8 replies to this topic

[constantine]

Prompted by Mr Roberts' thread on real-life Cimmerians, I would like to see a thread whose topic includes great deeds/incidents, obviously action-oriented, by individuals or large groups throughout recorded history. I am not aware if there is already such a thread. It may be that some info could be inspirational to some who write stories (or even play RPGs) with such themes.

Preferably, said events would come from early modern era (up to 17th c., that is), but if anyone comes up with something impressive from more recent times, that should be okay. In the same manner, descriptions of individuals' actions/deeds would be most welcome.

If the topic is too broad we can make it more precise.

Anyway, an impressive incident I would like to post is that which took place shortly before the battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 between Norwegians and Anglo-Saxons.

As the arrival of Harold II's army in the north took the Norsemen by surprise, the latter had barely any time to gather before the English attack. The Saxons first thrashed a great band of Vikings with the rest trying to retreat to the main part of their army.

At that point, a rather big and brawny Norwegian took it upon himself to delay the English by holding a bridge the latter needed to cross. The fellow felled all those who tried to overrun him (possibly wielding a big, Danish axe) and the bridge was heeped with dead Saxons. Eventually, an Englishman crossed the stream and struck him from below, (speared him if I recall the story correctly). Still, the Norseman gave some time to his own who lost the battle anyway.

The story of the Norseman is not a certainty (might have been a later local legend), but it is cool nonetheless.

[Landsknecht]

I once had to do a detailed report on Nathan Bedford Forrest who a Howardian character in his own right, if not exactly a hero. He led from the front, was wounded several times, had 30 horses shot out from under him, and claimed to have personally killed two dozen Union soldiers. This is admitted from memory since this story does not seem to be on the internet.

One story that Forrest apparently was fond of telling did not make it to many of his biographies. When he was a newly appointed cavalry colonel he studied all of the classic tactics manuals that he could find and in his first engagement with a larger Union cavalry unit he decided to try pretty much all of Hannibal's tricks at once including a flanking turned to double envelopment and when the enemy tried to retreat to avoid being surrounded he led a furious charge down the road in the center to finish them off. His plan was going wonderfully when a single Union captain broke off to attack Forrest personally and try and cover the Union cavalry's escape. The captain was described as looking as big as his horse and plowed through the confederates beating Forrest within an inch of his life. Sadly the peacetime custom was to carry unsharpened nickle plated sabres (This was so as not to cut your horse's ears when drilling and sharpening ruined the nickle plating.) and Forrest survived to be arguably the most competent officer in the confederacy. It took all of Forrest's cavalry's attention to save his life from this single large captain. Forrest's staff officers finally had enough and backed off and let this brute ride off. Some say that they were afraid to shoot at him and make him mad. Forrest was laid up for days and in no shape to reorganize his troops for a pursuit. This bought enough time to save many Union lives to fight another day.

At the end of the Civil War there was a certain amount of mutual back slapping and it was considered very gentlemanly to recommend your former opponents for awards. This unidentified captain was at the top of Forrest's list but no one left in the Union cavalry unit had any recollection of a captain fitting that description.

[Landsknecht]

I have heard the story of the swordsman too and there is apparently an inn there dedicated to him. Fighting and dying so gloriously that they name a bar after you is not too shabby.

[ollonois]

keny from Prague in other thread

While we are being chavanistic, ill toss in Jan Zizka, the one eyed Hussite general who defeated the cream of "civilized" European chivalry with his "barbarian" peasant army. He also rocked a kick-arse moustache ala Gottfried von Kalambach.

Zizka's dying wish was to have his skin used to make war drums so he could continue to help his troops.

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Jan_Žižka

yeah, Zizka was by far the best general we Czechs ever produced. When you see what he had to work with, farmers and their tools, and used those to defeat armoured knights you can see what a military genius he was. He was also the first general to incorporate pistol firearms into combat, making them a viable weapon (the word "pistol" come from Czech due to the Hussites expertise with them)


Even after losing his second eye in battle he continued to lead his Hussite troops while blind. He was such a tactical genius he could make decisions based on verbal reports from the field.

