Thoughts on the Highland dirk.
There are many types of dirks and much has been written on the evolution of the Highland dirk. One can find many examples of the Highland dirk in Drummond’s book Ancient Scottish Weapons. What one cannot find are many examples of how and why the Highland dirk was used.
The Highland dirk worn today by most participants of Highland games is not the dirk of the old clansman; by this I mean the dirk used during the age of the warring clans or better known as the age of the clan feuds. The kilted Highland Games participant who strolls along with a beer in one hand and an empty wallet in the other often has draped in front of his crotch a beautifully ornate Highland dirk that is twisting, bouncing, and waving next to a bushy-haired sporran, which equally flops about with the rhythm of a tourist. This ornate dirk is often confused with its ancestor a slightly less beautiful tool that was a considerably more deadly weapon. The modern Highland dirk is more often a ornamental replica of the regimental dirk of later years.
The dirk of the clan years was quite a different thing altogether. Like the regimental dirk, the clan dirk also had a false back near the handle but unlike its more modern version the clan dirk was shaped very differently. It was comparable to an 18inch elongated, thin, triangular-shaped blade. At its handle the blade was roughly 1-¼ inches and it angled evenly down to an extremely sharp point (dirks of this nature often varied in length and size but the relative shape remained the same.) Unlike most daggers of these times, the Highland dirk was worn at the front of the body and slightly off center as apposed to on the hip. It is suspected that this peculiar style of wearing the dirk allowed for easy drawing with either hand, just in case some killing became necessary.
While there are few references to the use of the Highland dirk, those I have found have much in common with the other ancient sources on using a dagger. By combining techniques from several ancient manuscripts and testing them through years of full-contact dirk fights, I have learned much about the Highland dirk its uses, and its possibilities.
There are three ways of gripping the dirk: forward grip, the saber grip, and the reverse grip. The forward and saber grip are as the name, implies. With a forward grip the weapon points forward and with the later the dirk is held in the same manner as a saber, i.e, the thumb is on top and behind the back of the blade. The third grip being the reverse grip; were the weapon is held in the fist with the pummel up and the blade down with the edge out and not touching the elbow. Both grips have one thing in common there must be an added twist to holding this weapon, because unlike most dirks, the Highland dirk does not have a hand guard. While using the forward and saber grip, the little finger is curled underneath the pummel, and with the reverse grip the thumb is held over the pummel. These subtle but often forgotten finger positions keep the weapon from slipping through the hand on impact. This added finger position is often overlooked by both contemporary wearers of the weapon and by artist portraying the Highlander holding a dirk.
One might argue that the unique shape of the Highland dirk’s handle would prevent slipping. I would counter this argument with the scars across the palms of students’ hands who had forgotten this simple pummel finger trick. One cannot discuss the Highland dirk of the warring clansman and not mention the references of the dirk being used in combination with the broadsword and targe. There is a familiar painting by David Moriers of Highlanders charging the British line during the battle of Culloden Moor. In this painting, one of the lead Highlanders is clearly holding a dirk in his targe hand in the reverse grip. Because of this and some written references, it has become common belief that this was a standard combat technique among clan warriors. I have researched this concept of dirk and targe use extensively. There are some genuinely obvious problems with the idea behind the dirk and the targe. Using the reverse grip with a targe in the same hand makes for a weak grip of both targe and dirk. The grip also only allows about two inches of the dirk to extend beyond the targe’s lower edge, which makes the striking power behind the dirk limited at best. The troubles with this possible technique go on. If an enemy strikes the top of the targe or pulls down on it, the Highlander holding that targe is likely to find his own dirk sticking in his leg or groin. Yet another flaw in this targe dirk theory can be found in references of Highlanders facing charging cavalry by squatting down and cutting up into the bellies of the horses with their dirks. For them to do this in the aforesaid targe dirk grip, the highlander, by the nature of the mechanics behind the move, would have to expose his back to the rider’s saber strokes.
