In foreign classical literature works, you can often read the plot of the duel. In the long verse novel "Evgeny Onegin" by Pushkin, the father of Russian literature, there is a brilliant description of the duel between Lensky and Onegin; In the book, the author used three whole stanzas to describe a duel between the Count of Monte Cido and Alpe, the son of the enemy Matthew; They all call themselves knights, madmen who make trouble everywhere and find people to duel; British historical novelist Scott's novel "Ivan He" carefully depicts romantic contests and duels scenes, and truly reproduces the Middle Ages. social life in England. Dueling has become a fashion among all strata of European society, especially the upper class since the Middle Ages.
As the name suggests, a duel is a life-and-death struggle between two or more people. Duels are often fought according to pre-agreed rules, often with lethal weapons such as swords and pistols.
As early as the time of Julius Caesar in ancient Rome, among the Germanic tribes, there were records of resolving disputes through one-on-one sword fighting. By the middle of the Middle Ages, with the invasion of the Germans, the custom of dueling was also formed in Western Europe. Duel is the product of social development to a certain stage. With the development of society, various contradictions have become more and more intense. In legal disputes, solemn testimony and oaths were gradually replaced by perjury and promises; and at that time, there were no necessary means of reconnaissance and inspection, and had to resort to "God's will". At first, those courts that were completely controlled by religious forces used the so-called "ordinary judgment", which allowed the defendant to pass through a fire, immerse his hand in boiling water and other physical tests to determine whether the defendant was guilty or not. Later, because the method was highly contingent and susceptible to manipulation by the clergy, it became less fashionable. In its place is another form of physical ordeal - duel. If someone accuses a judge of a crime and the defendant claims that the plaintiff is lying, the judge makes the two men duel. At that time, people believed that such a duel was "God's judgement" and was absolutely just. The guilty party is bound to fail, or even be killed. If the losing party does not die on the spot, he must be punished according to the law, and the loser can only admit that he is unlucky.
During this period, some technical problems in the duel were also gradually determined. The time, place and weapon of the duel are determined by the judge. Throwing a long glove on the ground means a challenge. If the opponent picks up the glove, he is ready to fight. This challenge has been used for a long time.
Dueling applies to all free men. In some cases, serfs could also participate. Priests, women, patients, men under 20 and men over 60 can claim exemptions. If the defendant cannot attend in person due to special circumstances, he may entrust another person to take his place. After the Jewish woman Rebecca in the novel "Ivan He" was falsely accused, she once asked to exercise the right to a duel, and entrusted a strong man to fight on her behalf. She took off an embroidered glove and threw it until the Cardinal judged that Brian would represent his sect and himself in a contest with Rebecca's agents. If she can't find a proxy, burn her to death in public. At the critical moment, Ai Fanhe arrived. Brion, who was in a fierce emotional conflict, lost to Evan He and fell from the horse to his death. Rebecca was acquitted. This description vividly reproduces the system and situation of the duel at that time.
Dueling is also a way of resolving public disputes in many European countries. For example, in 1085 Spain engaged in a duel to decide whether the liturgy in Toledo (the Spanish city) was to be a Latin or a Mosarabic. Such duels are often held in arenas, in which the justices and high priests are present. Before the duel begins, the participant must swear to ensure that his reasons are valid, that the oath is true, that he will not carry weapons other than those prescribed, and will not use magic to win. If one fell to the ground injured, the other would put his knee on his chest. If the loser does not forgive, stab him with a dagger.
In the 11th century, this trial by duel was introduced to England. In France, duels are also taking place more and more frequently. This may be due to the prevalence of martial arts and duels. At that time, the sword had become an indispensable part of men's clothing with a certain status.
Another type of duel is the duel of honor, and the duels mentioned in literature tend to fall into this category. If people feel slighted or insulted by others, they ask each other to duel in order to restore their honor. Duels over women are not uncommon, and the tiniest of excuses can lead to a deadly duel. The more times you challenge others and the more often you take part in duels, the more you will earn a reputation for bravery. Conversely, not taking up the challenge is seen as cowardly, unmanly, and lacking in gentlemanly manner. In 1804, one of the most famous duels in American history took place. At that time, US Vice President Alan Burr challenged the famous American politician Alexander Hamilton, because the latter once said at a banquet due to political differences that he thought Burr was a "dangerous" figure, and Burr considered himself despised. Although Hamilton was disgusted with duels, as a man of status, he had to accept the challenge, and as a result, he was shot and killed by Burr.
In the beginning, the duel of honor did not participate in witnesses, and the duel was carried out independently by both sides. Later, it was discovered that someone had set up an ambush at the duel site, and since then the duelist was accompanied by friends or assistants. Details such as when, where, and what weapons to use are usually negotiated by aides on both sides. If a pistol is used, the firing distance must also be specified. Sometimes, assistants also participate in duels to show that they are friends. Such a duel is described in Dumas' novel "The Three Musketeers". The protagonist of the story, the French King's Guard Dal' Danyon, and the British Lord Wu Rongde agreed to a duel. The three well-known musketeers accompanied D'Artagnan to the duel, and the British also brought three assistants. So, on the duel arena, 8 heroes caught the pair and fought.
As private duels became more frequent and deadlier, the government had to intervene. In 1566, King George IX of France issued an order, announcing that the duelists would be executed. Since then, duels have been illegal in Britain and France. In "The Three Musketeers", D'Artagnan and the Musketeers were nearly arrested by the guards of the cardinal led by Jossac because of their duel. Nonetheless, duels have actually existed in French history longer than the monarchy. Since the period of the British Revolution in France, duels have become a means of resolving political disputes and eliminating political enemies. Throughout the 19th century, dueling incidents emerged one after another, and many Russian writers of this period involved duels in their works. Russian writers Pushkin and Lermontov also died in duels.
In the 20th century, the French still held duels from time to time, though measures were taken so that pistols and swords would not cause fatal casualties. Fighting like this is just going through the motions and gaining a good name. In Germany, duels for honor were also sanctioned by military regulations during the First World War. In 1936, the Nazi Party went even further to legalize dueling. The Italian fascist regime also encouraged duels. Dueling is still popular among German university students to this day. Many universities have long established a fighting organization. The organization had strict discipline, often held secret meetings, and had special uniforms. Students take pride in the scars on their heads and faces as a sign of bravery. Duels between women are rare but documented.
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