Not sure if he's "Howardian" but he was a arse-kicker

Edited by ollonois, 03 September 2012 - 11:05 PM.

[constantine]

Jan Zizka was indeed a splendid captain who, after some point, commanded the Hussites despite being blind (beat that!). His boys though, were not exactly a poorly armed mob of peasants, but an organized force with more than decent equipment.

However, general assessments of historical figures aren't the topic of this thread, unless certain specific deeds/actions of those persons are included. Therefore, it doesn't make much sense to include Zizka here without putting down a deed (action type) of his own. The same could be said of Caesar, Genghis Khan and so on.

[Landsknecht]

CMH narratives are impressive to read: http://www.history.a....mil/moh.html

Jan Zizka and the Hussites still have quite a legacy. His creation of armored war wagons and circle tactics were not only heavily used on the American frontier but the basis for Cold War era mechanized infantry tactics. While the Hussites ultimately failed I like to think that they inspired Martin Luther and guided him to succeed.



Since everything here should somehow tie back to REH:

Edited by Landsknecht, 01 November 2012 - 11:32 PM.

[constantine]

Jan Zizka and the Hussites still have quite a legacy. His creation of armored war wagons and circle tactics were not only heavily used on the American frontier but the basis for Cold War era mechanized infantry tactics. While the Hussites ultimately failed I like to think that they inspired Martin Luther and guided him to succeed.

Landsknecht

While I also believe that Zizka and the Hussites had a legacy (in the Czechs' national consciousness, if not anything else) I fully disagree with the other comments of the above quote. In any case, the thread seems to have been derailed.

The topic is NOT general great achievements of historical figures or peoples, but more specific impressive deeds by said individuals/groups. Here that would be ''Zizka, while blind, dodged the attack of a German knight and then felled him with his claymore'' (a hypothetical example, but it would be cool if this had happened).

There can be stories of anonymous individuals like the Stamford Bridge Norseman or the almogavar mentioned by Mr Roberts in the ''Real-life Cimmerinas'' thread.

[EM Erdelac]

I would submit the story of Captain Klaus Störtebeker (not a surname, but a nickname that meant "empty the mug with one gulp"), who led a brotherhood of privateers known as the Victual Brothers that fought the Danish on the side of Sweden and continued their piratical forays after the war ended.

The coolest story about him is that after he and his 70 some men were finally captured (and his offer of a chain of gold long enough to encircle the town of Hamburg was rejected), they were sentenced to be beheaded.

Störtebeker made a deal with the mayor that he hoped would save some of his crew. His men were lined up. Following his own beheading, as many of his men that his headless body managed to walk past would be spared. The executioner dropped his blade and Störtebeker's headless corpse stood up and walked past eleven of his men before the headsman stuck out his foot and tripped it.

Supposedly, when his three masted ship was dismantled, each mast was found to have a core of precious metal, one pure gold, one pure silver, and one pure copper. These were then used in the construction of the spires of St. Catherine's Church in Hamburg.

http://en.wikipedia....us_Störtebeker

Edited by EM Erdelac, 06 September 2012 - 05:44 AM.

[constantine]

Recently checked the 2nd Crusade chronicle of Odo of Deuilles. At some point of the march in Asia Minor, while the crusaders were crossing a hilly region, they were assaulted by the Turks in the pass and were sorely pressed.

It so happened that King Louis VII was isolated from his knights during the Turkish attack (and many crusaders seem to have been dismounted). Thus, he climbed a bit on the hillside and with his back to the hill he defended himself cleaving foes left and right, until help came. That, at least, is the impression given by the chronicle.

I couldn't help but think how reminiscent this was of REH's descriptions of his fighting protagonists, Conan included.

Edited by constantine, 10 September 2012 - 02:41 PM.