Another theory was that the bottom portion of the dirk extending below the targe was used for parrying low cuts to the targe side leg. This technique was by my students and me, tried and tried again, and always it came up wanting as any form of protection for the lower leg. The only targe dirk grip of any value I could find through hands on application was to wedge the dirk into the targe handle and hold it in a saber grip. Even though this has some profits to it, it is still a weak and questionable application. The most reasonable conclusion for gripping the dagger in the reverse manner was to use it as an on the ready back up weapon. If the Highlander was to loose his broadsword or because of excessively close combat where wrestling one another to the ground often resulted, Termed Coming to grips in the old manuscripts. The Highlander could temporally discard his sword and quickly grab the dirk with his free hand. A method infinity more effective when combat becomes too close for sword strokes. In combat, the reverse grip has only a few advantages to it. This type of grip is best suited for sneak attacks and crowded melee combat.
When fighting with a dirk and a sword, a common misconception is that the dirk did the parrying and the sword did the killing. The truth is the exact opposite. The dirk is too weak a weapon, and due to its length, compared to the sword it offers entirely too much exposure to be very useful as a defensive weapon. On the other hand, the length of the sword lends itself well to trapping or pinning other weapons and allowing the sword wielder to close on his opponent and put his dirk to good use killing that opponent. One can find this concept throughout the many combat manuscripts of the times. Taking into account the nature of clan warfare and its tendencies toward single combat during melees, this use of the dirk as a tool for killing in close seems more applicable.
Ditching one’s sword in the face of an adversary may seem foolhardy from the outside looking in. However, the reader must keep in mind the nature of clan warfare. Both sides usually stood opposite each other hooting and baying out war cries until it grew tiresome, then they charged. On impact of this charge, there was either slaughter on both sides or more often one side broke and ran home. These battles were of an ancient ritualistic nature. They were not fought in the traditional sense of the more modern line and formation style of combat found in England and Western Europe. For the highlander, battle was more about bravado and a head count than an issue of taking and holding strategic ground. Because of this common ancient ritualistic view of war among the clans, battles often broke into a series of single combats. Keeping that in mind, such techniques as closing with sword and targe until you have crowded out your opponent’s own weapon is not such an absurd idea. This technique coined Coming to grips by the old masters. It meant once you crowded out your enemy’s weapon you dropped your own now useless sword, grab your dirk, which is readily at hand, and put it to good work. All the while you remain under the protection of your targe. This technique seems long and drawn out but practiced on the field and used in full contact fights it is a very effective method for dispatching opponents in both single combat and in crowded melees.
The reader should not be fooled by the entertainment industry’s depictions of combat during the age of clan warfare. It was a very fast high-pitched bloody encounter. The impact of the Highland charge was estimated to be a hit into the enemy’s line at around twelve miles per hour. The carnage after the battle of Killicrankie was so grotesque that even seasoned warriors had to turn their heads from it. Knowing this, one can easily see why the clashing lines either broke or became horribly tangled and congested. Considering the good and hard lessons my students and I have learned from old world treatises and good old-fashioned hands on fighting, we discovered the Highland dirk of old was a valuable battle tool. The Highland dirk is not a weapon to be left out of any painting regarding the clansman of old. But, one should not take for granted that a simple posture in a single painting can reveal any real truths behind that weapon’s use. The only way to learn the truths behind the real use of weapons is by accurately reproducing them, researching the weapon and its uses, and finally, putting that knowledge into action. For those of you not as passionate about the subject or perhaps as crazy as some have coined us, I leave for you the reader some simple truths revealed to us about the Highland dirk through research, bleeding, and bruises.
By Larry L Andrews
Author of The Cutting Edge, A practical guide the Use of Scottish Highland Weapons, Book 1 & The Cutting Edge, Book 2 The Complete Edition, The Cutting Edge third edition, and Lessons From The Warrior Sage.
The author has extensively researched the subject of ancient weapons combat for many years using both historical research and hands on in the field full contact combat re search. The author’s works have been requested by, and reside at, the National Historical Library of Edinburgh Scotland.
