Helena Duel: Difference between revisions

According to "Texas; a guide to the Lone star state" (a guide published in 1940 by the [[Texas Department of Transportation|Texas State Highway Commission]]), a Helena Duel is a form of [[Duel|dueling]] by knife fight, originating in [[Helena, Texas]], which had a "reputation as a tough town":<blockquote>Among the outlaws of this area is said to have originated that sanguinary form of personal encounter called the Helena Duel. It consisted of tying the left hands of the duelists securely together with [[Rawhide (material)|rawhide]], giving each a knife with a three-inch blade, whirling them around rapidly a few times and turning them loose. The shortness of the knife blades prohibited the likelihood of a fatal single stroke, and the fight progressed as a gruesome, gory slashing match while the contestants hacked away furiously. No [[Safe conduct|quarter]] was given or expected.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Writers' Program. Texas |url=http://archive.org/details/texasguidetolone00writrich |title=Texas; a guide to the Lone star state |date=1940 |publisher=New York, Hastings House |others=Prelinger Library |pages=654}}</ref></blockquote>

== In Media ==

This type of dueling also appears in fiction, such as [[:fr:Alexander_Leslie_Scott|Leslie Scott]]'s Silver River Ranch (1961) and the 2016 film [[The Duel (2016 film)|The Duel]], starring [[Woody Harrelson]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Scott |first=Leslie |url=http://archive.org/details/silverriverranch0000scot |title=Silver River Ranch |date=1997 |publisher=Bath : Firecrest Pub. |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7451-4712-3}}</ref>

The cover [[Sir! Magazine]]'s July 1958 issue is a painting depicting two men (one alleged to be [[James Bowie|James "Jim" Bowie]]) tethered at the left wrist dueling with knives.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kirchner |first=Paul |date=2010-12-01 |title=Jim Bowie's Legendary Knife Duels |url=http://bowieknifefightsfighters.blogspot.com/2010/12/jim-bowies-legendary-duels.html |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=Bowie Knife Fights, Fighters & Fighting Techniques. . .}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pulp International - Vintage cover of Sir from July 1958 |url=https://www.pulpinternational.com/pulp/entry/Vintage-cover-of-Sir-from-July-1958.html |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=www.pulpinternational.com}}</ref>

A variant of this type of dueling is featured in [[Pop music|pop]] singer [[Michael Jackson]]'s [[music video]] for the song "[[Beat It]]".<ref>{{Citation |title=Michael Jackson - Beat It (Official Video) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRdxUFDoQe0 |language=en |access-date=2022-09-18}}</ref>

== References ==

<references />

[[Category:Dueling]]

[[Category:Ghost towns in Texas]]

[[Category:Ghost towns in South Texas]]

[[Category:History_of_Texas]]

[[Category:Texas_folklore]]