BETWEEN TWO ARMIES The Place of the Duel in Epic Culture by Udwin, Victor Morris - 1999

E. J. Brill. As New in As New dust jacket. 1999. Hardcover. 9004110380 . Cloth boards. Beautifully crafted volume. From the series DAVIS MEDIEVAL TEXTS AND STUDIES, volume 10. "Epic poetry depicts single combat bet ween champions as a substitute for pitched battle. By analyzing poetic representations of warfare, this study reconstructs the circumstances under which the duel emerges as a mechanism for avoiding catastrophic battlefield losses. Thus the duel proves to be the pivotal element in a complex system of practices and institutions that define 'epic culture'. Individual chapters focus on the dynamics of battle, the protocols of dueling, the roles of champion, king and queen, and the talesinger's function in presenting these relations to epic-cultural audiences. Offering new insights in the NIBELUNGE NLIED, BEOWULF, THE ILLIAD AND ODYSSEY, 'Hildebrandslied', and the Bible, this volume will appeal particularly to medievalists, classicists, historians, and cultural theorists interested in epic poetr y, ancient warfare and Dark Age culture. " History - medieval. Middle Ages. Biblical studies. Classical studies. Military history. War - history. Dueling. Armed combat. ; 8vo; 226 pp .