The Scribe's Daughter and an act of misguided chivalry

Stephanie has an interesting discussion of historical research on her blog, also offering a behind-the veil glimpse of writers at work. It isn’t always pretty! I cannot count the times my computer has been spared an ugly demise simply because I did not have an axe in the house. Here is the link to her blog. http://www.stephaniechurchillauthor.c... She also has an insightful review up about a writer I think I’d like to read, Matthew Harffy. Lastly, she is running a Christmas special for her first novel, The Scribe’s Daughter; for now it is available as an e-book for only $2.99.
December 2nd was another slow news day in the medieval world. But my Polish friend Kasia once called my attention to an interesting sidelight to the battle of Bremule in 1119, and I think it is worth repeating. She said that prior to the battle “Louis VI of France offered to fight Henry I in person. In the twelfth century warfare the idea of a heroic single combat was a common one. Individuals were ready to take up the challenge and responsibility in order to avoid greater losses and settle the dispute even before the fighting in serious began. Louis was ready to take up such responsibility and proposed to fight between the two armies, but Henry refused. If he had agreed they were to fight “separated by a swift stream and a rickety plank bridge” (Tournament, p. 5), a thought that their armies found highly amusing, for both kings were rather stout men, and who knows what would have happened if they fought on the bridge:-)” The citation is to David Crouch’s excellent book. Henry I was about as chivalrous as a stump, so it is not surprising that this would have not have appealed to him in the least; he won the battle decisively, by the way.
This incident reminded me of the scene in Ransom in which the French suggested that they settle their differences with the English by having five champions fight for each side. Richard said he’d be delighted to do that, on one condition—that he and Philippe be two of the champions. The French then dropped that idea like the proverbial hot potato. You’re shocked by that, right?