Fall for Swords: From Viking Shields to Bronze Blades On the training field in the Ribe VikingeCenter Hello fellow sword enthusiasts, Autumn has arrived, and the calendar is brimming with exciting events. The Ribe Bouts are now fully booked. I am delighted by the event’s popularity and look forward to welcoming Viking re-enactors from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Finland at the wonderful Ribe VikingeCenter in just two weeks. Attendees will receive final information by email...
20 days ago • 2 min read
Wolf Hall — The Mirror and the Light: A Review Historical paintings come alive Dear fellow history enthusiasts and film fans, I recently watched the second and final season of Wolf Hall, and it reminded me why the first has long been my favourite historical drama. The storytelling, cast, and visual style remain extraordinary, and I even learned something new about Tudor England from the inclusion of an extra based on historical trumpeter John Blanke, a musician of African descent at Henry’s...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
When History Gets Distorted – And Bucklers Get Raised Train, Fence, Connect – Berlin Buckler Bouts 24 Await! Dear fellow history enthusiasts and sword-and-shield fighters, in this edition, I invite you to take a closer look at how history is sometimes bent out of shape—whether in glossy TV dramas or even academic projects—through my two recent posts on Distorted History. At the same time, I’m delighted to share that registration is now open for the 24th Berlin Buckler Bouts this November—our...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Join the Ribe Bouts! Spear-and-shield workshop at the 2024 Ribe Bouts Hello sword-and-shield enthusiasts, I am delighted to announce that the Ribe VikingeCenter will once again host the second Ribe Bouts from 17–19 October 2025. All meals will be prepared authentically on site. This unique event combines the practice of historical martial arts with a full-time living history experience. You can find more details and many images in my dedicated post—feel free to share the link with your fellow...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Don’t strike the initial blow from your right, if you are left-handed! My friend Ingo Petri with a left-handed schiavona from the collection of the Veste Coburg Hello fellow history enthusiasts and martial artists, The above advice comes from the late medieval German Fechtbuch Hs 44 A 8. On folio 11v, the author offers general tips on how to fight in a duel between a right- and a left-handed combatant. Clearly, left-handed fighters were a historical reality—something also supported by the...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Screenshot from a video based on an illustration of mine (Wünsch/Warzecha 2025) The Future of the Past Hello history enthusiasts, Today I’d like to share a truly exciting new project I’m currently developing. Together with my fellow illustrator Oliver Wünsch, I’m working on a completely new format for storytelling. Thanks to the latest AI tools, we can now bring our illustrations to life—animate them, and even make them speak. This opens up incredible possibilities, especially for...
3 months ago • 3 min read
A Famous Viking Age Sword Made for a Left-Hander My friend Alban's favourite sword Hello fellow sword and history enthusiasts, It’s not often that you get to see this exceptionally well-preserved sword outside the British Museum. With its wide fuller inscribed LEUTLRIT and an Anglo-Danish hilt adorned with geometric inlays, it is an outstanding piece. Note the slightly off-centre and tilted montage of the pommel But what I find most intriguing are the subtle asymmetries in the hilt...
3 months ago • 2 min read
The Fencing Bridegroom Swordsmen's distinguished summer fashion Hello sword-and-buckler enthusiasts and fashion victims, My fellow buckler fighter and researcher Cornelius Berthold was married this past weekend. The occasion provided a splendid opportunity for some early-morning fencing before breakfast—and, notably, for swordplay in suits. The latter was suggested by photographer Jonas Radtke, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing the resulting images. There can be only one! In the...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Are We But Brutal Primates? Chimps make war, bonobos make love. What about us? (My illustration) Hello fellow history enthusiasts, I suspect many of you share my feeling that we are living through particularly unusual and turbulent times. While I generally make a conscious effort to maintain a positive outlook and focus on the good, I must admit this has grown increasingly difficult in recent years. Stupidity, ignorance and brutality seem all too prominent among our species at present....
4 months ago • 3 min read