Talk:List of duels

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A bit more detail on the Mexican duel would be nice. also I don't really think the Bruce Lee thing counts. Was it a fight to the death?

This article overlooks German duels, both real (exceptional in their lethality) and fictional (The Magic Mountain). A good resource for this would be the book "Dueling: the Cult of Honor in fin-de-siécle Germany" by Kevin McAleer.

The page listing famous duels contains

1609: Sir George Wharton and Sir James Stuart; fought in Bergen-op-Zoom, Netherlands; both were killed

T he Illustrated London News July 28, 1888 states "Two of his (James I) courtiers, Sir George Wharton and Sir James Stuart, in November, 1609, fought at Canonbury, Islington, and killed each other.

Baldick, Robert The Duel (Hamlyn Publishing 1970 edition) p. 65 mentions it but strongly implies that the duel took place in London, he says "both duellists were, according to the Islington register buried on 10 November 1609" and other web site lists the duel as taking place 8 November. Does somebody know where the placing the duel in the Netherlands comes from? It would make it a duel fought by an Englishman (Stewart was a Scot) not an English duel. Also Baldick names him as James Stewart Esq not Sir James Stewart. Although the London News also refers to him as Sir James.


Hi. I can't remember what was the original source for this. But it looks like either that source or myself may have mixed up two duels. If you look at http://www.hadesign.co.uk/SRS/Duel.htm which contains that Illustrated London News article it has In 1613, Lord Bruce was killed in a duel at Bergen-op- Zoom by Edward Sackville, Earl of Dorset.. Mintguy (T) 14:09, 7 Apr 2004 (UTC)

I've fixed this now. BTW please feel free to make any additions/corrections to the aritcle. Mintguy (T) 14:31, 7 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Expansion

A duel isn't always to the death, nor is it always personal.

Military duels, ya'kno, where they appoint a champion to represent each other, need better representation. Even boxing matches could qualify if done outside of the sanction of the sport.

I'd really like to see more about other country's famous duels. Unfortunately I don't have to time to look them up :( otherwise I would. I just wanted to encourage everyone to think more broadly.

--Duemellon 13:34, 12 Aug 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Fictional Duel Update

Sorry, I had to get all geeky on ya', but I had to add Star Wars duels.

The reason why I didn't include some of them was that some were just encounters, not necessarily something recognized as an arranged fight, or one that intentionally had no interference. Jango Fett v. Windu would not qualify as they were embroiled in a surrounding conflict. The Kenobi, Anakin, Yoda, & Dooku might be a stretch as it was not particularly arranged. Kenobi v. Vader was not arranged, but because other people around them let it happen it qualifies as a duel IMO. --Duemellon 13:53, 12 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I don't think those items belong in here. A duel is a pre-arranged fight with established rules, contested over a matter of honour it is not just a punch-up with swords (or in this case light sabres). Mintguy (T) 14:00, 12 Aug 2004 (UTC)


The question then is the formality of the rules. There are obviously a set of understood & implied rules when they engage each other and that's why the scene where Windu & Jango fight isn't a duel but The fight between Vader & Kenobi has rules. That is demonstrated b/c the troopers & Luke don't interfere. Another example of implied/understood rules are "champion duels" where rival armies send up a particular person to represent their interests. Usually the rules are minimal, a simple: Kill the other guy by yourself, but it is a duel. The complexity of the rules don't make it a duel. As for it being pre-arranged, duels were often impulsive & impromptu. --Duemellon 15:47, 12 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Thanks Meelar for tPB duels. I expanded the details to match the details pre-existant in the 3 Musktr's stuff.


I removed two links to 'The Duel' (in the 'Duels in Fiction' section) because that page doesn't discuss either of the books entitled 'The Duel' DELutz 01:47, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

I added the duel from Dostoyevsky's The Devils.

