Medieval Misconceptions: TRIAL BY COMBAT, the Judicial Duel

The Trial by Combat, or Judicial Duel, is not a thing created by Game of Thrones but was actually a common practice in medieval times with different ways they were fought.
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[@skald9611]

Hi Shad! There are indeed examples of “champions” fighting in Hólmgangs in place of the offended party, at least in Iceland. The most well known example being from Gisli’s Saga, when a professional dueler, aptly named Hólmgang-Skeggi, is hired to duel a man named Kolbjorn for the hand of Gisli’s sister Thordis. Since Kolbjorn was not a warrior, Gisli then steps in to take his place against Hólmgang-Skeggi, so in this case we have a Hólmgang in which both offended parties resolved the duel using champions!

[@mattedmands2085]

there is a belief that the berserkers was a position for a jarls champion who would fight duels in their place and not actually battlefield soldiers.

[@StoryTimeSA]

Yeah, I have a copy of this Saga (as translated into Finnish). I suppose it comes down to semantics, whether what happened is some kind of sanctioned duel or not. it's clearly a mess of a situation where people come up to blows, at times against wooden effigies of some kind!? Just to make it clear, I'm not an authority on this issue whatsoever, I just read these things for entertainment :)

[@MonkeyPunchZPoker]

I don't know I care, but who won?

[@saintmastema17]

@@mattedmands2085 that seems pretty ridiculous when we know they were shroom eating soldiers that watched the way animals hunted

[@mattedmands2085]

@@saintmastema17 I am assuming you might be trolling but the idea of drug use comes from a Catholic priest studying Russian shamans and never personally witnessed the use of the mushrooms or met a berserker he lived in the 19th century. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnO4eIShpdBmiKc also if you are interested in learning more about them from contemporary sources and not from the people getting their butts kicked check out lindybieges video I linked.

[@arcticbanana66]

3:35 - I'm reminded of a certain quote: "Professional soldiers are predictable. The world is full of dangerous amateurs."

[@snowwarden3711]

amazing quote

[@M_Northstar]

Also: "The best swordsman in the land does not fear the second best swordsman, he fears the worst swordsman in the land, because he can't predict what the fool will do."

[@markschmitz5038]

@@M_Northstar That's true in chess. Titled players often are more weary of stronger intermediate players than low level expert players because the intermediate players are less logical and more thus are more unpredictable. They call them tricky.

[@M_Northstar]

@@markschmitz5038 Less logical... while still being strong enough to get out of a sticky spot they accidentally wandered into, if you let them? Why am I suddenly reminded of Hikaru no Go's Young Lions' Tournament arc?

[@markschmitz5038]

@@M_Northstar FM know theory so GMs can predict them. Untitled guys make it up as we go and sometimes get lucky I think.

[@camrendavis6650]

Fight you? That's not a trial, *that's an execution!*

[@ct7567CaptRex]

Daubeny show yourself!

[@SwordArtUniverse]

You there! You will be my second.

[@jadenzantslayers6694]

Then fight my second

[@matteolesina8952]

He was a Warden, like me

[@brandonfoley7519]

I'll make sure your remains are returned to cyrodil

[@BurrtyTheBard]

Husband and wife: "it's your turn to do the dishes!" "Oh yeah... wanna fight about it?"

[@baldrickthedungspreader3107]

Wife to husband “then get in the pit”

[@tomhill3248]

@@baldrickthedungspreader3107 "Oi that's not fair! You're not over 60 and you're bigger then me!"

[@kellynolen498]

Passes out from poison porrage then wakes up to do the dishes

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

That sounds like a RHG opening

[@gangrenousgandalf2102]

The shad family settles their disputes with spectacular duels to first blood.

[@shadiversity]

Heads up, I say "duel" really weird because of my warped Australian accent, I blame my upbringing. Have fun!

[@BowlinJosh]

It's time to... DOOL.

[@armyof2ninjas381]

I did not know you sed it funny 🧐

[@martynbealing79]

You're Australian? Oh but in this case I won't hold it against you. 😁🤣

[@NotSoProishNoob]

Me: *does something wrong once.* Me: I blame my upbringing.

[@lorenandloisstevenson3858]

It did not sound weird

[@zvonimirtomac7896]

Whoever wins... is the winner. - Shad 2019

[@pRahvi0]

The level of complexity in the rules is quite fascinating sometimes, isn't it

[@marcuskurze9759]

I guess he meant:Whoever wins is in the right.

[@Bam_Bizzler]

I mean...he's not wrong

[@jyothsnaaddanki8500]

People die if they are killed -shirou emiya

[@aaronseet2738]

plot twist

[@otwk]

I'm imagining a fight in old england between an 8-year old and a 59 year old woman.

[@iopklmification]

The boy accused his grandma of eating his sweetroll, sadly there were no witnesses....

[@Cancoillotteman]

I'll admit you made me laugh, i must be a horrible person ^^

[@marcopohl3236]

They're technically both legal...

[@mr.rousseau.4655]

@@Cancoillotteman me too.

[@Cov1ngtonsGhOst]

Who's in the hole?

