Dueling Narratives
Sunday
Dueling started in the European Middle Ages, where noblemen were extremely protective of their honor and dueled to settle perceived affronts. Bans from secular and religious authorities did little to stop the practice, which saw its formal rules codified (“Code Duello”) in Ireland and later in the US.
Monday
A pair of dueling pistols is called a “brace,” but contrary to common belief, these were not packaged as a pair so that each opponent could have one, but rather so that the owner could have a familiar backup if the first gun misfired. Since these early firearms were unreliable and inaccurate by modern standards, death in a pistol duel was somewhat rare.
Tuesday
Dueling was remarkably common in early American politics. Vice president Alexander Hamilton was killed duelling rival Aaron Burr, hot-tempered President Andrew Jackson was a frequent dueler, killing one opponent under dubious circumstances. A reluctant young Abe Lincoln was challenged to a duel, but knowing he had greater strength, height, and reach, he chose broadswords as the weapon. When he demonstrated his clear advantage beforehand by cutting a tree branch high over his opponent’s head, a truce was called and nobody got hurt.
Wednesday
Sensitive and slighted politicians did not wholly leave dueling in the powdered wig era, however. After one man yelled “Taisez-vous, abruti!” (“Shut up, stupid!”) at another in France’s National Assembly in 1967 and refused to apologize, these two politicians later went at it with swords and the whole thing recorded. One was to be married the next day, and his opponent vowed to “wound him in such a way as to spoil his wedding night very considerably.” Despite this, no major injuries were suffered by either party.
Thursday
Notably, the original purpose of dueling in most societies was to control and manage violence before a personal conflict escalated into a broader, bloodier one. Further, duels often involved third parties who worked to deescalate the conflict altogether before weapons got involved.
Friday
The “quick draw duels” or fast draw gunfights often associated with the American Wild West are almost entirely a product of Hollywood and early “pulp” publications. “Wild Bill” Hickok was indeed involved in one of these after a gambling dispute in 1865 Missouri, but this was one of the only quick draw duels on record. In reality, deadly Old West disputes were more often settled by shooting your opponent in the back, as Wild Bill was.
Saturday
Why let the boys have all the fun? Women have formally dueled each other many times, for reasons including claims to certain men, neighborly disputes, misrepresenting one woman’s age, and the quality of certain floral arrangements (this duel was fought mutually topless at one woman’s insistence, since she was a doctor trying to reduce infected wounds).