Det är inte bara inspirerat, men nästan identiskt med en västeuropeisk medeltida anpassning .
Trial by combat (also wager of battle, trial by battle or judicial duel) was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the fight was proclaimed to be right. In essence, it was a judicially sanctioned duel. It remained in use throughout the European Middle Ages, gradually disappearing in the course of the 16th century.
Unlike trial by ordeal in general, which is known to many cultures worldwide, the trial by combat is known primarily from the customs of the Germanic peoples. It was in use among the ancient Burgundians, Ripuarian Franks, Alamans, Lombards, and Swedes.
Kunden hade sina rötter i tysk stamlag, men den var också inkluderad i olika lagkoder vid den tiden. Vad som är viktigt när det gäller din fråga är att många av dessa koder är strikt definierade när en kamp i strid kan ske.
Till exempel i dagens Tyskland:
Hans Talhoffer in his 1459 Thott codex names seven offences that in the absence of witnesses were considered grave enough to warrant a judicial duel, viz. murder, treason, heresy, desertion of one's lord, "imprisonment" (possibly in the sense of abduction), perjury/fraud and rape.
och i Storbritannien:
The wager of battle was not always available to the defendant in an appeal of murder. If the defendant were taken in the mainour (that is, in the act of committing his crime), if he attempted to escape from prison, or if there was such strong evidence of guilt that there could be no effective denial, the defendant could not challenge. Similarly, if the plaintiff was a woman, above 60 years of age, a minor, or if he were lame or blind, he could decline the challenge, and the case would be determined by a jury. Peers of the realm, priests, and citizens of the City of London (the last pursuant to their guarantee of ancient liberties under Magna Carta) could also decline the battle if challenged.
Det här är förmodligen den största skillnaden med GoT-världen som tydligen i Westeros en försök med kamp kan alltid krävas . Det verkar verkligen vara mindre realistiskt, men uppenbarligen ökar dramaturgin kraftigt.