[@Decoitify]

Fun facts from France : Duels were outlawed by king Louis XIV because it took life of too many musketeers and nobles, who were very eager to fight Geoge Clemenceau fought 19 judicial duels during his life (he was supreme authority in Frabce during WW1)

[@landlockedcroat1554]

never heard of Frabce

[@arthas640]

Andrew Jackson was in so many duels he once joked that you could hear the bullets rattling when he walked. Theres one story that he once allowed the other man to shoot first, got grazed by a bullet when his opponents panic shot didn't hit a lethal target, then calmly shot the other man dead

[@chrisrudolf9839]

I think you don't mean actual judicial duels here, but regular honor duells, which were indeed popular among the military and the fighting nobility until (and in some cases even after) they were outlawed. Those were not part of actual court proceedings, but the insulted party challenged his opponent directly. The challenged party was by no means obliged to accept the challenge, it was merely a question of honour and was in many states tolerated by law to the extent that the winning duellist would not be charged for murder or assault if both parties had agreed to duel. A judicial duel is a way to resolve an actual court case and was mostly done during the early middle ages, by the time of Louis XIV those ways to resolve a case were already abolished in most of Europe.

[@carterjones8126]

Those dates don't add up. If so-called judicial duels were outlawed under the French monarchy, then how did a French WW1 general still participate in 19 duels?

[@JointFive]

@@carterjones8126 thought is the law didn't stick

[@vampireraef]

Shad's wife: fool while you made those videos I have mastered the blade

[@mrkiky]

Blade combat against an opponent half-way in the ground: a wife's guide

[@leonard9624]

@@mrkiky so shad is halfway dead? Lol

[@mrkiky]

@@leonard9624 depends on whether his wife read the book

[@cmelton6796]

@@mrkiky Depends on how good she is at throwing pommels

[@sebastianmunklaursen2686]

How the mordhau grip was invented. Hmm, I can't slashy slash, better smashy smash

[@rollingthunder1043]

Yeah, pretty much exactly that. Good for smashy-smash when only brought a slashy-slash.

[@Wolvenworks]

@@rollingthunder1043 can hit people so hard till they die to death

[@Felixr2]

@@Wolvenworks Sometimes people die when they are killed

[@michaelm3691]

"My, lord. Will you have some wine?" "No thank you, James. We got to fight tomorrow. Remember?" "It's non-alchoholic" "By golly! Pour up then"

[@hismajestylordsmenkhare5878]

Oh damn the stomach ache from bad water, probably a great way to weaken someone for a duel XD

[@belindamcdonald3428]

His Majesty Lord Smenkhare might do that next time

[@pca1987]

@@hismajestylordsmenkhare5878 You didn't watch the video on middle ages misconceptions, have you?

[@geoffreysorkin5774]

Non-alcoholic wine, isn't that just grape juice? Like non-alcoholic cider is just apple juice. and non-alcoholic beer is terrible.

[@ilyasm8502]

Geoffrey Sorkin dealcoholized wine, it tastes like wine without the alcohol. Not like grape juice at all.

[@pyglik2296]

6:05 First occurence of video games' three lives in history? :P

[@DarkZodiacZZ]

up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, START :D

[@rickconnolly5006]

"I need you for a duel" "Who am I fighting? " "Does it matter? " "...No"

[@draxthewarlocktitan5217]

Rick Connolly what is this quote from?

[@GuitarsRockForever]

@@draxthewarlocktitan5217 GoT

[@draxthewarlocktitan5217]

GuitarsRockForever I thought so but I couldn’t remember that exchange between Tyrion and anyone else, but I found it. It’s between Cercei and The Mountain

[@bacon81]

Drax the Warlock Titan Ser Shadgor Cleghane aka The Mountain that rides 😂

[@draxthewarlocktitan5217]

Bacon Bits 😂 that pic is still giving me nightmares

[@Idziemel1]

"Fight it out and whoever wins... is the winner." Man, I’m so proud of my heritage as a human being.

[@DailyCorvid]

Lol you think you're better do you? Everybody thinks they are better than this until they are put in the position themselves. I had it the other way, the person targeting me used nothing but sneaky dishonest tactics to get at my friends and family - in order to hurt me. In that scenario, trust me you would prefer you could just fight them in a square because you see the effect it has on your friends and family who are innocent and don't even know the person. Inexperience of hardship is what drives people to assume they are better than this, trust me they are not. It's a matter of time until you come up against somebody who uses these evil tactics against you and those you love. And trust me again, when it happens violence will be on your mind.

[@skeletonbuyingpealts7134]

@@DailyCorvid It's a joke lol

[@DailyCorvid]

@@skeletonbuyingpealts7134 oh, haha. Lol.

[@tacti-cool4022]

Hmm so these judicial laws/rules actually prevented someone from just accusing someone else without proof or else theyd have to put their life on the line & thats a pretty damn good deterrent if you ask me.

[@justtime6736]

#MeToo wouldn't have existed

[@skeletonbuyingpealts7134]

It also got innocent people killed.

[@InfernosReaper]

@@justtime6736 Yeah a lot of victims would seize the opportunity to take justice into their own hands.

[@topkek996]

We would have way less of those professional victims. Twitter userbase would be decimated

[@Membersacc]

@@topkek996 you think it would only be reduced by 1/10th? Seems like a low estimate.

[@albertbassoe5966]

I heard nothing but "trial by juul" or "judicial juul"and imagine 2 dudes in hoodies trying to do the sickest of vape tricks

[@Aliyah_666]

😆

[@timetravelingnecromancer1051]

There is a KZbin channel for that. Haven't found it but im sure it exists.

