Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler is a term that came about in the 16th century and was applied to rough, noisy and boastful swordsmen. To swash is to "swagger and swing about, making a lot of noise", and a buckler is a shield.
A swashbuckler will generally display a strong sense of justice, an aptitude for and enjoyment of fighting, calmness, class, and wit even during combat. Swashbucklers are often handsome young men who wield rapiers, though this is subject to variability.
Swashbucklers have made appearances in works of literature such as The Three Musketeers, Ivanhoe and Kidnapped (novel). Even today, the romantic appeal of the swashbuckler still endures. Contemporary movies that feature swashbuckling include The Count of Monte Cristo, Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Mask of Zorro, and Lives No Longer Ours.
This showiness is particularly appropriate as regards stage fighting, which has more in common with the art of fencing, where the fighting is a stylized form originally used to teach the principles of actual dueling, while real sword fighting aims at bodily harm.
Famous swashbucklers
Notable swashbucklers from literature and movies include:
List of authors of swashbuckling literature
- Alexandre Dumas
- Capt. Jameson Macaulay
- Baroness Orczy
- Emilio Salgari
- Rafael Sabatini
- Scaramouche
- Samuel Shellabarger
- Lawrence Schoonover
- Sir Walter Scott
- Robert Louis Stevenson
- Jules Verne
- P. C. Wren
- Frank Yerby
Other uses
The swashbuckler is also a type of men's shirt. It is usually white in color, with an open neck and chest with a lace up front.