Ensis Sub Caelo

Historical martial arts and weapon physics

An account of a 1511 duel that, while only tangentially related to French people, shows elements that would become a habit later on.

Is it always fair to abandon your dagger if your opponent does not have one?

Another account of a duel where the winner was not cautious enough.

The accounts of the famous Duel des Mignons in 1578.

An excerpt of Brantôme’s Discours sur les Duels, tracing the origins of the new duelling habits to Naples.

This post is an introduction for a series of contemporary accounts of late 16th century French duels.