[edit] Star Wars

I wish people would understand the difference between a duel with swords or pistols and nominated seconds, foughtwith rules over a matter of honour etc.. and a plain old fashioned Swordfight. I have removed Star Wars entries yet again. Jooler 11:35, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Blackbeard not a duel.

I removed the following text, because it does not describe a duel in any real sense: it was not a duel of honor, nor a judicial duel, nor even a contest of champions in lieu of battle. Rather, it describes a single combat by happenstance in the middle of battle. Assuming, of course, that the account is not romanticized, as such accounts often were. Robert A.West (Talk) 03:21, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

  • 1718: Blackbeard and Robert Maynard; Governor Alexander Spotswood of the colony of Virginia gave Lieutenant Maynard of the Royal Navy the command of two sloops with the mission of eliminating the pirate Edward Teach, AKA Blackbeard. Maynard finally caught up with Blackbeard at Ocracoke Inlet off the coast of North Carolina on November 21, 1718. Blackbeard struck first, firing a cannon and killing several of Maynard's sailors. However, Maynard struck back by hiding many of the surviving crew belowdecks, making Blackbeard think he had wrought more damage than he actually had. When Blackbeard boarded Maynard's ship, he was ambushed. During the battle, Maynard and Blackbeard ended up in a duel. Blackbeard fought extremely hard, taking 20 cutlass wounds and five pistol shots before he finally fell. Maynard beheaded Blackbeard, tied the head to the prow of his ship, and set sail for Virginia.

Robert A.West (Talk) 03:21, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

The information on the Russian Duels for 1823 is in error. Alexander Pushkin's duel with George d'Anthes occurred in 1837. Pushkin died of his wounds 2 days later. On September 10, 1825, a duel occurred between Alexander I's aide-de-camp Vladimir Novosil'tsev and Konstantin Chernov (a Decembrist) in which both were mortally wounded. Kondraty L. Ryleyev (also a Decembrist) was K. Chernov's second. In 1992 a monument was erected on the site of this duel. After reading the information posted originally for this article, I felt compelled to first research and then correct the site because I knew that Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin" was printed in serial form from 1823 through 1831. A first complete edition was printed in 1833 and the final official version was first printed in 1836. I also knew that Kondraty Ryleyev was hung twice; once on July 24th, 1826 when the rope broke, and again the next day, July 25th 1826 for his role as one of the leaders of the Decembrists. Carokhan 02:50, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Last Duel in England

The last duel in England was fought in a field near Englefield Green in Surrey. The post mortem was held in the Barley Mow Pub and the loser is buried in St John The Baptist Churchyard in Egham nearby. The duel involved French Republicans and was in 1852. The seconds but if I remember rightly but not the winner were brought to trial at the Old Bailey. See Surrey Murders by John Janaway ISBN-10: 1853060178 . —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.153.28.221 (talk) 02:14, 5 February 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Uwe Boll

There was a boxing duel between Uwe Boll and film critics, maybe it is worth mentioning?

Uwe_boll#Critic_boxing_matches

[edit] Removed some of the Harry Potter references

I don't think it's appropriate to describe the encounters between Harry Potter and Voldemort as duels. They're life-and-death struggles, certainly, but are not formal encounters with set rules of conduct. It's catch-as-catch-can, only limited by the fundamental laws of magic. I've removed references to those. --Tony Sidaway 14:43, 28 July 2007 (UTC)

I would agree with the above, with one exception - in the penultimate chapter of "Deathly Hallows", when Voldemort believes he has killed Harry. This encounter would seem to meet the discussed definition of a dual. One person calls out another, who is free to accept or decline. A specific place and time is chosen for the encounter. Rules are in place (Voldemort orders that no one other than himself and Harry is to participate). That Harry had decided not to fight back doesn't seem to be a mitigating factor. --Art Carnage 06:14, 20 September 2007 (UTC)


The fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire has many duels within its pages. Is it OK with everyone if they're added? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.117.254.149 (talk) 07:23, 16 September 2007 (UTC)