Many schoolchildren, and even older people, admired jousting tournaments, the romance of medieval traditions and the feeling of unreal freedom. The boys, having read books about brave musketeers, were ready to fight on swords, and the girls dreamed of being beautiful maids of honor at balls. Although what is beautiful at first glance is not always so exciting in fact. Duels held in order to defend their honor were at times an ordinary massacre.
Medieval justice
The first written information about duels appeared during the time of the first kings, who divided the lands of Europe among themselves. At that time, this method of clarifying relations was attributed to the court of the gods. Although even earlier, the fate of the convicts was solved in the same way in Ancient Greece and Rome. Two fighters were released on the battlefield, a convict and a justice representative. It was believed that only the innocent could win. If the condemned died, the judgment of the gods was completed.
The history of the duel, which is better known to contemporaries, began in the 15th century. At that time, the most common way to deal with the enemy was hired killers, poisoning or contacting the overlord.
Few vassals dared to demand that the ruler solve their problems, thus making them public. But the increased estate of the nobles, who received the titles for feats of arms, was looking for a way to punish the impudent people who dared to insult them.
A noble title made any family a step taller than an ordinary city dweller or a wealthy merchant. The small impoverished families tried to show their superiority, but did not want to put up with the ridicule of the richer "comrades."
In order to defend his honor, scolded by an unjust word or action, the nee nobleman could challenge a duel. This is a way to defend your dignity by a duel between two people in the strictly established framework of the dueling code.
Crazy Italy
The ancestor of such fights was Italy. Young people could not only award enemies with unflattering epithets, but also invite them to a duel in a secluded nook on the outskirts of the city. Public fights were censured, so the duelists tried to hide their actions.
It was this innovation that replaced the judicial fights organized with the knowledge of the king or the measure of the city. From that moment on, the offended person could challenge the offender and receive satisfaction in a convenient place and with the weapons that he had with him.
Such fights began to be called "battles in the bush" because of the desire to hide from the eyes of ordinary citizens. Such battles helped solve the problem with less blood and the number of victims suffering from the conflict was significantly reduced.
A good example is Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo has to fight Paris. The death of a young man from the main character’s sword was the result of a “battle in the bushes”.
Hot French and cold-blooded English
A little later, fights in the streets became part of the life of the French and British. And if the French eagerly sorted out relationships on the streets, in the gateways, then for the inhabitants of foggy Albion this was rather an extreme measure.
Already in the XVI century, a duel is not only a way to settle scores with the offender, but also an opportunity to show your ability to use knives.
It was at this time that the first printed tracts appeared containing the rules of the duel. Thanks to them, spontaneous battles acquired the rules, rules of conduct. It was such works that became the basis on which the dueling code was built. Few of the titled persons bothered reading books and manuals. This ritual has been passed down from generation to generation.
Dueling code
In the modern world, two codes are most often mentioned: Russian, written by Durasov, and European in two editions - Count Verger and Count Chatovillar. They were used by nobles and military personnel of that time.
These editions described the rules of the duel. Weapons and reasons for the call were indicated. The place of the duel was specified. The fight could be waged with the help of cold steel and firearms. The dueling code was very useful, especially at the time of the appearance of small arms in the form of pistols.
Call
Any nobleman could challenge, if the actions or words spoken to him could damage his honor or the honor of his family. Thus, anything could be an insult: from a randomly thrown word to open disrespect for the status and position of a person in society.
If financial conflicts arose, they were not considered the reason for the challenge to a duel. Claims of a material nature were resolved through litigation.
The cause of the challenge to a duel could be the death of a loved one at the hands of the killer, carelessly expressed sharpness towards the lady of the heart or family of the offended.
In order to make a challenge, duelists had to stand at the same level in the hierarchical ladder, not give way to each other's title and position in society. Those who received such a call from a lower status could easily refuse it, since such a call could already be considered an insult.
Types of duels
The first duels were carried out using edged weapons: rapiers, swords, sabers, swords, daggers, dagi. At the choice of rivals, she could become:
- Mobile - carried out at a site of a certain size).
- Fixed - carried out in one place, during the battle, the rivals could not move from the intended position.
Until the end of the 17th century, a movable duel on swords was allowed using “dishonest” methods of warfare: kicks with hands and feet, an additional bonus in the form of a dagger or shield. With the advent of pistols, this method has become obsolete.
The dueling code described firearms contests as a “meeting” using twin pistols not used by any of the duelists. Such weapons existed in any noble family.
To such a “meeting” the pistols brought both: both offended and offended. One of the pairs was selected by lot. In the original version, the rules of the duel allowed to make only one shot. Over time, new varieties of duels arose and, accordingly, new combat options.
Pistol Duel
There were such types of duels:
- Fixed duel. Distance from 15 to 35 steps, shot by command or by extended lot.
- Moving duel with an obstacle. On a flat ground, the middle is marked with any object, to him arrows count the right number of steps and shoot when ready.
- Duel at a noble distance. The distance between the arrows is no more than fifteen steps.
- Blind shot. At a distance of fifteen steps, the duelists stand with their backs to each other, a shot is fired over the shoulder.
- Russian roulette. Only one pistol is loaded, a shot is fired from a distance of 5-8 steps.
Thus, a duel is not just a way to express your dissatisfaction with the insult, but also a real opportunity to deal with the enemy once and for all.
The most cruel way of reprisal was the so-called American duel. Duelists threw lots, and the one he fell on had to commit suicide in the prescribed time period. Due to such a wild outcome, this method was removed from the dueling code.
Referees and duel participants
For a proper duel, seconds were needed. They made sure that opponents did not meet before the duel, choose a venue. Favorite places where the duel was held were suburban forests, parks or fields.
Anyone present at the time of insulting and challenging a duel could be a second.
There have been cases when, instead of the offended, a trusted person could come out - the closest relative, friend or person, who considers it her duty to protect the scolded honor of the weaker.