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Rapier swords were very famous in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, since they were often used in the famous duels to the death, as they frequently show us in the movies. Knowing how to handle the rapier or rapier sword was essential to acquire the necessary skill and be able to save one's life.
The soldiers of the Great Captain (the future Spanish Tercios) were experts in these arts of handling and mastering the sword.
Experts on the subject of duels affirm that "duels were a thing for gentlemen: nobles, soldiers, politicians, writers, artists... educated people, who read, and knew and accepted the rules of the code of honor for this type of battles, based on ancient references and later (from the 15th century) on books written on the subject."
There were formal duels that were regulated by the king and had very strict rules and could only be launched and accepted between people of a similar social rank. The most common way to challenge someone to a "formal duel" was through the so-called "poster-sticking."
It was established whether the formal duel would be to death or first blood and the swords that would be used, as well as the witnesses on both sides, godfathers and a referee who ensured that the duel was fair and, once the fight was over, the family of the defeated did not attack the winner in revenge.
In addition, the place and time of the meeting, if the monarch authorized the duel. The sword most used for these acts was the rapier or rapier sword, whether it was a loop or a cup.
As the scholar Van Vinkeroi explained in 1882, the rapier or rapier sword was used both for combat and as an ornament to the costume itself. Although there are dozens of types of clothes, it can be said that they were any that both civilians and soldiers carried when they went out.
«Its origin is estimated to be Spanish: with this name it appears for the first time in the inventory of objects of Duke Álvaro de Zúñiga, dated around 1445. And it seems that the name comes from being a distinguished complement to the personal attire, to clothing, as an obvious sign or symbol of the strength and power of its owner. "They used to be made and decorated with very good materials and even jewelry."
In principle it was used by the highest social class: royal family, high nobility, knights of religious orders, soldiers and other lords and noblemen. Then it spread to various people, from adventurers to rich bourgeois, especially in important cities, where duels and fights were frequent.
The rapier or rapier sword had a thin and narrow blade in its civilian version since the military one was somewhat shorter and wider. All of them had a garrison or guard with a metal piece that protected the hand from the opponent's punctures. There were different types, due to the variety of their guard, they were cup, shell or loop.
In addition to being a very effective weapon in combat and duels, it had and gave great prestige to its owner. Its greatest prominence was from the first third of the 15th century to the last of the 17th century, and it is generally associated with the time of the Spanish Golden Age.
Nowadays rapier swords turn out to be precious collector's items for experts in the use of these weapons. There are both decorative and functional ones.
SEE ROPE ROPE SWORDS
