"The handgrasp ritual before combat among medieval duelists illustrates a surprising attempt to create a final opportunity for peace, even at the brink of violence."
"Emotions are mediated through systems of representation, transmission, and social coding, necessitating a focus on how societies perceive and structure affective phenomena."
"The judicial duel, as a legal practice, reflects deeper cultural values and social orders, rather than being merely an outdated remnant of premodern justice."
"Analyzing the social effects of emotions shifts the focus from internal states to observable practices, revealing how affect operated within specific historical contexts."
Medieval duelists performed a handgrasp ritual before fighting, symbolizing a final chance for peace. This act highlights the emotional dimensions of human experience, which are shaped by social contexts and representations. The study of emotions in history requires examining observable practices rather than assuming direct access to emotional states. The judicial duel serves as a case study, revealing its connections to belief systems, social order, and cultural values, rather than merely being an archaic legal practice.
Read at Medievalists.net
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