch '' Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechten ...
, ''Thorough Descriptions of the free Knightly and Noble Art of Fencing'' (1570)
*
Johannes Georgius Bruchius (1671)
*
Paulus Hector Mair
Paulus Hector Mair (1517–1579) was a German civil servant fencing master from Augsburg. He collected Fechtbücher and undertook to compile all knowledge of the art of fencing in a compendium surpassing all earlier books. For this, he engaged the ...
, ''Opus Amplissimum de Arte Athletica'' (1542)
The classical fencing tradition
Classical fencing
Classical fencing is the style of fencing as it existed during the 19th and early 20th centuries. According to the 19th-century fencing master Louis Rondelle,Rondelle, Louis, Foil and sabre; a grammar of fencing in detailed lessons for professo ...
schools claim to have inherited aspects of rapier forms in their systems. In 1885, fencing scholar Egerton Castle wrote "there is little doubt that the French system of fencing can be traced, at its origin, to the ancient Italian swordsmanship; the modern Italian school being of course derived in an uninterrupted manner from the same source." Castle went on to note that "the Italians have preserved the rapier form, with cup, pas d'ane, and quillons, but with a slender quadrangular blade."
Popular culture and entertainment
* Despite the rapier's common usage in the 16th–17th centuries, many films set in these periods (many starring
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...
) have the swordsmen using
épée
The ( or , ), sometimes spelled epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern derives from the 19th-century , a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. This contains ...
s or
foils. Actual rapier combat was hardly the lightning thrust and parry depicted. Director
Richard Lester
Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director based in the United Kingdom.
He is best known for directing the Beatles' films '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) and ''Help!'' (1965), and the superhero films ''S ...
and fight choreographer
William Hobbs attempted to more closely match traditional rapier technique in''
The Three Musketeers
''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...
'' and ''
The Four Musketeers''. Since then, many newer movies, like ''
The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to:
* ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by American writer William Goldman
William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He ...
'' and ''
La Reine Margot'' have used rapiers rather than later weapons, although the
fight choreography
Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet ...
has not always accurately portrayed historical fencing techniques. Rapiers are also often featured in various
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s, in particular
role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
s set in medieval- and Renaissance-inspired worlds.
* In the ''
Redwall
''Redwall'' is a series of children's fantasy novels by British writer Brian Jacques, published from 1986 to 2011. It is also the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, as well as the name of the abbey featured in the book, ...
'' series, the rapier is the primary weapon of the Guosim shrews, though it is not exclusive to them.
* In ''
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1987 to 2004, and was transferred to the monthly ''seinen'' manga ...
'',
Polnareff's Stand, Silver Chariot, uses a rapier as its weapon.
* In ''
X'', the Sacred Swords used by
Kamui Shiro
, also written as Kamui Shirou, is a fictional character that was created by Clamp (manga artists), Clamp and introduced as the protagonist of the manga series ''X (manga), X''. Kamui is a young Extrasensory perception, esper who returns to his ...
and
Fuma Monou both looks like a cross between a rapier and a longsword.
* In ''
Magic Knight Rayearth
is a Japanese manga series created by Clamp. Appearing as a serial in the manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from the November 1993 issue to the February 1995 issue, the chapters of ''Magic Knight Rayearth'' were collected into three bound volum ...
'',
Umi Ryuuzaki uses a rapier-like magic sword.
* In ''
Cardcaptor Sakura
, abbreviated as ''CCS'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. Serialized monthly in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from May 1996 to June 2000, it was also published in 12 ''tankōbon'' ...
'', the Sword card used by
Sakura Kinomoto
is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, ''Cardcaptors'' is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the second ...
is both a depictional and a physical rapier.
* In ''
Berserk'',
Serpico
''Serpico'' is a 1973 American neo-noir biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino in the title role. The screenplay was adapted by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler from the book of the same name written by Peter ...
is a skilled fencer who wields a rapier. He also wields a feather duster-like magical rapier called the "Sylph Sword".
* The television series ''
Queen of Swords
The Queen of Swords is a card in the Suit of Swords, part of the Minor Arcana set of the Tarot.
Tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play tarot card games.
In English-speaking countries, Tarot cards are utilized primarily for div ...
'' features the use of the rapier in the
mysterious circle,
Destreza
is the conventional term for the Spanish tradition of fencing of the early modern period. The word literally translates to 'dexterity' or 'skill, ability', and thus to 'the true skill' or 'the true art'.
While is primarily a system of sword ...
style favoured by the first swordmaster of the series
Anthony De Longis
Anthony Charles De Longis (born March 23, 1950) is an American actor, stuntman, and fight choreographer.
