Main > The Armoury
Peening vs Threaded tangs
Sir William:
That's very interesting...I wonder at what's behind the 'throwing' aspect. Did it replace the throwing down of the gauntlet?
Sir Edward:
Throwing the gauntlet was used as form of making a challenge. The thrown weapon thing would take place at the start of the actual fight. I'm not sure where the rule started or what region it was in. It would be interesting to read more detail on these sorts of practices.
Sir William:
Seems almost like the ringing of the bell, only the bell is in the hands of the combatants...there are contemporary processes that seem to strengthen the argument- like the disrobing of boxers just prior to a bout, or MMA fighters who take off their shirts just prior to a fight (if you'll notice, both sets of combatants don a robe or shirt immediately thereafter- a mental cue that the martial spirit should accede to the civil one if you will) - that has always been my understanding of it, ymmv.
Das Bill:
It's shown in the Gladiatoria fechtbuch, and is a bit of an oddity. No one 100% knows the reasoning for it, but the most likely reason is that in certain Germanic judicial duels it was required by law that one of the combatants (presumably the challenger) must cast a weapon before the fight begins. (Most likely a tie back to Odin casting his spear.) The spear was the typical thrown weapon, but the Gladiatoria treatise shows unscrewing the pommel, presumably as a way of "playing to the rules" so that you didn't have to get rid of a full weapon.
Das Bill:
Oh, and as Ed said, threaded tangs were used throughout history, though they were rare until later time periods.
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