I’m Roland Warzecha — professional illustrator and swordsman. The name Dimicator comes from the Latin for “sword fighter.” I share cutting-edge research into historical martial arts, focusing in particular on Viking and high medieval sword-and-shield combat. My work is carried out in collaboration with museums, fellow martial artists, and scholars around the world.
10th-Century Riders + Mighty Longsword Preview
A Kingdom for a Horse!Hello history enthusiasts, My fellow illustrator Oliver Wünsch and I are still busy exploring new AI-assisted opportunities for visual storytelling. We feel it is the best way to spend our time now that traditional illustration work has largely vanished, thanks to generative AI. The good news—at least for us—is that our particular application of AI still requires artistic skill as well as archaeological and historical expertise. The services we offer through HistoRealities have aroused considerable interest, and we are confident that we can further develop and share our vision of communicating archaeology and history in meaningful ways. For a current video project, I created the above images of a late 10th-century rider. You can read more about the archaeological sources for the depicted horse harness, and about the outstanding work of researcher and rider Maria Nørgaard, in my dedicated public post on Patreon. Images in full resolution are available to the relevant patron tiers as a token of my gratitude for your ongoing support. You rock!
As I am a devoted infantryman rather than a rider myself, I am grateful for the expertise of people like the inimitable Bartosz Ligocki, who rides and sails through the centuries like a true time traveller. Do take a moment to browse images of his and his partner’s adventures across many historical periods, always impeccably and appropriately dressed—dedicated followers of fashion in any era. More than once, Bartosz has kindly helped me with research and reference images for my illustrations. You can read more about our collaboration and the making of the above image here. Danish equestrian graves of the 10th century reflect the advanced military culture of Scandinavia’s southern neighbours. My friend and archaeologist Thorsten Lemm is an expert in Viking Age military history and one of the few scholars studying Saxon and Ottonian cavalry of the 10th and 11th centuries. You can find his contribution to the highly recommendable volume Horse and Rider in the Late Viking Age – Equestrian Burial in Perspective (Aarhus, 2021) available as a free download here. But what about Swords?For those of you who cannot wait for the swords to come out—no worries, a mighty longsword is next. It will be featured on my Patreon very soon. I already provide free images of a very similar sword kept in Bern, available for download at the bottom of this 2021 public Patreon post. 🐎 Ride on, if you can. Otherwise, walk with me! 🚶 Roland P. S. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please recommend it to your friends. They can sign up here or on my website. Or simply forward them this email. Improve your skills with our sword-and-buckler online courses. If you wish to read more, find hundreds of related posts on my Patreon. Special thanks to all my loyal supporters on Patreon – you keep me going! And if you are not a patron yet, you are most welcome to join. If you feel like dropping a coin into my tip jar, you can do so here. Thank you for your time and your interest. You are receiving this newsletter because you have signed up for it, or because you have previously expressed your interest in my work and events. If you prefer to not receive further emails, you can unsubscribe below. |
Dimicator
I’m Roland Warzecha — professional illustrator and swordsman. The name Dimicator comes from the Latin for “sword fighter.” I share cutting-edge research into historical martial arts, focusing in particular on Viking and high medieval sword-and-shield combat. My work is carried out in collaboration with museums, fellow martial artists, and scholars around the world.
Prehistoric Belief, Bronze Age Design and Imperial Remains Documenting a Late Bronze Age sword at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle. Hello fellow (pre-)history enthusiasts, from time to time, closer inspection of artefacts reveals patterns that are as simple as they are profound. At other times, new discoveries remind us how complex and layered our understanding of the past has become. This issue brings together both: geometry and belief, craftsmanship and power — and the enduring human...
Continuity in European Combat Arts? Hello fellow sword enthusiasts, researchers, and fighters, How did people actually fight in close combat 3,000 years ago—and how much of that knowledge survived into the age of the fechtbücher? Mycenaean imagery occassionally shows an overhand thrust known as oberstich in late medieval German combat treatises Recently, a viewer asked why I do not demonstrate the use of Bronze Age swords with what he called a “hammer grip” — essentially gripping the weapon...
Studying Originals, Recreating History Holding an original Bronze Age sword in your hands is always a moment of quiet astonishment. Hello archaeology aficionados, The ingenious design and ergonomics of these weapons never cease to amaze me. Thanks to the courtesy of Professor Harald Meller and Dr Jan-Heinrich Bunnefeld, I had the opportunity to examine several bronze swords at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle, home of the world-famous Nebra Sky Disc. One of the grips that works really...