They preferred honest combat to idle gossips

Women in armed duels

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Two stern armed men come together in order to fight for honor of a king, a lady or their own honor. And women either watch a contest from grandstands in a knight’s tournament or late learn about victory, wound or death of husbands or sons. But sometimes it happened in a different way…

Duel between female Vikings

Duel between female Knights in the 15th century

Fencingmaster

Duel between a young lady and a gentlman

The Ancient Greek historian ("Father of "History") Herodotus wrote about one of Greece province tradition: girls got together in a crowd and started fiercely fighting by sticks. A Roman author, Ammianus Marcellinus, describes Gaulish wives as being even stronger than their husbands and fighting with their fists and kicks as well as armed combating against other women and with men.

Vikings as well as other nations in the Medieval age didn’t go into detail of legal proceeding. If in a lawsuit sides were unable to elaborate an agreement – a plaintiff blamed everything on a defendant and vice versa so called "Holmgang" (a walk over an island) went into operation. In other words, disputants went to the special small island earmarked for that and engaged in an honest duel using similar weapon. That person was considered to be right who had won. This system perfectly worked out for several centuries all over Europe allowing people to avoid lawyer chicanery. And it was not rare among Vikings when a woman went to "Holmgang". But it was difficult for a female truth seeker to defeat a Viking even wrong. So, it was necessary to somehow even chances. And legislators found a solution. A man-fighter was just lowered in a deep hole by the waist, so he was unable to move and, at the same time, lost in height. A woman had a maneuver freedom though. There was another way though. A Viking’s left arm was led behind and firmly bound. For a fencer in XIX century it wouldn’t be a real obstacle but at the times when strikes were reflected mostly by a shield rather than by a sword it was significant. Although a male fighter kept a maneuver freedom he lost in defense.

And how did maters stand with this in Russia? It turned out that there were it’s own "Amazons" who preferred honest combat to idle gossips. In paragraphs of the Pskov’s court deed (XIII century) attempts were made to equalize chance of opponents of different sexes. Although, it was done not so originally as in the northern neighboring countries. A woman was allowed to hire a fighter-hireling instead of herself avoiding doubtful result of battle with a strong sex representative. "Was allowed", not "was required". But only against a man but in a battle with another woman a female contestant had to fight by herself. Such things have happened! So, we can really say that "women fights in mud" are just an aftermath of the old bloody traditions. In fact, at that times they fought with a real weapon, and to the "result"

There lived Agnes Hotot in the Castle of Dudley in XIV century. Her father quarreled with another man and agreed to a lance fight to settle the affair. Upon the appointed hour, Agnes's father fell seriously ill. Agnes put on a helmet and disguised her sex, mounted her father's horse and set out for the tourney grounds. After a stubborn encounter, Agnes dismounted her father's foe. When he lay on the ground, she loosened the stay of her helmet, let down her hair and disclosed her bosom, so that he would know he had been conquered by a woman. It can never be known how commonly women fought in the tournaments we are all so familiar with from tales of knights and damsels. One thing is certain, the damsels were sometimes the knights, and Agnes was not the lonesome example.

A 1348 British chronicle tells of women "free from matrimonial restraints' whose behavior startled the public: When the tournaments were held, in every place a company of ladies appeared in the diverse and marvelous dress of a man, to the number sometimes of about forty, sometimes fifty, ladies from the more handsome and more beautiful, but not the better ones of the entire kingdom; in divided tunics, with small hoods, even having across their stomachs, below the middle, knives which they vulgarly called daggers placed in pouches from above. Thus they came on excellent chargers or other horses splendidly adorned, to the place of tournament. And in such manner they spent and wasted their riches and injured their bodies with abuses with ludicrous wantonness."

In 1552 the exceptional event happened in Napoli: two ladies, Isabella de Carazi and Diambra de Petinella engaged in a duel in the presence of Marquis Del Vast. The duel was held in behalf of a young gentleman named Fabio de Zeresola. The event so shocked the Neapolitans that it was a subject of talks for a long time. This romantic story about dueling young ladies fallen in love with one man inspired the Spanish artist Jose de Ribera during his being in Italy in 1636 to create his masterpiece "Duel of women" which is one of the most exciting paintings in the gallery "Prado" in Madrid.

Dona Catalina de Erauso of San Sebastian (Spain) left a nunnery in 1596 and traveled to Peru where she became a soldier of fortune. She used sword, knife, and pistol, and fought in battles and in duels.

