Literary notes about gauntlet (AI summary)
The word "gauntlet" in literature is a versatile term that can describe both a tangible object and a figurative trial. It appears as a literal piece of armor—a protective glove richly detailed in descriptions of medieval or heraldic equipment [1, 2, 3]—while also serving as a potent metaphor for confrontation and challenge. Characters may literally "run the gauntlet" when faced with physical danger [4, 5, 6] or symbolically accept the burden of defiance by "throwing down the gauntlet" to invite conflict or assert their resolve [7, 8, 9, 10]. This dual usage enriches narratives, blending material culture with deeper themes of struggle, decision, and personal conviction, as seen in texts ranging from classical epics like Homer's to modern declarations of challenge [11, 12, 13].
- Gauntlet from the effigy of Sir Thomas Cawne, Ightham Church, Kent.
— from Armour in England, from the Earliest Times to the Reign of James the First by John Starkie Gardner - —A cubit arm in armour, the hand in a gauntlet.
— from A Complete Guide to Heraldry by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies - Even when in armour the hand is usually bare, but if in a gauntlet this must be specifically so stated (Fig. 270).
— from A Complete Guide to Heraldry by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies - The man or men who made the attempt would have to run the gauntlet.
— from Wisconsin in Story and Song;Selections from the Prose and Poetry of Badger State Writers - That means an hour and a half; and by that time it will be light enough to be seen, and we shall have to run the gauntlet.
— from The Young Franc Tireurs, and Their Adventures in the Franco-Prussian War by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty - But he would have to run the gauntlet of Fort Morgan, and the chances of a shot were against him.
— from Taken by the Enemy by Oliver Optic - Instead of withdrawing with dignity, as he might still have done, he threw down the gauntlet of defiance.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë - No—the motto follows, and seems to say—Now, as the champion of Giles Scroggins, hurl I this gauntlet down; let him that dare, uplift it!
— from - There’s my gauntlet; I’ll prove it on a giant.
— from The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare - By treating the Black Prince as a [Pg 179] vassal, he therefore distinctly threw down the gauntlet of war.
— from Life of Edward the Black Prince by Louise Creighton - I wield the gauntlet, and I run the race.
— from The Odyssey by Homer - Stand forth, ye champions, who the gauntlet wield, Or ye, the swiftest racers of the field!
— from The Odyssey by Homer - “Fortune,” it has been well said, “loves a daring suitor, and he who throws down the gauntlet may always count upon his adversary to help him.”
— from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
