Real Scottish Lowlanders

Here are two Scottish reenactors from Stirling castle named Adam and Hugo. Being a historical fencer, I had a good time talking swords with them. I saw them do this skit multiple times, and I don't think it was choreographed. Regardless, what you're seeing is pretty accurate swordplay as far as I can tell.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• scottish
• scotland
• highlander
• lowlander
• swords
• fighting
• swordfighting
• stirling

[spartan4118]

it diddnt look like they were displacing or blocking with the flat of the blade..i couldnt tell. i was under the impression that that was proper practice.

[Egladhon]

@spartan4118 It would sort of be easier on the blade, but you can't get a good grip with that sort of parry. Thus, sword smiths design blades to take the hit with the edge anyway.

[Egladhon]

Hey everyone. I really do enjoy the comments and discussion, but I'd like to ask everyone to keep the language civil. Thank you kindly, and enjoy!

[Eso1]

holding the edges of the blade would mean the blade would have to be unsharpened which kind of defeats the purpose..right?

[Egladhon]

@Eso1 Good question. Notice where they are holding the blades. It was actually common to only sharpen the lower portion of the blade. If you think about it, it makes sense since only the last foot or so was going to need to be sharp. If you look at many great swords sold today, you'll see a leather grip under the quillons (crossguard) where you can grab with your hand.

[KraljLazar]

He forgot to mention that most of the Scottish army back them consisted mostly of local farmers, and badly equiped militias.

The most common weapon was the pike, or spear, while farmers usually had rakes, clubs and hacks...

Very small noumber of Scottish soldiers used swords, armor, axes, poleaxes or had propper training.

Nobles, kinghts and landlords were only who had permision to own and carry swords and other arms.

Excellent video thow, 5 stars...

[Egladhon]

@KraljLazar Very true. And if I may say, it's actually amazing how intuitive a person can function with a spear. A commoner could actually do fairly well. Swords, not so much. They were a sign of nobility, and if a peasant did have one for a war, my understanding is it would be soon taken away afterward, but others more qualified could speak to that.

[ibuchanan82]

@spartan4118 actually the Scot's made a point of fighting edge on edge as a matter of honour. There is an old quote which escapes me now- if I can remember it I'll post it. But it's basically referring to this practice. It is a reason you'll find a large number of antique scottish blades are hacked at the edges.

[Injektilo7]

@oo00infinity00oo Haha, well, sometimes I think that's what YouTube comments are really for after all. ;)

[oo00infinity00oo]

@Injektilo7 glad to hear you know what your talking about. i was just talking shit for the hell of it : )

[Injektilo7]

@oo00infinity00oo There isn't a claymore in sight in this video, there are greatswords to be sure, but the claymore is distinguished by unique quillions, which none of the swords in the video have. Greatswords were of course in use among Lowlanders, including the monstrous six foot specimen on display in the Wallace Monument purported to have been used by William himself, as he was after all a Lowlander.

[zombiesite1]

@commanderNSO I watch anime, but I find people like that absolutely ridiculous. You don't learn swordsmanship from fictional cartoons xD

[Thadrk1]

which swords are those at 3:04 ?

[CanabisNationClan420]

HIGHLANDERS!

[adamcrookedsmile]

@Egladhon

I second that. In our local medieval fencing club we mostly used hand-and-half swords with two hands or one hand swords, studying some german medieval fencing manual. One day a guy brought a spear and only the best swordsman in the club could manage it.

I guess in a many-vs-many environment a one-hand sword and shield has the advantage that it's possible to block arrows with the shield over the spear.

Also theck out the "Deadliest Warrior" episode featuring William Wallace.

[loosifur]

murder stroke

[Squeejee09]

@commanderNSO I know what you mean. I've been studying the longsword for a while now, and it seems like every time I bring it up some guy who watches anime wants to tell me two hundred bullet points about why he thinks I should be studying the katana instead. It's because of this that I've learned why all other HEMA guys I know hate anime.