And Tristan, in order to frighten the King, thrust forward his naked sword towards him, and the King, seeing it coming, was too cowardly to wait for it, since he knew full well that the whole world would not protect him from death if Tristan could reach him; and for that reason he fled from the room. But Tristan who was very agile struck him so fiercely with the flat part of the blade on his bare head that the King flew to the ground and lay there full length, thinking he had received a mortal blow.

Prose Tristan