[@JohnSmith-ls3um]

Juul or duel? The new Yanny and Laurel. And mad props to my boy John Smith.

[@slinkerdeer]

"If there was such a warrior who could beat everyone" *Shows dashing picture of himself* 🤣

[@tommeakin1732]

I'm pretty sure the "husband and wife fight" is one of those examples of medieval humour that people always miss lol

[@EdDueim]

@Brian the Trainer I think the deal was that the guy had three clubs, which he could lose as a penalty, while the woman had a slingshot and rocks.

[@sonofthewolfguardianofthef1214]

EdDueim she had a bag of rocks no sling shot simply because they might as well give her a headsmen’s axe and chain him to a block

[@KurNorock]

It's really not. They really happened.

[@tommeakin1732]

@@KurNorock I don't mean stuff like that never happened ever, but I find it hard to believe that the absurdity of that situation, and therefore the comedy to be found in it, was missed by the author. It seems to me like he picked one of the funniest scenarios quite deliberately. Obviously, as modern people, we have to be careful when seeing humour in things from the past as humour evolves and changes over time, but I think we have to be even more careful in assuming they didn't find certain things funny. I actually have a suspicion that quite a number of absurd and silly things that we see in historical sources (that we read very seriously) are in fact subtle jokes. One thing that comes to mind is the "end him rightly" pommel-throw - though I actually have no idea what the final consensus on that was

[@nighthunter3039]

@@tommeakin1732 the final consense of that was that it was a real thing and actually is a quite good tactik that can even break the oponents chinbone or skull

[@blakesbanter]

Man, I get SO friggin excited when I see these in my feed when I get home. One of the best Australians to ever live right here

[@tando6266]

I was giggling at the alien then lost it at cosby

[@omikron6218]

_I accuse you of not being able to defeat me in a duel_ Let's decide it by trail by combat.

[@pRahvi0]

Sounds fair

[@jmitterii2]

I accuse you of being able to defeat me in a dual! So if you win the duel you lose. So ha.

[@reddragoner1932]

what if its a tie?

[@Vlad_Tepes_III]

@@reddragoner1932 Ah, the classic Schrodinger's outcome.

[@brianfuller7691]

I've read of at least French case where a duel was ordered for slander. One party realised that they had no chance against a much more skilled opponent and actually injured themselve to not fight. He asked for his brother who was much better to represent him. His brother won the duel.

[@keatonlee9320]

The Pope: Okay, Teutonic Knights... you gotta stop dueling the new members! Teutonic Knights: But... Deus Vult.

[@SpectralKnight]

@mPky1 well the dueling was wasting people who could be knights

[@teenfoe]

Should judicial duels be reinstated by law, I can imagine that law firms would be training champions to fight such duels on behalf of their clients. In this case it becomes a sort of investment in a gladiator.

[@KWillo]

Sounds a bit interesting.😂😭

[@acrsclspdrcls1365]

Judicial boxing matches.

[@voicingdragoon7]

Take a shot every time Shad says duel. If you can stand after the first 33 seconds, you have my respect

[@atrocious7766]

Take that back, good sir. I challenge you to a jewel!

[@Gapeagle]

I'm as drunk as the lord who lost his duel to the servant now...

[@hemidas]

You owe me a new liver!

[@angelmin8819]

Have a duel but the person who remains sober wins

[@QlueDuPlessis]

Before this video I thought only South African's pronounced our D's as J's. :p

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

Chuck Norris looks under his bed for Shad. Shad looks under his bed for a decent challenge.

[@Terrekain]

In all seriousness. Dueling is a perfectly civlized way to maintain order and prevent cosial decay from overtaking a community. Nothing is worse than allowing people to use "spells" (gossip, slander, libel, etc) and run roughshod over innocent people. Though it is an imperfect method, it is arguably far more perfect than the current legal processes, because it ensures that a person is actually committed to his beliefs. In my experience, the vast majority of liars in and out of many professions are natural cowards, and have a habit of shrinking into corners when they're in danger of being found out. Police officers, investigators of all kinds have realized it is quite easy to tell when someone is lying - the real problem is attaching consequences to the lies. And a duel is the deterrent to those lies.

[@Terrekain]

Also, I don't think the attempts to outlaw dueling can be attributed to some kind of altruism. Remember the greatest threat that dueling provides - it's an equalizer that cuts across class lines. If there's one kind of person that dueling would threaten most, it's a guilty nobleman. And of course, such villains would want to outlaw just practice with entreaties of "greater goods". God knows we have plenty of that these days "for Equality", "for Social Justice", "for thh Children!"....bleh

[@alvinip9128]

how are you top comment in every single channel I watch

[@dominicniedzielski7905]

@@Terrekain It also prevents people from haphazardly challenging people for the smallest offenses and encourages the general populous to learn how to fight hand to hand which is still a very essential part of living in today's society.

[@dominicniedzielski7905]

@@Terrekain I would love to challenge every social justice warrior who tries to white guilt me for slavery, when my family never owned slaves we were Polish Catholics we didn't do that thing, to a duel just to see how fast they would run away.

[@ChazNatlo]

"And the servant killed his lord in judicial combat." Might wanna leave that one off your CV.

