Historical Tidbits - The Art of Duelling

By Cassandra Samuels
(This first appeared on the Historical Hearts Blog)

Trial by Combat. Wager by battle. Duelling. This one-on-one practice of conflict resolution has been around for centuries. As far back as the Romans, when gladiators would fight for the honour of their masters.

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Knights would duel on horseback and with swords to honour their king, queen or noble house. It was a form of entertainment but also a battle of wits and skill. It was a way to earn favour and to make money for armour, horses and equipment.

Sir Nigel Sustains England's Honor by N.C. Wyeth - 1922

Later, around the 1700s, duelling became fashionable and was fought over more trivial matters. Duels were still matters of honour and were serious events despite what might have been the original slight.

As you can see, the sword was the weapon of hand-to-hand combat. From the heavier broadsword and the longer rapier, to the short sword and the deadly sabre.

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All were weapons that could wound and kill, depending on the combatants and the seriousness of their quarrel. Some duels were to the death while others were to 'first blood' only.

Around the 1770s there was a brief transition whereby both the pistol and the sword were used in a duel. Swords soon fell out of favour and the pistol became the weapon of choice by the 1800s. Duelling with swords became more of a recreational sport amongst the aristocrats.

duelling pistols circa 1750s

There were only a very few master craftsmen who made duelling pistols (Wogdon and Barton being two). These men took pride in their creations and presented them in a set, usually in a beautiful inlaid box. These pistols could be highly decorated or austere but they had one thing in common - they were deadly.

A pistol duellist would stand side-on (presenting the smallest target), pointing his pistol at the ground. On signal, he would raise his arm in a single movement and fire. These instructions varied. Some dropped a handkerchief while others stood back-to-back, took paces, turned and fired. In every instance it was hoped that the quick action would be less accurate, giving the opponents less time to aim and more chance to miss, therefore giving each swordsman a fighting chance (pun intended). Written into the rules was that there must always be ample time for apologies.

I shall conquer this - Rowlandson 1787

There are many variations on the rules of duelling depending on time period, country and choice of weapon. They are all very interesting. The most common of these was the Code Duello which itself was changed over the years but the honour of the gentlemen was always paramount.

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There are many great stories of duels between notable men but I only have space for one. In 1761 Colonel Grey was killed and Major Egerton wounded after Grey bumped into Egerton while leaving a performance at the theatre. Egerton had called Grey 'a stupid booby', punches were thrown and a duel was quickly organised. Many such incidences occurred with at least six recorded in 1793 and 1796. 

Women loved duelists; perhaps they were the bad boys of the time or just dangerous to know and exciting to be with. I have a duel in my current work in progress, currently called The Collector of Hearts. The duel is the catalyst for my hero's journey. Everything he does and every decision, right or wrong, is the effect of what happened that fateful day. 

Have you read any books or films that included a duel?

Love to love the sword duel between Montoya and Westly (Dread Pirate Roberts) in The Princess Bride. 

  

Love to laugh at this short but brilliant film - Duel at Blood Creek by Leo Burton

Love to learn more about the traditions of the time in which I am writing.

Want to know more about dueling? Go to:

Watch 1977 The Duellist movie

Read: Duels and Duelling by Stephen Banks