The Round

As a general interpretation, a round is a high line horizontal attack, cast in a big circle above your head swinging the tip all the way from the right to the left, around the back, then to front again.

A secondary useful interpretation is using the round as a type of feint; Cutting down with the fore-edge of the blade, having the option to cut the enemy if applicable, otherwise the blade wheels/rounds around the left/right side of the body, twisting the grip so the back-edge faces the centerline/down of which it normally transitions into a back thrust as shown in the Ledall roll and in Cotton.

The round is very interesting as it appears to be the only strike I've found thus far, to not have a certain notable origin/endpoint and is not positional according to my interpretation of the evidence. Generally I throw it from high right in Open Fight.

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Etymonline says;

round(adj., adv.)

c. 1300 (early 13c. as a surname), "spherical in shape; circular in outline," of persons or animals, "well-fed;" from Anglo-French rounde, Old French roont (12c., Modern French rond), probably originally redond, from Vulgar Latin retundus (source also of Provençal redon, Spanish redondo, Old Italian ritondo), from Latin rotundus "like a wheel, circular, round," related to rota "wheel" (see rotary). The French word is the source of Middle Dutch ront (Dutch rond), Middle High German runt (German rund) and similar words in the Germanic languages.

As an adverb from c. 1300. As a preposition from c. 1600, "so as to make a complete circuit" (as in round the world 1715 as "throughout, all through" (as in round the clock by 1743 as "so as to make a turn or partial circuit about" (as in round the corner). In many cases it is a shortened form of around (adv.).

Of numbers from mid-14c., "entire, full, complete, brought to completion," with the notion of symmetry extended to that of completeness. Round number for one only approximately correct, usually expressed in 10s, 100s, etc., is by 1640s.

 Regarding the last statement, the thought it could be a complete follow through cut from say a quarter or hawke to a lower lying/stop, could be construed, however with other language like "full" in the treatises which fulfill the role, I'm not inclined to think so and it is not relevant.



As a verb it states;

round(v.)

late 14c., rounden, "to make round, give roundness to," from round (adj.). Sense of "make a circuit round" is from 1590s. Sense of "bring to completeness" is from c. 1600; meaning "to approximate (a number)" is from 1934; with up or down, "to increase (or decrease) a number by adding to its last digit," by 1956. Meaning "turn round and face, turn on and assault" is from 1882. Related: Rounded; rounding.



The definition leads us to think it is a full "round" circle the blade of a sword travels, one of the most efficient ways to achieve this is the said, overhead swing.

Harley says in the 3rd chase;

......with 3 double rounds standing borne on the head . with a double round born in with the foot.....(3rd chase)

(I don't know what the period is for but it appears in the Original transcription from Wiktenauer.)

In his 5th encounter;

.......break off the earth with running rounds on the head......(5th encounter)



"Bourne on the head" is an interesting choice of words; Today we would say "Carried/held above the head"



Etymonline says without giving much knowledge of timeline;

borne:

"carried, sustained, endured," past tense and participle of bear (v.) in all senses not related to birth. See born.



HOWEVER, the related article for "Bear" says;

"The Old English past tense bær became Middle English bare; the alternative bore began to appear c. 1400, but bare remained the literary form till after 1600. Past-participle distinction of borne for "carried" and born for "given birth" is from late 18c."

This essentially says, the word "borne" didn't exist in this context till the 1800s.

So what's our option then? What's practical for interpreting this line for the above first theory?

My vote is to interpret this as "Borne = Carried" even though current evidence says this didn't show up until 3-400 years after this was written, mostly aided by the 5th encounter saying "on the head" which may be obvious to the reader, however I am being thorough.

Essentially this says the rounds in this specific chase are swung above the head in a large arc, following the first interpretation of the Round. This may be supported by Cotton's advice to aim a round to the waist, while definitely not able to be hit from the head, means the round can be cut horizontally as would be needed for both of these cases.

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Harley speaks of the "Hauke Quarter Round", from his talks of hauke quarters, we can surmise they're just quarters, and while we MAY be able to say these are 2-3 different moves in subsequent order, I believe it's two descriptors, "Hauke" and "Round" for the strike "Quarter". This instructs us to initiate a quarter, and then "wheel" around continuing the force of the blade around into the next strike, which in the 6th encounter is another round.



This provides value to the latter interpretation at the start of this essay, as the quarter follows this circular trajectory. However, as also mentioned above, it doesn't have to be mutually exclusive on positioning.......