[@Banvillen]

Amazing historical context for duels to perform in stage combat. The motivations of the duelists, the rules of engagement, the (lack of) protective equipment. Thanks Shad for such a fascinating overview of subject! Will share this with my stage combat friends for creation of stories!

[@Gapeagle]

Imagine getting drunk, talk politics, and the next day your servant legally kills you for alleged treason.

[@kana22693]

*Noble:* "Pour me anowder one boy... this one's for the idiowcy of our king hah hah hah..." *Servant:* "Sir, that's illegal! Tomorrow I will fight you to defend the honor of the crown." *Noble:* "N-Nani???"

[@geradosolusyon511]

@@kana22693 What, Dwarf!?

[@mzk1489]

Today they just turn you into the secret police, if you are in the proper country.

[@Mephilis78]

@@mzk1489 for sure.... It's most western countries by now.

[@mustangmckraken1150]

In europe, sure lol

[@zeruelagameplays]

Shadiversity’s videos always helps me when I am writing RPG campaigns. These details makes the roleplay much more immersive

[@draxthewarlocktitan5217]

indignomo san yeah the entire KZbin historian community has been great for RPG campaigns. I’ve learned valuable lessons from Shadiversity, Lindybeige, Metatron, Skallagrim, Schola Gladiatoria, Historia Civilis, Invicta, Swordsage, Knyght Errant, Overly Sarcastic Productions. KZbin is truly a goldmine of inspiration.

[@XtremePh33rz]

Drax the Warlock Titan Glad to see I’m not the only one doing this

[@MercuryA2000]

Helps me as a writer too. History is fascinating.

[@OmniDan26]

I love how you try to slip in overly sarcastic misinformation as if they are some sort of credible source of information. You might fool some blokes, but not me.

[@Heligoland360]

Medieval Misconceptions episode 12: Shad brags about being able to kill his wife

[@misnerofgrey6245]

Shad: I could totally kick the shit out of my wife if we ever fought. Shad's wife: oh really?

[@helmsscotta]

If I did ever hit my wife, my wife's entire matriarchal clan would go "pliers and blowtorch" on me. Which is as it should be.

[@mrgreenboy644]

I'm imagining Shad's wife being physically weaker than him but also secretly a godlike sorceress that can cause explosions and plagues simply by pointing

[@quinnmishich8692]

The shot of Bill Cosby had me cracking up. Didn't expect that. I love your videos

[@The214thRabidFangirl]

It made me sad to be reminded how much of a disappointment he was. I loved him as a kid, and when I found out all those happy memories were tainted and lost.

[@MrEvanfriend]

I laughed as well.

[@The214thRabidFangirl]

@HEAV¥HANDthe #metoo movement started in 2017 and Cosby's rape allegations hit the news shortly before I joined the Navy in Feb. 2015. And anyway even if he is innocent, it doesn't make everything suddenly not feel not tainted. The whole thing was a mess, with lots of heavy emotions. I would rather just leave it ALL in the past and to forget about it.

[@MrEvanfriend]

@HEAV¥HAND Bill Cosby wasn't "declared innocent" by anyone. He was convicted by a jury of his peers, found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. His first trial resulted in a mistrial, with the jury deadlocked. They couldn't agree on his guilt. In his second trial, he was convicted. His appeals are pending. Also, a state supreme court doesn't "declare anyone innocent". Appeals courts decide points of law, not points of fact. An appeals court could void his conviction for procedural reasons, or if an error of law was made by the judge, or if his attorneys were found to be incompetent or the prosecutor engaged in misconduct or something like that. It doesn't determine his guilt or innocence, that's a question for the jury. Even a jury doesn't "declare someone innocent". The possible verdicts are guilty and "not guilty". Not guilty is not the same as innocent, it only means "the state hasn't proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt". It could mean anything from "this guy is clearly innocent" to "he probably did it, but there is some question".

[@Nerobyrne]

Judicial Duel: I am the better swordsman, so clearly I am innocent. #JustMedievalThings

[@Mephilis78]

Medieval problems require medieval solutions.

[@arandombard1197]

It made sense. God would make the innocent party win, the same way god chose who would be the king by choosing that person to be born as the first born son of the previous king. They did the best they could with what they had.

[@Nerobyrne]

@@arandombard1197 This kind of thinking is the biggest "expectation VS reality" meme I've ever heard of ^.^

[@arandombard1197]

@@Nerobyrne It's funny, the Indian caste system is built on the same premise. You are born into your caste based on your deeds in your past life. Thus, those born into the worst caste deserve to be treated like 5th class citizens because of their past actions, despite only just having been born. Likewise the wealthiest elite castes deserve to live a life of splendour and wealth. It's a very convenient interpretation for them.

[@Nerobyrne]

@@arandombard1197 yeah funny how that perfectly lines up with those in power staying in power 🤔 Sounds pretty similar to the divine right of kings in Europe. Essentially the same idea except with a different theology behind it.

[@noahpenman3493]

Shad becomes super muscular and hulkish when there isn’t enough medieval accuracy. Shad: Maticulatiooooooooooonnnsssss yah!!!!!!! (Rips shirt and picks up sword)

[@jv8462]

So if you last from sunrise to sundown you go free? I'd like to request my duel to take place in Svalbard on the 22nd of December, for, uh, luck

[@jamesmerkel1932]

I know this is an old post, but somebody had to say this is an EXCELLENT observation, and that it may have been part of the reasoning behind that ruling, seeing as in some areas sunrise to sundown was only a few hours, as opposed to the 14-16 where I live in the summer

[@johnangelotenorio]

"The loser will be sent to the Shadow Realm!!" Somebody's gotta make this reference...

