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.
From Bronze Swords to the Fechtbücher — What Archaeology Reveals
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? 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 like a gymnast holding a horizontal bar. The question touches on several important issues: how early swords were handled, how we interpret limited sources, and how modern assumptions can shape our understanding of historical combat. As these topics come up regularly, I thought it might be useful to address them in a more structured way and to bring together the relevant sources and resources in one place. In my dedicated post, I outline striking similarities between Bronze Age sword-fighting and later European traditions, suggesting a continuity of fundamental principles.
The Birth of the Northern SwordAs part of developing an extensive study of Bronze Age combat with Harald Meller, I created a digital reconstruction of an early Bronze Age Sögel sword. This type represents the earliest swords developed north of the Alps around 1600 BC, influenced by imports from the Carpathian Basin. The reconstruction builds on photographs of Ørjan Engedal’s excellent replica of the Echten find. Guided by my geometrical analysis, I explored how such a sword might have appeared with a horn grip and an additional pommel cap similar to those known from the Nebra swords. Patrons can download my full-size illustration, as well as the sword’s geometric layout. Video Series on Early Sword-FightingIn December 2025, a six-part video series on Bronze Age sword design and early fighting practices was recorded at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle. Harald Meller and I discuss a wide range of topics, handling original artefacts ranging from prehistoric Stabdolche (dagger axes) to a late medieval longsword. The first edited versions look very promising, and I look forward to sharing the final episodes with you. Stay tuned to be the first to know when they are released. Stay sharp! 🗡️ 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.
Hello fellow history enthusiasts and blade aficionados, questions about historical body proportions come up regularly when discussing historical and prehistoric fighting techniques. Fortunately, archaeology provides some surprisingly clear answers. How tall were Europeans of the Roman era compared with modern people? Were People Smaller in the Past? One widespread assumption is that human body height increased steadily throughout history and that people today are generally taller than our...
Hello fellow history enthusiasts and blade aficionados, sometimes the most interesting discoveries come not from finding something new, but from looking again at familiar things. Here are a few recommendations and updates that I hope you will enjoy. A replica fishtail dagger which I recently got to play with in Harald Meller's office. A Stone Age Misconception? Some ideas become so widespread that they eventually start to feel self-evident. One such example concerns Late Neolithic fishtail...
History in Stone — And Steel Hello fellow history enthusiasts and sword lovers, living in rural Mecklenburg means being surrounded by traces of the past. Within only a few kilometres of where I live, one encounters Neolithic monuments, Bronze Age burial mounds, Iron Age cemeteries, Slavic settlement history, and medieval fieldstone churches. Much of this remarkable heritage remains little known beyond the region itself, despite its historical significance and enormous cultural potential....