The Art of Duelling: Cultures and Ethical Codes
Tour the worlds where bravery and honour meet on the battlefield. Discover the richness of military history
By War Museum
War Museum Athens
Firearm Mechanism
Duelling is when two people engage in planned combat, carrying the same weaponry.
Firearm Mechanism by UnknownWar Museum
Ancient and medieval cultures were no strangers to duelling as a practice, but it became widely spread as a method for achieving moral satisfaction during the 17th and 18th centuries. It began to decline around the start of the 19th century, under the influence of the values of the Enlightenment.
Traditionally, duelling was the business of men and particularly noblemen – although there were exceptions to the rules – and it was based on a code of honour, the ultimate goal being to restore moral order, not necessarily to exterminate the opponent.
Indian Kora
In ancient India, duels (Niyuddha) were primarily used to settle disputes between noblemen, warlords or rulers and they were highly ritualistic in nature.
Indian Kora by UnknownWar Museum
What’s more, members of the military nobility considered it a great shame to die of illness or old age, so they often arranged duels which they knew they would lose, just to ensure that they would depart from this life in glory, during battle.
Duels were conducted under a very strict code of rules, and violating this code was considered both dishonourable and a sin.
For example, a duellist was prohibited from attacking his opponent if the latter had dropped his weapon, if he had yielded, if he had fallen unconscious or if his hair had come undone, thus obscuring his vision.
Large two-handed Sword
Already during the Middle Ages, the Germanic peoples used the practice of duelling (Kampf) as an official judicial method for dispute resolution. Duels, inextricably linked to chivalric codes of honour, were fought by duellists either on foot or on horseback.
Large two-handed sword by UnknownWar Museum
Duelling became so popular that the German School of Fencing was established in the late Middle Ages, which has survived until recent years.
At first, duels were conducted between noblemen in full metal armour, but over the centuries they became a means of restoring honour for members of the urban classes, who fought with swords and later pistols, while they also evolved into a beloved habit of students in German universities. During the 19th and early 20th century, facial scars were considered a sign of bravery, as well as academic education. Thus, it was not uncommon for men, especially military men, to inflict such marks on themselves, so that they could claim participation in numerous duels and boast of their skills.
Japanese Katana Guard
In Japanese history, the period from the early 17th to the mid-19th century is called Edo or Tokugawa. During this period, the tradition of duelling (Kettō) became widely spread, especially among the Samurai, i.e. the members of Japan's hereditary military nobility.
Japanese Katana Guard by UnknownWar Museum
Duels were usually fought with a katana, which is a long Japanese sword with a slightly curved blade of exceptional strength and a long two-handed hilt.
Duelling was a much-loved spectacle and people flocked to watch it, while famous warriors were celebrated as folk heroes, devising and teaching new duelling techniques and competing with each other as to who had won the most one-on-one combats.
The highest achievement was held by Miyamoto Musashi, swordsman and Ronin, who became famous for using an unorthodox technique with one sword in each hand, having won 61 duels.
Russian Imperial Guard
The practice of duelling reached the Russian Empire in the 17th century, through mercenaries of the Tsarist army. Soon, duels claimed so many officers’ lives that Tsar Peter I the Great banned them, under penalty of hanging for both participants.
Russian Imperial Guard Cuirass by UnknownWar Museum
Nevertheless, duelling continued to take place illegally and, in fact, it became so popular among soldiers that an informal code was drawn up on its conduct. Later, the rules of the code were recorded by Victor Durasov and published in 1908.
A basic principle of the code was that officers could only duel with a soldier of the same rank as themselves. Of course, duelling as a means of dispute resolution also spread beyond the army.
Many influential Russian politicians and scholars have fought to restore their honour. A notable instance is the case of the great writer Alexander Pushkin, who was killed during his 30th duel.
Duelling Pistols
In Western Europe, near the end of the 18th century, sword duels started to decline as the widespread use of firearms allowed for fighting with pistols. Soon, cases with duelling pistols became a necessary “accessory” for noblemen.
Duelling Pistols by Johann SpringerWar Museum
Such cases contained two identical pistols in order to ensure a fair fight, bullets, cleaning rods and powder flasks for loading the guns, as well as various paraphernalia for cleaning and maintenance; in some cases, there was also a special slot for storing a printed version of the code with the rules of the duel.
In the French method, duellists would stand back to back and, at the referee’s command, they would march a specific number of paces moving away from each other, so that, upon turning to face each other, they would have to fire as quickly and straightly as possible. In the British method, the opponents, while facing each other, would stand still at a predetermined distance and they would try to fire immediately upon the relevant signal.
