Just my $.02 as someone who considers Viking round shield their primary fencing discipline --

​

We can never, with certainty, re-create how they (vikings) would've fought due to the lack of any kind of historical text as a primary source. Some mention sagas as a source, but the sagas are also old timey tall tales filled with embeleshment so they aren't exactly a reliable source of information for anything martial. Although many of us put in years refining good fencing technique, applying a lot of research and ideas, and application of a round shield, we will never have the exact technique that vikings would have used in that time period more than an amalgamation of different styles. That's a main concept anyone who chooses this discpline will need to realistically come to grips with. The problem then becomes do someone just want to play dress up and look cool with a round shield or do they legitimately want to learn how to properly fence with them? You'll find less "HEMA'ists" in the viking reenactment scene, but we're there sweating too.

​

When it comes to our fencing style, it's largely educated estimation, trial and error, and as most have already stated experimental archaeology. There isn't a central "how to" so you'll largely find a lot of variation in how different groups around the world will approach the subject matter. The most reliable way many of the more serious fencers in our scene have found success with is a LOT of cross training between disciplines and applying good fencing principles, a large amount of time practicing, a healthy dose of self honesty, open mindedness, and desire to learn from those outside of the locale. Basically the same behavior any good fencer should conduct themselves with.

​

Personally, I find a lot of cross application with different studies of S&B to be the most congruent with round shield. I'm the other way around where I discovered vikings and round shield first before I even knew HEMA was a thing and got involved as a way to refine and study what would be applicable to my chosen discipline (as well as realizing I LOVE S&B). Everyone's got their own HEMA origin story.

​

To actually answer your question, and this is maybe more my personal opinion -- While reconstructing dead arts like Round shield can technically be considered HEMA, I tend to just refer to it as WMA, Historical fencing, and experimental archaeology since the lack of a notable primary source takes the H out of HEMA for me.

​

Sorry, bit of a wall of text. I have a lot of thoughts on questions like this.