The warriors meet to settle a score. They battle to the death to judge right from wrong. Such combat acts to achieve an end with the minimum collateral damage possible. No matter the reason, a battle between two combatants works to stem the horrors of war that can plague nations and continents.
The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.
Welcome, to the Duels of the Ancients!
Origin of Battle
All life must fight to survive. At least, that's how things appear to me. In nature, different species of animals act to either escape a predator or capture a favored prey. These activities happen continuously, and success in evasion or capture means the difference between life, death, and continuing a line of survival.
Tens of millennia ago, the first modern humans arrived in Europe to encounter Neanderthals. A few millennia later, the stability the Neanderthals enjoyed ended as modern humans wiped them out. Only one species could survive the harsh and unforgivable rules of nature. Life applied the term "survival of the fittest" to its most raw and indefensible conclusion.
Even biblical text identifies humankind's penchant for violence as early as Cain and Abel. The modern bible paints one picture of the first murder: Cain killed Abel out of jealousy. Yet, in unapproved versions of the biblical text, you read of a destiny foretold by prophets and the Lord himself. Cain hated Abel, had tried to kill him multiple times and took from Abel what God should have promised to Cain. All this, foretold by the "Lord," was to come to pass without interference from Adam and Eve.
The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
Humanity may never know the origins of these stories. However, it appears that all accounts of a religious nature originated from the ancient Sumerians. I wonder if we'll ever learn of a culture that originated before this group.
Japanese Swordsmen
Reputation meant everything to the samurais of Japan. Comparing feats of skill between two great swordsmen was enough to cause them to test their abilities against one another. This scenario is most likely the reason for the legendary duel on Ganryu Island.
Ganryujima of Funashima
Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro were warriors of great renown and bitter rivals. Legend has it that Musashi wanted to end this rivalry by summoning Kojiro to a duel on the island of Ganryujima of Funashima. Ultimately, Kojiro accepted the invitation and set a date for the end of their rivalry. On April 13, 1612, the two combatants met. The death of one would mean a declaration as the greatest swordsman for the other.
The Art of War
Sun Tzu's philosophies recorded in the Art of War promotes the idea of attacking by strategy. Without a plan of attack, a battle's outcomes are likely in favor of your opponent. History regarding the duel is contradictory. However, all sources agree, at least indirectly, that Musashi planned his encounter with Kojiro well. Musashi's goal was to first destabilize Kojiro's patience by enraging him. Second, Musashi wanted Kojiro to attack first.
In some stories, Musashi enraged Kojiro and his retainers by arriving at the meeting spot several hours late. In others, Musashi comes first and sets things up in a manner that would anger Kojiro. Musashi's further trolling of Kojiro's honor causes him to attack the more prepared samurai predictably. The result was the removal of Musashi's rival from the face of the Earth.
Scottish Freedom
Woah to the oppressor when enslaved and hungry people still have the strength to route the enemy from their homeland. Legends tell of Scotland's conquering by England and the atrocities committed upon the Scottish people. My first exposure to their historic plight was from the movie Braveheart by Mel Gibson. However, shortly afterward, I learned of the storytelling magic of Hollywood. There were many great tales Hollywood left alone. The movie would have been as great if it had been more historically accurate. Yet, I digress.
During the Scottish efforts to seek freedom from England, the Battle of Bannockburn occurred on June 23, 1314. During this battle of Bannockburn, two figures met for single combat. The first was an English knight named Henry de Bohun. The second was King Robert the Bruce.
Henry de Bohun observed Scottish rebels fleeing into a nearby forest. Confident of the English's impending victory at the battle, de Bohun rushed ahead of his group to score an easy kill. A career soldier, a knight even, should have been wiser in the ways of battle.
The Scottish weren't cowards. Knowing their forces were far outnumbered by the English, the Scotts used the surrounding forest to lure their prey. King Robert the Bruce lay waiting for the oppressors to come and retake Scottish land. However, the King spotted one lone knight riding ahead of his contingent in the distance. Robert rode ahead to meet the lone knight in combat.
Henry rode forward to meet the foolish knight coming towards him. Leaving his contingent of knights behind, Henry realized that the rebel approaching him was the Scottish King. Yet, Henry took his opportunity to attack. Striking forward with his sword, Henry missed the King. Robert the Bruce didn't miss. His axe cleaved Henry's helmet and skull and broke in the process. Successful in combat, Robert the Bruce headed back into battle and won the day with his men.
Survival
Charles the Good, Count of Flanders, is heralded by Catholicism as a wise and noble leader unjustly murdered during prayer. The Count turned down kingships and succession to the role of an emperor to care for his loyal subjects. His murderer sparked outrage, and the populace loyal to him demanded swift and harsh justice.
City guards captured, tortured, and killed the assassins following their admission of guilt. However, one escaped and sought refuge from his brother-in-law Guy of Steenvoorde. Unfortunately for Guy, authorities arrested him as well during an attempt at helping his brother. They accused Guy of being complicit in the murder.
Guy cried foul and proclaimed his innocence.
The authorities at his trial had little evidence proving Guy's complicity. So, as a result, they determined that a trial by combat would be necessary. Herman the Iron walked forward and volunteered to battle as he was still reeling from the loss of his beloved friend Charles. The two met in a field fully armed on horseback to do battle until death. Should Guy of Steenvoorde win, he would regain his life and be declared innocent under the eyes of God.
The warriors speed toward each other. Guy of Steenvoorde struck first. He knocked Herman down with a single blow from his lance. In his overconfidence, Guy repeatedly knocked Herman over as he tried to get up. Enraged, Herman darted forward and cleaved Guy's horse with his sword. The fight continued on foot as the knights fought shield and sword until exhaustion caused them to pause.
Having spent their energy with weapons, the two threw their shields and swords aside to punch each other with armored gauntlets. Still the better fighter, Guy quickly threw Herman to the ground and continuously beat Herman's face with his gauntlets. Herman was known as the "Iron" for a reason. Exhausting himself by beating Herman's face, Herman reached into Guy's unprotected area, grabbed Guy by the testicles, and detached them from his body. Guy, now defeated and castrated, called out his loss for the world to see.
The Psyber X Multiverse
It started as a dream but is now in its testing phases. Through remarkable determination, 
If you want to know what the game is like, refer to 
I'm genuinely impressed with the work PsyberX has accomplished. I'm glad to have been there during the first AMA, where I saw all the obstacles before the team and how they are slowly and confidently overcoming them.
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Where have I been?
I spend about two months each year on the midnight shift, working for maintenance outages at a power plant. So, I was gone for most of October and November. Work, family, and studying consume all my time. Apologies for the long delay in posting. I'm also pursuing certifications in both
Both certifications are challenging to prepare for, and I find myself burning the midnight oil most of each week. These maintenance outages are quite the nightmare when you must work for +72-hours/per week AND have responsibilities at home. I needed some recovery before resuming my Hive writing again.
Anyway, despite the challenges, I am back again and looking forward to reading some of the great content on Hive. Special thanks to 
In Closing
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