For the longest of time, the shield was an essential component of any warrior’s attire. From the Spartan Hoplite, to the Viking raider, to the Assyrian spearman, everyone could agree on shields. The shield protected a warrior from both projectiles and incoming blows. The thing about shields, though, is that they’re not the only way to protect yourself. Over the course of the Middle Ages, armor became better and more plentiful, and warriors increasingly found that they didn’t need as much shield as they used to. Large shields gave way to Kite-shields. Kite-shields gave way to heater shields. Essentially, the parts of the human body that the shield needed to protect became smaller and smaller, and thus, warrior’s conception of what a shield was for changed over time. Eventually, most knights decided to either use a buckler – a small metal shield attached to the arm – or to wield a second blade. For either the buckler or the second blade were primarily parrying weapons. Their goal was to swat away or entangle the opponent’s blade in order to allow the knight to execute their own counterattack (their riposte). Parrying daggers went by many names, such as the “main gauche” (left hand), triple dagger, trident dagger, or swordbreaker. The key characteristics of parrying daggers was their ability to disrupt swords they came in contact with. Since Bucklers had the same purpose, many adopted some of the same characteristics as parrying daggers, such as hooks and groves designed to ensnare an opponent’s sword. As common knights and knaves adopted the buckler, the term “swashbuckler” arose to describe them, combining “swash” (to swagger with a sword), and buckler (the most inexpensive armor piece an average soldier could afford).
– A few thoughts from your friend Saxo