Changes

==Origin==

==Origin==

[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English], from Medieval Latin ''duellum'', from Old Latin, [[war]]

[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English], from Medieval Latin ''duellum'', from Old Latin, [[war]]

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_century 15th Century]

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_century 15th Century]

==Definitions==

==Definitions==

*1: a [[combat]] between two persons; specifically : a [[formal]] combat with [[weapons]] fought between two persons in the presence of [[witnesses]]

*1: a [[combat]] between two persons; specifically : a [[formal]] combat with [[weapons]] fought between two persons in the presence of [[witnesses]]

A '''duel''' is an arranged [[engagement]] in combat between two [[individuals]], with matched [[weapons]] in accordance with agreed-upon rules.

A '''duel''' is an arranged [[engagement]] in combat between two [[individuals]], with matched [[weapons]] in accordance with agreed-upon rules.

''Duels'' in this form were chiefly practised in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Modern_Europe Early Modern Europe], with precedents in the medieval code of [[chivalry]], and continued into the [[modern]] period (19th to early 20th centuries) especially among [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Officer_(armed_forces) military officers]. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly fought with swords (the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapier rapier], later the smallsword, and finally the French [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foil_(fencing) foil]), but beginning in the late 18th century and during the 19th century, duels were more commonly fought using pistols; fencing and pistol duels continued to co-exist throughout the 19th century. Pistol duelling was employed many times in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_United_States Colonial United States] until it fell out of favor in Eastern America in the 18th century. It was retained however in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Old_West American Old West] for quite some time due to the absence of common law.

''Duels'' in this form were chiefly practised in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Modern_Europe Early Modern Europe], with precedents in the medieval code of [[chivalry]], and continued into the [[modern]] period (19th to early 20th centuries) especially among [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Officer_(armed_forces) military officers]. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly fought with swords (the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapier rapier], later the smallsword, and finally the French [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foil_(fencing) foil]), but beginning in the late 18th century and during the 19th century, duels were more commonly fought using pistols; fencing and pistol duels continued to co-exist throughout the 19th century. Pistol duelling was employed many times in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_United_States Colonial United States] until it fell out of favor in Eastern America in the 18th century. It was retained however in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Old_West American Old West] for quite some time due to the absence of common law.

The duel was based on a code of [[honour]]. Duels were fought not so much to kill the opponent as to gain "[[satisfaction]]", that is, to restore one's honour by [[demonstrating]] a willingness to [[risk]] one's life for it, and as such the [[tradition]] of duelling was originally reserved for the [[male]] members of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobility nobility]; however, in the modern era it extended to those of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_classes upper classes] generally. From the early 17th century duels became illegal in the countries where they were practised.

The duel was based on a code of [[honour]]. Duels were fought not so much to kill the opponent as to gain "[[satisfaction]]", that is, to restore one's honour by [[demonstrating]] a willingness to [[risk]] one's life for it, and as such the [[tradition]] of duelling was originally reserved for the [[male]] members of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobility nobility]; however, in the modern era it extended to those of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_classes upper classes] generally. From the early 17th century duels became illegal in the countries where they were practised.

At the choice of the offended party, the duel could be fought to a number of conclusions:

At the choice of the offended party, the duel could be fought to a number of conclusions:

*In the case of pistol duels, each party would fire one shot. If neither man was hit and if the challenger stated that he was satisfied, the duel would be declared over. If the challenger was not satisfied, a pistol duel could continue until one man was wounded or killed, but to have more than [[three]] exchanges of fire was considered [[barbaric]] and, on the rare occasion that no hits were achieved, somewhat ridiculous.

*In the case of pistol duels, each party would fire one shot. If neither man was hit and if the challenger stated that he was satisfied, the duel would be declared over. If the challenger was not satisfied, a pistol duel could continue until one man was wounded or killed, but to have more than [[three]] exchanges of fire was considered [[barbaric]] and, on the rare occasion that no hits were achieved, somewhat ridiculous.

Under the latter conditions, one or both parties could [[intentionally]] miss in order to fulfill the conditions of the duel, without loss of either life or [[honour]]. However, doing so, known as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delope deloping], could imply that your opponent was not worth shooting. This [[practice]] occurred despite being expressly banned by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_duello Code Duello] of 1777. Rule 13 stated: "No dumb shooting or firing in the air is admissible in any case... children's play must be dishonourable on one side or the other, and is accordingly prohibited."

Under the latter conditions, one or both parties could [[intentionally]] miss in order to fulfill the conditions of the duel, without loss of either life or [[honour]]. However, doing so, known as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delope deloping], could imply that your opponent was not worth shooting. This [[practice]] occurred despite being expressly banned by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_duello Code Duello] of 1777. Rule 13 stated: "No dumb shooting or firing in the air is admissible in any case... children's play must be dishonourable on one side or the other, and is accordingly prohibited."

Practices varied, however, and many pistol duels were to first blood or [[death]]. The [[offended]] party could stop the duel at any time if he deemed his honour [[satisfied]]. In some duels, the seconds would take the place of the primary dueller if the primary was not able to finish the duel. This was usually done in duels with swords, where one's [[expertise]] was sometimes limited. The second would also act as a [[witness]].

Practices varied, however, and many pistol duels were to first blood or [[death]]. The [[offended]] party could stop the duel at any time if he deemed his honour [[satisfied]]. In some duels, the seconds would take the place of the primary dueller if the primary was not able to finish the duel. This was usually done in duels with swords, where one's [[expertise]] was sometimes limited. The second would also act as a [[witness]].

[[Participation]] in a duel could be honorably refused on account of a major [[difference]] in age between the parties and, to a lesser extent, in cases of social inferiority on the part of the challenger. Such inferiority had to be immediately obvious, however. As [[author]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertram_Wyatt-Brown Bertram Wyatt-Brown] states, "with [[social]] distinctions often difficult to measure," most men could not [[escape]] on such grounds without the appearance of [[cowardice]].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duel]

[[Participation]] in a duel could be honorably refused on account of a major [[difference]] in age between the parties and, to a lesser extent, in cases of social inferiority on the part of the challenger. Such inferiority had to be immediately obvious, however. As [[author]] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertram_Wyatt-Brown Bertram Wyatt-Brown] states, "with [[social]] distinctions often difficult to measure," most men could not [[escape]] on such grounds without the appearance of [[cowardice]].[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duel]

[[Category: Anthropology]]

[[Category: Anthropology]]