image: Barricade of waggons of the Hussites during the Hussite War 1419-1434. Illustration from a codex around 1450
The Hussites (“Chalice People”) were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus (c. 1369–1415), who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation. This predominantly religious movement was propelled by social issues and strengthened Czech national awareness.
Wounded Viking warriors were given strong onion soup. After a few minutes someone would smell the wounds and if onions could be detected it meant that there were serious abdominal injuries and that death was inevitable.
Yes, this is a 4224 × 816 Crusades timeline
(Visit the source for more details and options)
Source: spiritrestoration.org
fuckyeahnerdpr0n submitted:
Did you know the USA had an armored combat team?
So whoever’s interested here’s a link.
Heydon church doorway
credit: John Sutton
Medieval Sea-Fight
In the days of the Old Navy of England, before Henry VIII had introduced the great battering guns into his ships, a battle at sea was not really a sea-battle at all, as we understand it. In theory it was a land-battle on water.
The ships had steep, high sides with the curving decks of the ships taking the place of strongholds on land. And most of the weapons used were personal ones that were used in land-fighting; swords, spears, maces and battle-axes, representing the men’s arms, darts, arrows from long-bows or cross-bows representing the missile weapons.
All of these were designed to kill men; they could not possibly wound or sink the ships in a sea-fight. There was nothing which could do that, to the heavy Round Ships of the north. Even the classic “ship-killer” of the Galley, the Ram, was absent here, which usually proved to be a useless weapon.
Source: modern-day-commando.com
Edgar Degas - Study for the Medieval War Scene (1865)
Source: wikipaintings.org
The dramatic increase in military performance is for the first time reflected in historical records on the occasion of the second siege of Tyre in 1124, when the crusaders reportedly made use of “great trebuchets”.
By the 1120–30s, the counterweight trebuchet had diffused not only to the crusaders states, but probably also westwards to the Normans of Sicily and eastwards to the Great Seljuqs. The military use of the new gravity-powered artillery culminated in the 12th century during the Siege of Acre (1189–91) which saw the kings Richard I of England and Philip II of France wrestle for control of the city with Saladin’s forces.
image: Counterweight trebuchet at Château des Baux, France
Source: Wikipedia
Is this the best non-fiction-book title ever, or what?
A picture of a white war elephant from 11th century Spain
I heard the rattling of chains, and a distant bell tolling. I felt the cold iron against my skin and it made me crave blood. We will fight, and you shall be conquered.
Jane de Belleville ~ alias Jeanne de Montfort, Jeanne de Clisson, Jane de Belleville, “The Flame” and ”The Lionesss of Brittany”
Year Active: 1343
Country of Origin: French
A French noblewoman who turned against her country when her beloved husband was executed by the French as a spy. With vengeance in her heart, she sided with the English in the 1345 invasion of Brittany. Seeking to enter the fray herself, she purchased and prepared three ships with money from the sale of her possessions. She was a ruthless mistress of revenge at sea and on land, and no ship or town near the coast of Normandy was safe from her wrath. With a flaming torch in one hand and a sword in the other, she must have been a fearsome sight to behold, as she burned whole Norman villages to the ground.
Source: highseaheroines.blogspot.com
After this, whenever I see any statue (knights, gargoyles, green man…) I think there is a higher purpose for them, just waiting for the right moment.
Imagine all the statues from Notre Dame loosening from their posts and marching to meet the enemy…
Word of the day
Barding (also spelled bard or barb) is armour for horses. During the late Middle Ages as armour protection for knights became more effective, their mounts became targets. This tactic was effective for the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in the fourteenth century when horses were killed by the infantry and the English at the Battle of Crécy in the fourteenth century where archers shot horses and heavy infantry killed the French knights after they were dismounted. Barding developed as a response to such events.
Surviving period examples of barding are rare; however, complete sets are on display at the Wallace Collection in London, and the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
Source: Wikipedia
Medieval Rampage 2
For all the fellow gamers out there. Something to shorten those long work hours.
Advice: mute the music and play something more appropriate in the background. I love Europa Universalis 3 OST. :)
