In medieval Germany, husbands and wives could fight in a marital duel in order to legally settle their disputes.
According to the manuscript, the husband was placed in a hole that came up to his waist, and he was armed with a club. The wife would stand at the edge of the hole, and she would be given a cloth with a four or five pound stone in one end of it. His club and her sling were both the same length. Presumably, the man was in the hole in an attempt to even the playing field.
The duel would only take place if they could not compromise and make peace with each other. If the husband lost the duel, he would have his head cut off. If the wife lost the duel, she would be buried alive.