[@FrostyFyre]

It’s time to D-D-D-D-DUEL!

[@navigatorofnone]

Superman 3

[@graywolfdracon]

@@navigatorofnone nope...Yu-Gi-Oh

[@albertschoise8091]

Oh i miss that show

[@Ninjaananas]

Trial by duel!

[@shadfacts6465]

Shad Fact: Physicist are concerned that if a Shad strike ever met a Norris Round House kick, it would release so much energy it would begin "The Big Rip". And only The Metatron would be around to see how the dual ended. (Our money is on Shad)

[@arronwilliams1725]

I do believe our Lord and Savior Gun Jesus would survive this battle as well.

[@strengthisabsolutestrength8215]

Shad Facts but what if Chuck wore gambeson?

[@areyoujelton]

Shad town

[@davidegaruti2582]

What about dragons?

[@PaxofPI]

But, what about dragons??

[@alfeberlin]

In your video I'm missing a mention of the very important concept of _legal certainty_ when it comes to judicial duels. This is to say that a judicial duel was often considered to be a practical way to put an _end_ to a conflict of members of the same group by somehow deciding on an official outcome, _no matter how_ . The goal wasn't necessarily to have the most _just_ outcome but to have an end to the conflict because conflicts among their members are a threat to societies in general. So it was better to have an unjust outcome instead of none at all. (We still have this today, btw, we just have better ways to determine the truth before we have to fall back on potentially unjust verdicts. But when the truth cannot be determined anymore, we have things like »in dubio pro reo« to find an _end_ to a conflict, which, of course, also isn't _just_ because things like too little evidence or recently died witnesses don't make it _just_ not to punish a criminal.) You are right when you say that using a potentially lethal way to find the outcome ensured that nobody (or at least nearly nobody) was taking this lightly, so it was a practical way of determining _some_ outcome. Only if both parties were determined to go to that length, a life was put at risk. And yes, sometimes people also thought that some kind of deity would likely intervene to produce the just outcome, and that thought also was pushed by the (religious) authorities as a means to establish or fasten this practical way to end inner-society conflicts. But I doubt that really many people would rely confidently on this assumption of justice by deity. After the first obviously unjust outcome which then was officially declared to be »true justice« (which you probably wouldn't believe nevertheless), people's faith in that aspect was probably destroyed.

[@Cancoillotteman]

Sachsenspiegl, which litterally translates into "the image of Saxony" "Klein Kaiserrecht" means "the little laws of the Kaiser"

[@HisShadow]

So what I got from this video is Shad has thought about how successful he'd be in a duel with his wife... Shad exposed! 😝

[@nikkibrowning4546]

Sometimes there is only one way for a husband to win an argument with his wife.

[@RJALEXANDER777]

Wife: "You left the toilet seat up again!" Shad: "I DEMAND TRIAL BY COMBAT!"

[@minarchist1776]

As in all things there can be variables. I am much bigger and stronger than my current girlfriend. I am 9 inches taller than she is and outweigh her by about 100 pounds. However, she has a 4th degree black belt in taekwando and was ranked in the top 20 in national competition. I haven't done any serious hand to hand combat training for decades and was never significantly "ranked" either by belt color or tournament record. I have a sneaking suspicion that if for whatever bizarre reason things ever got seriously physical between us (not at all likely given our personalities) she would kick my butt in a few seconds.

[@Krahazik]

I am an example of the reverse, if I was married, chances are my wife would be the stronger one of the 2 of us strength wise and I would be the one at a disadvantage.

[@RJALEXANDER777]

@@minarchist1776 If an opponent is a better standing fighter, trick is to get them into a grapple or fully to the ground. Taekwando doesn't matter much when you're on the ground. Against a fighter like that my game plan would be to guard my head, get in close and even the odds that way. Use my size and strength to win. Disclaimer: I don't recommend you and your girlfriend having a cage match.

[@awoods9793]

The Bill Cosby picture made me almost spit my coffee

[@xypho6468]

hahahaha!!! I was like "OMG!!! he dared, did he not?? How..." I had to rewind because I completely lost what Shad said for a good 20seconds after that pic popped up...

[@BrunoMoreiraTorres]

3:14 - Now THAT's an anbeatable challenger!🤣🤣🤣

[@joelhellstrom6640]

That Mountain Shad pic made my life happier.

[@justandroid1209]

22:40 that takes "going the distance" to a whole new level

[@justandroid1209]

Luv ya shad maaate

[@michaelc3441]

Shad should challenge Rian Johnson to a judicial duel for the murder of Star Wars

[@rizkiramadhan9266]

What murder? He saved it

[@oreo1749]

@@rizkiramadhan9266 u joking

[@rizkiramadhan9266]

@@oreo1749 no, look how many fans they have now that aren't nerds or middle aged

[@lekhaclam87]

@@rizkiramadhan9266 And that's supposed to be a good thing?

