When we think of historical duels, we imagine gentlemen with rapiers at dawn or pistols at twenty paces. But history has given us far stranger confrontations. Here are five duels that defied all expectations.
1. Man vs. Dog (1400, France)
Yes, you read that correctly. A judicial duel was fought between a man and a greyhound.
After Chevalier Maquer murdered Aubrey de Montdidier in the Forest of Bondy near Paris, the victim’s faithful dog led witnesses to his master’s burial site. When the greyhound later attacked Maquer unprovoked, suspicion grew.
The French king authorized a trial by combat on the Ile de France. Maquer was armed with a lance, while the greyhound came to the fight with its natural weapons - teeth and determination.
The dog proved victorious, clamping its jaws around Maquer’s throat. Faced with this rather convincing evidence, Maquer confessed to the murder. He was subsequently hanged.
2. The Balloon Duel (May 3, 1808, Paris)
Two Frenchmen, Monsieur de Grandpre and Monsieur de Pique, had been quarreling over the affections of a famous dancer called Mademoiselle Tirevit. Both men believed they had “elevated minds” and chose to settle their dispute in an appropriately elevated manner - by dueling from hot air balloons over Paris.
A huge crowd gathered near the Tuileries to watch as they climbed into their aircraft. At about 2,000 feet, when the balloons were approximately 80 yards apart, de Pique fired first but missed his target.
De Grandpre’s shot was more accurate. The bullet struck de Pique’s balloon, which collapsed, sending his opponent and his second plummeting to their deaths. De Grandpre drifted away safely and landed 32 kilometers from Paris.
3. The Dwarf’s Duel (17th Century, England)
Jeffrey Hudson first gained fame by emerging from a pie at a royal party thrown by King Charles I. Standing approximately 18 inches tall, Hudson became a court favorite but endured constant mockery.
When officer Charles Crofts teased Hudson about losing a fight with a turkey cock, the diminutive duelist challenged him to combat. Crofts thought it was a joke and arrived at the appointed place with a water pistol.
Hudson was not amused. He demanded a proper mounted combat with real pistols. This proved to be a clever tactical choice - Crofts was large and slow on horseback, while Hudson presented a much smaller target and handled his mount with agility.
Hudson escaped the duel uninjured. Crofts was killed with a shot through the heart.
4. The Nude Duel (1806, Brighton)
Humphrey Howarth, MP for Evesham, quarreled with the Irish Earl of Barrymore at the Castle Inn after races in Brighton. A duel was scheduled for the following morning.
When they met, Howarth shocked everyone present by stripping down and presenting himself armed solely with a pistol and his underpants.
As a former army surgeon for the East India Company, Howarth knew that gunshot wounds were often made deadly not by the bullet itself but by infection caused when dirty clothing was driven into the wound. By fighting nearly naked, he eliminated that risk.
Neither man managed to hit the other, and they settled their dispute bloodlessly - though presumably not without some embarrassment on Barrymore’s part.
5. Death by Billiard Ball (1843, Maisonfort, France)
During a game of billiards, two men named Lenfant and Melfant got into a heated dispute. Rather than resort to swords or pistols, they agreed to duel with the weapons immediately at hand: billiard balls.
Standing twelve paces apart, they took turns throwing. Melfant declared boldly, “I am going to kill you at the first throw.”
He was right. Lenfant was struck square in the forehead and died instantly. Melfant was arrested and subsequently convicted of manslaughter.
History’s dueling code, it seems, was rather more flexible than the movies suggest.
About the Author
Kimberleigh Roseblade
Guest Writer
Kimberleigh is an active martial artist, instructor, and writer based in Toronto, Canada. She studies and teaches with the Association of European Medieval Martial Arts (AEMMA).
