[Ansteorra-rapier] Duelling practices (was: Ansteorra-rapier Digest, Vol 17, Issue 4)

[Chris Zakes]

At 08:25 AM 10/10/2007, you wrote:
>
>  Corvin,
>
>     Lets touch on your definition of a Duel. Are we talking 
> brawling, a spontaneous street fight? Or are do we speak of a 
> formal, drop the gauntlet, find a second, meet me at dawn, 
> challenge? If it is spur of the moment fight, I doubt you would 
> have the time to done your mail. Then, again, your rapier tough 
> could come prepared for trouble. In the case of the formal duel, if 
> you have time to plan, wouldn't you seek any advantage that would 
> help save you life?

Yes and no. The basic mindset for a formal duel was that the fighters 
would start out on an equal footing--same length, weight and type of 
sword, same armor for each fighter, etc. Some writers even argued 
that if one fighter was missing an eye or a limb, then the other 
fighter should have the same eye or limb removed before they were 
allowed to fight. (Other writers said that it was sufficient of the 
non-handicapped fighter had the eye covered, or the limb bound so it 
was unusable.)


>There are several accounts of duelist arriving to fight with chain 
>mail under their doublets. Not sporting, but when your life is on 
>the line , you must wonder how often it was considered.

I'm sure it was considered, but the general opinion of fighters who 
did that was about the same as the SCA's opinion of rhinohides. There 
were frequently mechanisms in place--such as having each fighter's 
second examine the othe fighter--to make sure such cheating wasn't 
taking place.

         -Tivar Moondragon