[@rizkiramadhan9266]

@@lekhaclam87 you're implying it's not smh

[@Leotheleprachaun]

Found you because of your guest spots on EFAP. Been binge-watching your videos past few nights in a row. Love the content and the glaring enthusiasm you have for the stuff you do. Sidenote: your book on Audible plug is genius!

[@ericklimones80]

Honestly, this channel is part of the finnest content in youtube. That intro, the greeting, the accent...

[@vanslatery941]

It makes me so happy to see Shad's book on the shelf

[@LiveErrors]

"Now go away or i shall taunt you a second time" "Go ahead, double taunting is an offence punishable by Judicial Duel!" "... youll have to take my castle first! MEN, LAUNCH THE COW!"

[@MysticCouchPotato]

*fetchez la vache

[@theserpent6070]

I never knew how much I needed your content before I found you. Ever since your first appearance on EFAP I’ve been watching your content religiously. Your great and keep it up! Ps: Your book is on my TBR.

[@princekrazie]

JUDICIAL JUUL: Who survives lung cancer can go free.

[@VommoV]

Great timing, since I just finished reading “The Last Duel” by Eric Jager. A great book about the last judicial combat in France

[@Lakhshamana]

Well how about JUDICIAL D-D-D-D-DUUEEELLLL

[@NerdyPro]

It's pretty bad because friend and I once had this visual of soldiers running at each other and lining up or popping out and ducking behind cover with Duel disks to fight wars.

[@michaelsanchez9594]

Two judges, one ring! Sunday! SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!!

[@ShiningDarknes]

Shad I just wanted to say I am LOVING your book. Quite the amazing fantasy world you created and a great magic system.

[@GummieI]

I like that shield breaking version of the homegang, I mean it is almost like having multiple lives in a video game :D

[@dhgodzilla1]

Pretty sure internet trolls would become an endangered species if we would bring Trial by Combat back lol

[@liamodahl1205]

GOOD.

[@Mailed-Knight]

Or people who get offended by trolls would become the endangered species.

[@dhgodzilla1]

@@Mailed-Knight any day

[@Mailed-Knight]

@Patrick Ancona I can't tell if you're joking or not? Maybe half-joking?

[@ismaelsantos5378]

@@Mailed-Knight The Left are elitist hipocrites. They won't risk money for a charity (rather "donating" someone else's money) much less risk their own flesh in a duel. Look at Antifa: they only attack those who won't or can't fight back, as soon as actual resistance is presented to those neo-brownshirts they scatter and flee. It's clearly a joke, but every joke has a hint of truth to it.

[@TheSonOfTheDragon]

Videos like these are like a blessing from the gods, you have no idea how much you're helping me with my stories. Also thanks for introducing me to Vinland Sagas, being proud of the Norse half of my ancestry I can't get enough Vikings.

[@Nerobyrne]

I'm also proud of the norse half of my ancestors. And the other norse half too ^.^

[@TheSonOfTheDragon]

@@Nerobyrne I was born half Scottish half Scandinavian. So I have quite a bit to be proud of.

[@whyjay9959]

I wonder how big a factor behind these duels was an attempt to give people a limited, legitimate outlet for hostility that could've otherwise lead to worse violence.

[@chrisrudolf9839]

Depends. In the early middle ages, court proceedings to resolve accusations between citizens were developed as an alternative to the traditional family feud as a reaction to one party committing a crime to another and it took some centuries until the feud was actually outlawed. Thus it made sense to provide such seemingly arbitrary means to resolve a dispute when there was no conclusive evidence, because otherwise the families of the parties would just fight each other without any court ruling. In the later middle ages, when feuds were actually outlawed, the trial by combat was probably more a relic of old times than someone thinking "let them have a legal opportunity to fight". Especially considering that non-judicial duells were legal or at least commonly tolerated in some states until the 19th century (i.e. duells in which one insulted party directly challenged the other party without any court action involved and the other party accepted to settle the dispute in an honorable fight)

[@wolfqueenjubilee]

I don't think I can ever unsee Mt. Shad

[@matthewdylla6090]

Yes! I'VE NEEDED THIS! Edit: proud of "The 13th Warrior" for getting the duel right by all means feasible at the time.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

Except the swords were wrong

[@runswithphantoms1757]

"Have you seen those warriors from Hammerfell? They've got *curved swords!* CURVED. SWORDS!"

[@Grafight23]

@@runswithphantoms1757 Ah, 13th warrior, the best movie to completely fail.

[@narsil1984]