In XVII century a French officer unauthorized took up residence in the house of beautiful countess Madame de Saint-Belmont who was a young widow that time. The countess sent him a polite note asking to explain his unexpected intrusion but it was ignored. Then the woman sent the challenge for a duel signing the letter "Chevalier de Saint Belmont". The officer accepted the challenge and at the appointed placed he met the lady who was carefully made up to look like a man. Being well trained in sword fencing the disguised beauty in minutes knocked his sword out by a harsh move, cast it aside by a leg and applied to the officer with the words which made him red: "You are mistaken if you think you have been fighting with the chevalier. I am madam Saint Belmont. I urge you to be more sensitive to women’s requests".

Madame de Saint-Baslemont de Neuville, 1638-1640

The above woodcut shows two aristocratic French women, who were sisters, fought a duel near Bordeaux in 1650. The elder sister was killed. The chronicler who recorded the incident didn't mention their names in order to spare the family further grief. (source: "The Duel" - Robert Baldick)

Contemporary women in role games

Unfortunately, all available historical facts show that such a behavior is not typical for women. Not typical just in manifestation of clemency toward men. That’s why men who engaged in duels with women not always got off cheap as the opponent of countess Belmont did.

The following duel that was noted and signed by historians developed tragically for the man. A girl from an educated family abandoned by a young man met him on the street in Paris. Mademoiselle Leriet (that was the girl’s name) carried a large caliber gun in her purse. She was able just to shoot her unfaithful beloved. But she was so magnanimous that offered him to make a first shot. Her delicacy was over on that point though. After the man shoot at air mademoiselle Leriet shoot him pointblank.

In the middle of XVII century two French women Baupret and Arli ought with short swords. Before the duel the both had been very beautiful which seemed to be the reason for the rivalry. During the duel they tried to strike only the face. They tried to mutilate each other and the both succeeded in that.

Perhaps, the most implacable was the legendary opera singer a Mademoiselle de Maupin who has a few men in her battle count. This woman is very honored in France where clubs and WEB sites exist having her name. According to the famous novel by Theophile Gautier "Mademoiselle de Maupin" the events developed as following. When actor Dumeni, rude and insolent man came to her in backstage with a smug inappropriate joke she challenge him to a duel. Not expecting such a turn Dumeni got very surprised and just bursted out of laughing. Then the singer grabbed a sword of stage props, gave him a lashing and then took away his watches and snuffbox as symbols of her victory. After that event the girl’s life radically changed. She decided not to allow anyone to offend her. Very soon she got a chance to show her adherence to principle. During a ball one of present men offended her. Gotten challenge to a duel he got surprised as Dumeni did and refused to fight. Then the singer loudly requested him to apologize to her publicly. Grumbling among ladies was made who heard the conversation: "This damn singer just overdoes things". Then after some thinking organizers of the ball requested her to leave it. She calmly agreed "but just after the man had apologized". After a short confusion the ladies didn’t find anything better than asking men to order the "overdone" actress out. That’s was done by two men to their cost. When they took the girl out she snatched a sword from one of the escorting man and asked the other one to defend. Then the men made the second mistake. Instead of disarming her they decided to watch the attraction: a woman swinging by a sword… The mistake cost too much though. In a moment one of the men found himself on the ground. The second one already fought in full strength but the young beauty mastered a sword too well. Besides, she was very angry. When the second one had fallen on the ground staining the path with blood mademoiselle de Maupin threw the sword aside adjusted her haircut and returned to the dancing hall. The other version of that event is the following. Mademoiselle de Maupin came to the ball dressed up like a man and courted a young lady. But two young men requested the false man to leave her alone and then the above mentioned happened. King Ludovic XIII who usually strictly punished duelists made an exception in this case and pardoned this beautiful lady. After all, Mademoiselle de Maupin married the fencing teacher who taught her this art to someone’s grief.

In fact, despite women quite often had duels with men more often they dueled with each other.

Female sword duel. Woodcut

Pistole duel. Woodcut

Mademoiselle Maupin

The duke of Richelieu was the cause of an unprecedented duel between two females, Countess de Polignac and Marquise de Nesle, who disputed the possession of him. The duke had repeatedly refused to see the former, but this was of no avail. Countess de Polignac still loved his inconstant gallant with as much ardor as ever, and was therefore jealous of all the ladies that had succeeded him, not singly, but in troops. Tortured by jealousy, she one day met Marquise de Nesle, and challenged her to fight with pistols in the "Bois de Boulogne". The marquise eagerly accepted the challenge, being animated by the same spirit as her fair antagonist, and hoping either to kill her antagonist, and thus remain in undisturbed possession of her lover, or to evince the strength of her attachment, and the ardor of her passion, by an honorable death. The ladies met, and fired at each other. Marquise de Nesle fell, and her fair bosom was covered with blood. "Come on," exclaimed her antagonist, "I will teach you the consequences of robbing a woman like me of her lover; if I had the perfidious creature in my power I would tear out her heart as I have blown out her brains." A young man, who had heard these cruel words, begged her to moderate herself, and not exult over her unfortunate opponent, whose courage, at least, could not but command her respect. "Silence, young coxcomb," cried Countess de Polignac; "it does not become you to give me instruction!" Marquise de Nesle had not been wounded in the breast, as had first been feared, but very slightly in the shoulder. On coming to herself, some person asked her if the lover, for whose sake she had fought, was worth exposing herself to such a risk for him? "O yes," replied she, "he deserves much better blood than what circulates in my veins to be shed for him. He is the most amiable man of the whole court; all the ladies lay snares for him; but I hope, after this proof of love, which I have given, to obtain the exclusive possession of his heart. I am under too great obligations to you," continued she, "to conceal his name, it is the duke de Richelieu; yes, the duke de Richelieu, the first-born of the God of War and the Goddess of Love."

