Duels

[rickthefightguy]

So,
I seem to remember reading somewhere that choice of weapons in a duel varied from place to place. Something like challenger chooses in England, while in France it is the challenged. Anyone else remember that? Or have a favorite reference?

Comments

[gyzki]

Yes, I also remember learning that somewhere. No, I don't remember which way is which. But this is to reassure you, while we take the time to go look things up, that you are not alone.

[rickthefightguy]

You are such a gamer! :) To fill in the details, your 'choice of weapons', in most times and places, was limited to the ones that were generally acceptable - swords or pistols in the 18th and 19th, for example. There are lots of accounts of odd weapons, of course, but they are definitely the exception.

And what you are missing is that this isn't a game for most folks. Step one was not a challenge, but an offense. In lots of places, Step two was not a challenge, but a _counter-offense_! So, I jilt your sister, for example. In response, you call me a coward in public. That forces me to either accept the insult, or challenge you to a duel. In that scenario, it is the person who initially was injured that was the _challenged_. Anyway, it gets complicated.

[ludimagist]

The Duel: A History of Duelling by Robert Baldick is an ok source, my main issue with it is that there is a bit too much mythology presented as history.

[rickthefightguy]

Indeed, I have that book on my shelf, but I remembered it as mostly a series of anecdotes. In looking again, I see that Baldick claims that choice of weapons on the continent went to the challenger and in English speaking countries to the challenged. However Baldick also claims that the longsword was a 'cumbersome, heavy weapon'... so I don't know how much I trust him :)

[rickthefightguy]

Also, on the page before that claim, he quotes an Irish dueling document which he claims was substantially similar to English _and_ continental codes from earlier, which gives the choice of weapons to the challenged.