Swashbuckler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Swashbuckler (disambiguation).

D'Artagnan and the three musketeers

Swashbuckler is a term that came about in the 16th century and was applied to rough, noisy and boastful swordsmen. It came about due to the popularity of the fighting style using a side-sword with a buckler in the off-hand, which was filled with much "swashing and making a noise on the buckler" (see dictionary.com reference, below)

1 List of swashbucklers
2 List of authors of swashbuckling literature
3 Other uses
4 See also
5 External links

Today the term "swashbuckler" is used to denote a particular type of character and is usually applied to fictional characters. (Usually, these characters rarely actually use the buckler, instead only using a sword.) A swashbuckler will display a strong sense of justice, an aptitude for and enjoyment of fighting, and calmness, class, and wit even during combat. The archetypical swashbuckler is a handsome young rapier-wielding European man from the 16th to the 18th century, though as "swashbuckler" is a character type, it is not confined to time or place. The showiness of this type of swashbuckler is particularly appropriate as regards stage fighting, which has more in common with the art of fencing, in which the fighting is a stylized form originally used to teach the principles of actual dueling, while real sword fighting aims at bodily harm.

Because the word ends in "-er," some people thought referred to a verb, perhaps "to swashbuckle," rather than the noun meaning "one who swashes a buckler." This misunderstanding has led to the common term "swashbuckling," which has become a staple of the lexicon.

Swashbucklers have made appearances in works of literature such as The Three Musketeers, Ivanhoe and Scaramouche. Even today, the romantic appeal of the swashbuckler still endures. Contemporary movies that feature swashbuckling include Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Mask of Zorro, and Lives No Longer Ours.

Many subgenres are distinguished by their tendency to include large amounts of swashbuckling in their plots, such as fantasy of manners and Ruritanian romance.

Errol Flynn became known as the greatest swashbuckler of the sound era in films such as Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk, and The Adventures of Robin Hood (regarded by most to be the greatest of the genre). Flynn's athleticism, timing and charisma defined what the swashbuckler represented.

[edit] List of swashbucklers

Notable swashbucklers from literature and other media include:

[edit] List of authors of swashbuckling literature

[edit] Other uses

Look up Swashbuckler in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The swashbuckler is also a type of men's shirt of the sort worn in swashbuckling movies. It is usually white in color, with an open neck and chest with a lace up front.