Hold on, HOLD ON! The HRE a "collection of city-states"???? The HRE was many things, among them: complicated. But it wasnt a collection of city-states. You're thinking of ancient Greece there. The HRE emerged (slowly) from the dividing up of the frank empire that Charlemagne had built. His 3 grand-sons split the empire. For many years, there'd be a west-frank king and an east-frank king. Charlemagne had also christianised (with the sword) many other germanic tribes east of the Rhine, among which, the Saxons. being uber-simple (again, it's complicated), the many parts that composed the east-frankish kingdom ended up with a saxon king as their leader. Otto the Great whom you've mentioned was a saxon, and later became emperor. At that point, it's good to remember that there's also a west-frankish kingdom. That took a different route from the eastern one, because there, the kings managed to progressively accumulate more power than the nobility of their land - it took centuries and there were many set-backs, but eventually, from that base, it became the kingdom of France, with very roughly similar-ish boarders to modern France. The east-frankish kingdom however had freaky boarders compared to today. It included all of modern western Germany, some of modern Denmark, northern Italy and some of the land between France and Germany. It later conquered lands from slavic tribes to the east, which would be modern eastern Germany, some of Poland, the czech republic. It's hard to explain the reasons, especially quickly, but suffice it to say that in the eastern kingdom, the nobles remained powerful and the kings never established a lasting dominance over them. Some kings were powerful (Otto or Frederic Barbarossa to name 2), but mostly, the nobility managed to resist efforts to centralize and unify the whole. It's also obvious that many different people came to live together in this odd kingdom: a large proportion of german speaking people in the heart of it, italian speakers to the south, more recently conquered slavic people to the east, and many others. Important to note: these bits didnt think of each other in these "national" terms, Im just using them as shortcuts. The nobles were VERY often at war with one another and the king/emperor. The kings of the eastern kingdom strieved for more power and to assure their legitimacy, tryed to connect their rule to that of ancient Rome. They sought help from the popes, getting crowned as emperors. This, to an extent, caused issues for the empire, as it meant some power but also ties to Rome and thus, lack of centralized unification efforts and complication of the political landscape. Also, there was never a proper capital (kings were travelling alot) and no strong dynasties, as emperors ended up being elected (by 7 powerful princes of the empire), which caused ALOT more problems politically (vote buying, positioning yourself for more votes etc). Long story short, the HRE was always a messy place. In its borders, there were TONS of differently governed provinces. Some were held by nobles like Barons etc. The clergy held alot of land and ruled in similar ways. There were cities that got self-rule, but they were described as "reichsunmittelbar", which translates roughly to "only subject to the empire". Such cities could govern themselves except they had to take orders from the emperor, and only him. Other cities would be held by nobles, who in turn may have to be vassals to the emperor. Obviously many cities wanted that kind of autonomy, some got it, not all. At the height of its size, the HRE contained HUNDREDS of territories of wildly different sizes. Overall, 100% not a collection of city states though.

[@sarahharris5025]

got a lot of time on ur hands havent u

[@narsil1984]

@@sarahharris5025 Shaming people because they are interested in history? Arent you on the wrong channel?

[@Hates-handle]

This a thorough and interesting comment

[@strangerakari2836]

Fuck HRE, biggest mess in the history of Europe. You can probably write tens and read hundreds of books about it and still you won't know all and will get lot of stuff wrong. All Hail Saint Napoleon for ending this clusterfuck.

[@lalaland1427]

@@strangerakari2836 Napoleon, the guy who saved high schoolers and history enthusiast of modern times A LOT of hassles.

[@nickgreene2971]

hey shad I just went to buy your book on amazon and it's got 4.8 out of 5 stars on barnes and noble good stuff man your a real role model for a lot of people, also your video on being successful and equity and what not really taught me a lot of good stuff no ones ever bothered to share with me

[@magnustherad1516]

This is absolutely fascinating- I think I might actually like to write a full on Historical Fiction novel on this!

[@Milk-ld9sq]

Interesting, I always just assumed women would be given a champion or didn’t need to partake in trial by combat Thanks for educating me Shad!

[@teenfoe]

That sounds rather progressive. #equality.

[@KevinKingofPrussians]

Equality there. So women can't blame men for having all the fun or fighting for their lives.

[@nickagalidis1845]

Australia should introduce Trial by Combat, change my mind Shad

[@bigredwolf6]

Nick Agalidis that’s so wasteful. They need every able bodied person alive and well in order to fight off the Emus and Dingoes that lurk on the outskirts of civilization. Plus they need people to run the artificial gravity generators that Crocodile Dundee invented in order to make that hellhole livable

[@slinkerdeer]

@@bigredwolf6 Nah, the Emus were obliterated by the Great Nuclear War of 1952-1957. There was a giant cover-up involved for fear of public backlash from Emu supporters

[@subnatural5341]

If the loser survives, they'll drop him off the planet.

[@bigredwolf6]

Slinkerdeer just out of curiosity how many magpies does it actually take to carry a nuke? My guess is around 7.

[@drivanradosivic1357]

Trial by combat should be part of all countries.

[@johnleach8553]

My captioning kept showing “jewel” every time you said “duel”. Hard to watch on mute cause I kept laughing. Cheers! Another interesting topic, thanks

[@funnymgtow1893]

Thank you for another incredible video. With each upload you post you remind me more and more why I subscribed to your channel.

[@gervasiomartins9148]

Wrong. A judicial Juul is when you have a court order to vape.

[@MrEvanfriend]

The way the government is starting to go after vaping, I suspect we'll see that in court very soon. And I hope they win too, the government has no business banning vaping.

[@dropkickcorpse]

Holmgang: (Holme going) medieval Scandinavian duels. Took me a second to see how it was spelt. Important terms could be placed underneath the images if you're feeling self-conscious about their pronunciations.

[@Mephilis78]

The alternate reality where Sherlock Holmes was a criminal kingpin in charge of a gang.

[@alejandrofernandezcastro5421]

This is really fascinating, I'd love to see more about this subject!

[@MANNY100123]

Thank you, Shad! I was actually quite curious about these "Trial by Combat" cases back in the day! ;)

[@shelestesmith5048]

I am simple man. I see history. I click.