In 1701 in Torino Countess Rocca fought with Markcountess Bellgard. The event took place in a closed room without seconds; that’s why we don’t know the duel’s details. But it’s known that in female duels emotional condition of contestants were important. Distinctive was the duel happened in London in 1833 when a woman named Rosa Crosby stabbed to death her rival who was unfortunate to steal her husband. Crosby battled for first time whereas her opponent has a good experience in fencing. But the winner was inspired by righteous anger, which withstand the skills.

These are several cases of female duels taken from the book "The duel" by Robert Baldick.

Lady Almeria Braddock and Mrs. Elphinstone fought a duel in 1792. The result of the duel is unknown.

Elizabeth Wilkinson of Clerkenwell challenged Hannah Hyfield to a boxing bout after they "had some words", Hannah replied that Elizabeth should expect "a good thumping". The result of the duel is unknown.

A young girl fought a duel with a man who had jilted her in France in 1828.

Since XIX century, when duels had become fashionable in the USA a man managed to prevent a fierce battle of two ladies armed with guns who started fire to each other according to the duel rules. He managed to arrest the duelists and to take them to a police precinct. "Last week", - a newspaper in the state of Georgia wrote, - "an affair of honor was settled between two young ladies – Jane Wale and Cindy Dyer. Their object was there as a second. He had to see how one of the rivals, seriously wounded fell". And he was forced to marry the second one". According to the newspaper, "everything was arranged according to the rules and the winner married the second as it was stipulated by the duel conditions".

At the end of XIX century another women duel was held. During a conversation a guest woman told a hostess: "After all, you were a very beautiful woman long ago". The host got indignant because the offender used English past perfect tense. The battle was arranged in Hide Park. The offender got noticeable prick to the arm fold. According to a reporter "the both ladies left the battlefield with great dignity".

However women not just killed, they also performed and demonstrated their fencing skills. Some of them toured all over Europe. One of the usual cities of such shows was St.Petersburg. And with good reason! Amazons was found there too. In fact, the first in Russia fencing professor Ivan Severbrik taught ladies and girls his awesome art in six worthy families in St.Petersburg. Anonymous "veteran and fencing fun" told in the newspaper "Northern Bee" #15 in 1856 about Italian Fencing master madam Bogolini who visited St.Petersburg in 1827. She attended the Severbrik’s school and fenced with the best fighter of the city including the Maestro.

Ella Hattan, also known as Jaguarina, "Champion Amazon of the World" and the "Queen of the Sword," and the "Ideal Amazon of the Age," fought competitions with knife, rapier, foil, saber and broad sword in the United States between 1884 and 1900.

As women emancipation is developing, more reasons give rise to duels. Shouldn’t Medieval women or madam Saint Belmont in her XVII century imagine a duel due to disagreements in musical exhibition ogranization? No. At least because until XIX century women were little involved in social affairs. But in our troubled XX century a public event became a reason for dueling. A duel occurred between two presidents: the honor president of Vienna Musical and Theatrical Exhibition Princess Pauline Metternich and Countess Kilmannsegg, the president of women committee of this exhibition. The disagreements were regarding principles of the exhibition organization. It must be noted that the duel was held on the top level. The second of Metternich was Princess Shvartzenberg. For the case of medical needs a Baroness came who was a doctor in Medicine. Her expertise came in handy because the Countess was wounded to arm and the Princess – to nose.

As a duel expert said: "If we take into account irritability, which accompanies relations between women, we would be surprised that women relatively rarely have duels, which are valves for passion".

Lev Svordov
May 2001

Among other sources the materials of the WEB site Lothene, magazine "Temptation Secrets" for July 2001 were used as well as the article by Sergey Mishenev as of March 7, 2001, "People newspaper of Kostroma" (with permission of the editoral staff)

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