Life and career
De Longis was born in Glendale, California. He attended California State University, Northridge where he was initiated ...
who studied the Spanish sword fighting technique and wanted a unique style for the heroine. He had previously used it in the episode, "
Duende
A duende is a humanoid figure of folklore, with variations from Iberian, Ibero American, and Filipino cultures, comparable to dwarves, gnomes, or leprechauns. In Spanish ''duende'' originated as a contraction of the phrase or , effectively " ...
", of the ''
Highlander: The Series''. The hilt of the rapier was made by blade maker Dave Baker as were other swords used in the show.
* In ''
Bleach
Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
'',
Sasakibe releases his Zanpakutō's Shikai in the form of a rapier's hand guard.
* In ''
One Piece
''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...
'',
Brook
A brook is a small river or natural stream of fresh water. It may also refer to:
Computing
*Brook, a programming language for GPU programming based on C
*Brook+, an explicit data-parallel C compiler
*BrookGPU, a framework for GPGPU programming ...
's signature weapon is a rapier concealed in a cane called "Soul Solid".
* In ''
Sword Art Online
is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series takes place in the then-near future and focuses on protagonists Kirito (Sword Art Online), Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna (Sword Art On ...
'',
Asuna Yuuki uses rapiers as her primary weapon.
* In the web series ''
RWBY
''RWBY'' (pronounced "Ruby") is an American Anime-influenced animation, anime-influenced Computer animation, computer-animated web series created by Monty Oum for Rooster Teeth. It is set in the fictional world of Remnant, where young people tr ...
'',
Weiss Schnee uses a rapier named "Myrtenaster", and Neopolitan conceals a rapier inside her parasol named "Hush".
* In ''
Dota 2
''Dota 2'' is a 2013 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game by Valve. The game is a sequel to ''Defense of the Ancients'' (''DotA''), a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment's '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.'' ''Dota 2' ...
'', there is an item called "Divine Rapier" and it has an immense damage capability given to the player who wields it.
* In most editions of ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...
'', including the current 5th edition, the rapier is included as a weapon in the Player's Handbook.
*In the 2015 spaceflight simulator
Kerbal Space Program
''Kerbal Space Program'' (''KSP'') is a space flight simulation video game developed by Mexican developer Squad for Microsoft Windows, macOS
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system de ...
, a hybrid jet engine based on Skylon's
SABRE
A sabre ( French: sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
is named "CR-7 R.A.P.I.E.R", referring the usage of the name of a sword in its real-life counterpart.
* In the Super NES version of ''
Turtles in Time'', a rapier was used by
Rocksteady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...
, a mutant
rhinoceros
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
thug when he dressed as a buccaneer captain.
* A rapier is the primary weapon of
Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain ...
, the arch enemy for the
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
of ''
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...
''.
* A rapier is the primary weapon of the character
Puss in Boots (Shrek)
Puss in Boots, or simply Puss, is a fictional recurring character in the ''Shrek'' franchise. He made his first appearance in the film ''Shrek 2'' (2004), soon becoming Shrek's partner and helper (alongside Donkey). In the film '' Shrek the Th ...
from the Dreamworks film ''
Shrek 2
''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book ''Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The sequel to ''Shrek'' (2001) and the seco ...
'' and other works by the company.
See also
*
Estoc
The French estoc is a type of sword, also called a tuck in English, in use from the 14th to the 17th century. It is characterized by a cruciform hilt with a grip for two-handed use and a straight, edgeless, but sharply pointed blade of around to ...
*
Historical European martial arts
Historical European martial arts (HEMA) are martial arts of European origin, particularly using arts formerly practised, but having since died out or evolved into very different forms.
While there is limited surviving documentation of the martia ...
*
Oakeshott typology
The Oakeshott typology is a way to define and catalogue the medieval sword based on physical form. It categorises the swords of the European Middle Ages (roughly 11th to 16th centuries) into 13 main types, labelled X through XXII. The historian an ...
*
Spada da lato
The ''spada da lato'' (Italian) or ''side-sword'' is a type of sword popular during the late 16th century.
It is a continuation of the medieval knightly sword, and the immediate predecessor (or early form) of the rapier
A rapier () or is a ...
References
Further reading
*
*
* Leoni, Tom. ''The Art of Dueling: 17th Century Rapier as Taught by Salvatore Fabris''. Highland Village, TX:
The Chivalry Bookshelf, 2005.
*
*
*
External links
{{Swords by region
Early Modern European swords
Historical fencing
Renaissance-era swords