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It must be said, an arguable majority of the mentions of Rounds in the treatises, are commonly called a "Double Round" which is discussed more at the end of this essay.
(Oddly enough I couldn't find any applicable mention of it in Silver's work)

Ledall;

"A Double Round, with a Back-thrust............" (2nd chase)

"A Double Round forward, an other backward......." (3rd Chase)

"Two Double Rounds forward and this follows contrary all to your man......"(5th Chase)

Cotton uses both;

" .....First a round for the waste single with a foin, Also a quarter with a foin. A rake single with a foin. A double round a double rake....." (Play of the 2 hand sword)

.....First a double round with a back foin.....(Second play of the 2 hand sword)



Harley uses double rounds, but also mentions a "Half-round"

"The 4th lesson is with a double hauke with 2 double rounds bearing in with a step upon both feet." (4th lesson/play)

"......is a chase smitten with 2 half rounds"(Also called the 4th lesson, but in second part of treatise, the "encounters")



.....The 5th counter is an half round of the second foot.......(5th lesson, encounters)

Taking the above quotes from the sources, and the etymology, we can theorize their meaning for a practical use.
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Double, and Half Rounds

Double and half in the treatises are obviously descriptors for moves, as already show for various strikes like quarters, rounds, foynes, etc. 

My interpretations respectively are:

A forceful additive to a move, for either speed or impact-force.

and,

A shorter version of a move, either cut short, a smaller movement, or less force/speed.



Regarding "Double" Etymonline says;

double(adj.)

c. 1300, "twice as much or as large," also "repeated, occurring twice," also "of extra weight, thickness, size, or strength; of two layers," from Old French doble (10c.) "double, two-fold; two-faced, deceitful," from Latin duplus "twofold, twice as much," from duo "two" (from PIE root *dwo- "two") + -plus "more" (see -plus).

From early 14c. as "having a twofold character or relation," also "consisting of two in a set together; being a pair, coupled." From mid-14c. as "characterized by duplicity." The earliest recorded use in English is c. 1200, in double-feast "important Church festival."



The two trains of thought from this is either it is "two of the same", or is "of extra weight....or strength". I'm much more in favor of the latter because Ledall says a few times to do "two double rounds" which would make the patient do 4 rounds using two different words for the same thing? This points us to the latter, extra strength theory.

........Two Double Rounds forward and this follows contrary all to your man........(5th Chase)

and;

.......Two Double Rounds forward, with as many backward;.....(6th Chase)

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Regarding "Half", Etymonline was no help with not much applicable;

half

Old English half, halb (Mercian), healf (W. Saxon) "side, part," not necessarily of equal division (original sense preserved in behalf), from Proto-Germanic halba- "something divided" (source also of Old Saxon halba, Old Norse halfr, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch half, German halb, Gothic halbs "half"), a word of no certain etymology. Perhaps from PIE root skel- (1) "to cut," or perhaps a substratum word. Noun, adjective, and adverb all were in Old English.



Harley describes haukes with it, such as;

........The 2nd lesson is 2 haukes with 2 half haukes cleaving the elbows with the same 2 double rounds aforesaid with 3 foot outward and as many homeward......(2nd chase)

He goes on with the aforementioned "half rounds" for which we care about this essay for;

......The 4th lesson . is a chase smitten with 2 half rounds . with 2 cock steps......(4th Chase, second part)



For the haukes, my guess is this much more of a light, maybe quick chopping action, less force than a full hauke, since he's aiming for a light target like the elbows.

For the rounds the half may mean the overhead swing round, stopping halfway in the swing either impacting or with the point then threatening the opponent.

For a practical use, a "half" movement cut is applicable for any Round labled with this descriptor, possibly to threaten the opponent with a follow up thrust..........


I just spent an entire essay to say, yes;

 You swing your sword in a big circle. Thx for reading.



Sources:

ARS ENSIS Lovagi Kör és Kardvívó Iskola Egyesület Free Scholler SZAKDOLGOZAT Medieval English Longsword Manuscripts: An Analysis (Can't link, apologies)

Jason Bright's English Longsword Curriculum (Can't link, hopefully will publish eventually)

Ledall Roll - https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Ledall_Roll_(Additional_MS_39564)

Harley - https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Man_yt_Wol_(MS_Harley_3542)

Silver - https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/George_Silver

Etymonline -https://www.etymonline.com/word/borne
https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=Rounde

Michigan Library - https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-english-dictionary/dictionary/MED5742/track?counter=2&search_id=1843930