[@SageofIrrelevance]

Shad, can you do a fictional castle review for Hyrule Castle from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? I think you would like it. It has multiple gatehouses, each with two portcullises, properly sized merlons on some of the battlements, and an excellent position. Sadly, there do not appear to be any MACHICOLATIONS!!!!!!! I would like to get your thoughts on it.

[@MercuryA2000]

That would be awesome. The nerd in me likes.

[@IsengrinTheGreen]

Yeeeeeeesh.

[@buchanan1314]

This was very interesting! Thanks for your work, Shad.

[@TailsClock]

This entire video had me going "uh oh" given the current situation my DnD character is in. This is all exactly what I needed to know! It feels like it keeps happening, that I get reccomended Shad videos that relate so well to what I want to know. I hope I survive the court case. Probably just going to get fines but... I'm rather nervous now.

[@RedGeist]

I was always curious about this subject. I took a medieval literature class in university once, where we went over translated French texts such as Song of Roland and Gawain and the Green Knight. The whole metaphorical practice of God presiding over the duels felt strange to me. Thanks for providing clear historical insight.

[@brucetucker4847]

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT IS NOT A *FRENCH* TEXT!!!!!!!!!

[@uptownkidd99]

Shad Fact: Shad once created a category 6 hurricane with a Beautiful sword dance.

[@stevenpetrillo9527]

His attack sharply rose

[@chdreturns]

Category 6 does not exist and WILL never exist, Category 5 means total devastation, it is impossible to go higher than total devastation.

[@uptownkidd99]

@@chdreturns IN SHADS WORLD THEY EXIST. TRUST ME HAHAHA, that's why is a shad fact.

[@timetravelingnecromancer1051]

Are you implying that Shad is Chen Stormstout?

[@uptownkidd99]

@@timetravelingnecromancer1051 Shad is known by many names, he is a man of legends! Lol

[@oxidiana93]

This is amazing insight for my next D&D CAmpaign, thanks man

[@ProfessorFaceless]

Thank you Shad for those video, very educational! Love the content, I definitely enjoy the information and facts!!

[@darkblood626]

We need to bring back dueling. It's better than trial by social media.

[@cp1cupcake]

I've seen an argument by various lawyers suggesting that dueling should be allowed in civil cases regarding stuff like defamation.

[@bigredwolf6]

cp1cupcake Nick Sandmann vs the MSM! Get your tickets now! It’s gunna be a one sided beat down!

[@101Mant]

Really that seems very unlikely, unless they were not serious arguments but making a joke.

[@cp1cupcake]

@@101Mant It has to do with things like cost and time of litigation and how hard it is to actually get justice with today's legal system.

[@donald2005]

love your videos man they're always so interesting and im learning quite a bit keep it up!

[@samchaleau]

Really looking forward to your video on medieval class structures amongst the yeomanry, serfs and peasants. I was shocked to see how intricate some of the history was that lay behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance in this regard.

[@PrincessSixThirteen]

I've been waiting for you to post this video since you mentioned it in the "Dueling with Jazza" vid.

[@Agnessa92]

The way you talk about stuff is amazing. Your enthusiasm is contagious and I'm gladly learning things I didn't know I want to learn about :D

[@Grrimhildr]

your videos are amazing and informative, keep up the amazing work!

[@justskip4595]

Shadiversity got the Scandinavia right and even the culture group potential by including Iceland. I am pleasantly surprised :)

[@juliusgalik6885]

...a little off topic, but ... You blackened son of a shade, you really outdid yourself! :-D May the light shine on you and your future books! (there's gonna be more, right? :-D )

[@dodojesus4529]

Id be really fucking confused if not, on another Note "praise the sun"

[@kingv-raptor840]

After hearing the word duel so many times I thought I was watching Yu-Gi-Oh!

[@daenor7807]

I accept, but trust me, my cyber dragon otk deck is the best, and no I didn’t look it up I made it myself

[@fischkopp19]

That's some damn fine book collection you have there :O Especially the Mistborn and Elenatris Leatherbound.

[@HavokmkrStudio]

Little late to the party but I have been having a hard time finding info regarding this for a book I am writing. Thank you so much!

[@El_Mierda]

I never know that Jewel could be use in court

[@michellevirinam2561]

They are very useful in royal courts

[@iactuallywanttofuckingdier6601]

*juul*

[@hitlermussolini5334]

Greetings from Philippines shad! I always watch your videos now i can say that i have learned so many things. Cheers for that and keep it up men godspeed!

[@charlesjohnson1952]

A lot of the discussion for this video reminds me of a conversation from T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, where Arthur posits that whether they used trial by combat with champions, or a bench trial with lawyers, whoever could hire the best would win.

[@ajace5883]

"Sachsenspiegel" is also the name of the regular news of Saxonian state TV today.

[@Metzenger]

Thanks for sharing your research, Shad! This was fascinating.

[@nickbryslan8904]

Judicial Dueling in America 2019: Accuser - "Hey! That was mine! Give it back!" Defender - "Fight me, Bro!"

[@nagoty4159]

thats a nice copy of hitchhikers on his shelf. I cant stop thinking that every time i watch these

[@PartridgeQuill]

My book has a judicial duel, and in the culture, it's only offered by the leader of the people. It's an alternative offered if there is a fairly even polar divide in opinions of guilt. It's similar to what you mentioned toward the end of the video. Fascinating topic!