Editing Duel (section)

===Early history and Middle Ages===
{{Further|Single combat}}
[[File:Gerichtlicher Zweikampf.jpg|thumb|Depiction of a judicial combat in the Dresden codex of the ''Sachsenspiegel'' (early to mid-14th century), illustrating the provision that the two combatants must "share the sun", i.e. align themselves perpendicular to the sun so that neither has an advantage.]]
[[File:Sasaki Toyokichi - Nihon hana zue - Walters 95208.jpg|thumb|[[Minamoto no Yoshihira]] and [[Taira no Shigemori]] (Japan in 1159)]]
[[File:Manifesto disfida di barletta.jpg|thumb|Commemorative poster for the fourth centennial of the ''Disfida di Barletta'', the [[Challenge of Barletta]], fought on 13 February 1503 between 13 Italian and 13 French [[knights]] all shown wearing full [[plate armour]].]]

In [[Western world|Western]] society, the formal concept of a duel developed out of the [[Middle Ages|medieval]] [[Trial by combat|judicial duel]] and older pre-Christian practices such as the [[Viking Age]] ''[[holmgang]]''. In medieval society, judicial duels were fought by knights and squires to end various disputes.<ref name="Dav">David Levinson and Karen Christensen. ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present''. Oxford University Press; 1st edition (July 22, 1999). pp. 206. {{ISBN|978-0195131956}}.</ref><ref>Clifford J. Rogers, Kelly DeVries and John Franc. ''Journal of Medieval Military History: Volume VIII''. Boydell Press (November 18, 2010). pp. 157-160. {{ISBN|978-1843835967}}</ref> Countries such as France, Germany, England, and Ireland practiced this tradition. Judicial combat took two forms in medieval society, the feat of arms and chivalric combat.<ref name="Dav" /> The feat of arms was used to settle hostilities between two large parties and supervised by a judge. The battle was fought as a result of a slight or challenge to one party's [[Honour|honor]] which could not be resolved by a court. Weapons were standardized and typical of a knight's armoury, for example longswords or polearms; however, weapon quality and augmentations were at the discretion of the knight; for example, a spiked hand guard or an extra grip for half-swording. The parties involved would wear their own armour; for example, one knight wearing full plate might face another wearing chain mail. The duel lasted until one party could no longer fight back. In early cases, the defeated party was then executed. This type of duel soon evolved into the more [[Chivalry|chivalric]] ''[[pas d'armes]],'' or "passage of arms", a chivalric [[hastilude]] that evolved in the late 14th century and remained popular through the 15th century. A knight or group of knights ({{lang|fro|tenans}} or "holders") would stake out a travelled spot, such as a bridge or city gate, and let it be known that any other knight who wished to pass ({{lang|fro|venans}} or "comers") must first fight, or be disgraced.<ref>Hubbard, Ben. ''Gladiators: From Spartacus to Spitfires''. Canary Press (August 15, 2011). Chapter: Pas D'armes. ASIN: B005HJTS8O.</ref> If a traveling {{lang|fro|venans}} did not have weapons or horse to meet the challenge, one might be provided, and if the {{lang|fro|venans}} chose not to fight, he would leave his spurs behind as a sign of humiliation. If a lady passed unescorted, she would leave behind a glove or scarf, to be rescued and returned to her by a future knight who passed that way.

The [[Catholic Church]] was critical of dueling throughout medieval history, frowning both on the traditions of [[judicial combat]] and on the duel on points of honor among the nobility. Judicial duels were deprecated by the [[Fourth Council of the Lateran|Lateran Council]] of 1215, but the judicial duel persisted in the [[Holy Roman Empire]] into the 15th century.<ref>In 1459 (''MS Thott 290 2'') [[Hans Talhoffer]] reported that in spite of Church disapproval, there were nevertheless seven capital crimes that were still commonly accepted as resolvable by means of a judicial duel.</ref> The word duel comes from the Latin ''duellum'', cognate with ''bellum'', meaning 'war'.