Fighting in Walpurgis’ Clothing: Uhuburg Castle 2024

In swordsmanship, clothing can impact technique. We see this all the time as we dawn our HEMA-safe jackets and heavy gloves and the restrictions they can create in our movement. In previous blogs, we have explored and discussed the clothing in the I.33 manuscript and how it feels while sparring. However, there is one character’s attire in I.33 we have not explored yet on Funky Buckler.

Today, we have the wonderful opportunity to hear from our guest writer, Ash, about her experience fencing in a reproduction of the attire Walpurgis wears in the I.33 manuscript! Ash has been in HEMA for a couple of years now, training with Danial at the Appalachian Sword Club. She also has 20+ years in Korean Martial Arts and runs her own dojang. She has been a critical member of the castle show team in the past and recently had the opportunity to partake in the fencing demonstration at Uhuburg Castle.

Our research and basis of Walpurgis’ attire heavily relied on Dr. Julia Gräf’s work on the subject of Walpurgis, which is well worth the read for a better understanding of who Walpurgis may have been. 

Walpurgis and Her Attire

​As spring came around, it was time for another visit to Uhuburg Castle. This was my third time coming to assist with the Sword and Buckler demonstration, and this one was extra special for me. This time around, I would be upfront as part of the main demonstration, not just speaking on the history but also demonstrating the application of sword and buckler. A feature of the manual I frequently point out is the depiction of a female fencer. Walpurgis is not only the first female depicted in a fencing manuscript but would be the only one for centuries following. Regarding Walpurgis, I put together a recreation of the garb in which she is depicted.

Walpurgis is shown wearing a blue surcoat over a dress, a belt, yellow gloves, and black stockings. Instead of wearing a veil to cover her head like many women of the period, she is shown to have her hair down and a thin headband. In the manuscript, she is shown having the length of her dress tucked into the belt to the side. Below is a picture of my recreation of her attire:

​Observations on Weather and the Attire

​We had experienced the castle in blistering heat and freezing cold. This day, in true Georgia fashion, we experienced all four seasons in 24 hours. We knew it would be a sunny spring day but did not anticipate the freezing temperature we had during setup that morning. Surprisingly, I did not turn into a popsicle while wearing my Walpurgis attire. Even though my underdress was linen and the surcoat was light cotton, I managed to stay warm enough without a cloak. My long stockings blocked any draft that would have danced around my legs even with it tucked into my belt.

One question we had was how well tucking the extra fabric would hold up while we were in the fight. Walpurgis' tunic is tucked into a belt in the manuscript, similar to that of the priest and the scholar. We had success tucking the men's tunics from previous demonstrations, but the Walpurgis attire was slightly different. At the beginning of the day, I had hiked it up, thinking the more fabric I could tuck in, the better it would hold. First demo and 6 rounds of sparring down, and it didn't budge. As the day went on, I tucked it a little less, and as far as I remember, it only fell out of the belt once while I was climbing stairs. Movement for fighting was not hindered; if anything, it gave me a better range of motion than I usually have in pants.

​Fencing in the shoes of I.33’s time

​My real concern was going to be the shoes. I knew it would not be a walk in the park after seeing Donny and Danial spar and slip and slide in their period shoes (especially in the rain). I had tested them once prior for practice, and it was a new sensation. I bought shoes based on 12th-century designs—thin, smooth soles and lacing on the side. The lacing didn't do much to secure the shoe. The leather lacing was, however, very effective at driving me a bit mad. I was repeating it every 10 minutes. At one point, I stuffed the lacing down into my shoe and didn't pay much attention to it afterward. The smooth soles took a little getting used to, and I had to adjust as the day went on. The morning was slippery because of the dew on the grass. As the day went on and it got warmer, the ground dried up, leading to another obstacle. The dried dirt underfoot was slicker than when it was wet. As a martial artist, I'm used to fighting on the balls of my feet and not over-extending my steps, but I did find myself sliding into a lunge now and again during sparring.

​Fencing in Walpurgis’ Attire

​Fencing in period clothing was an exciting experience. I had some worries about the extra layers being cumbersome and hot, but the mix of cotton and linen was breathable, and I could move freely. I may have had better mobility than Danial regarding footwork and the ability to move my sword and shield with a full range of motion. The shoes did limit my movement more than anything in both wet and dry ground. Several times, I overextended my lunge, nearly hyperextending my knee. As I moved around, I had to constantly be aware of my footing and the material beneath me. With thinner souls, there were many more sensations to what was underfoot, something people of the time would have been much more used to than we are today.

​Closing Thoughts

​Overall, it was a great experience to demonstrate and talk about swords and bucklers and do it in period-style clothing, which took it to the next level. I look forward to it again soon and representing Walpurgis and female fencers. The castle demonstration and bringing the manuscript to life like this is a beautiful opportunity because I love the opportunity we have to not only swing swords in a castle but also show them the manuscripts and how I.33 would have looked in practice. I'm especially happy to show everyone who visits that even hundreds of years ago, there were more females than milkmaids and princesses.