Old Europe Nostalgia Thread

[jorb]

"Gott Erhalte...", Austro-Hungarian imperial hymn. Haydn. Later perverted as the "national anthem" of the western German people's republic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06643umEJZg

[Shill]

William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke



Accomplishments:

Served four Kings: Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, John, and Henry III
Undefeated in Battle, and in tournament.
Won the favor of Eleanor of Aquitaine
Signet to the Magna Carta
Defeated the Barons in open Rebellion
Regent of England to Henry III
Took the field of battle at 75, leading the charge, he slew 3 Knights 45 years his Junior.
Crusaded in the Holy Land for 7 years in Syria, fulfilling his vows, he was made a Templar.
Buried in the Temple Church in London


William was eulogized by Stephen Langton as "the best knight that ever lived." Was by most accounts the zenith of knighthood and epitome of manhood. He began life as a minor nobody, and at the height of his legacy became one of the most powerful men in Europe. His surname became synonymous as a hereditary title. He was not only a Knight but a sound statesmen, and is arguably responsible for having saved England from being openly consumed by the rebellions and Angevin interests. He was, and still remains the embodiment of what the Chistian Soldier was in Old Europe.

With Regards,

Shill the Thief

[MagicManICT]

William Shakespeare, The Bard, greatest poet and playwright ever.

The man so widely known for his ability, I need not explain more. Not even monkeys banging randomly on typewriters forever could ever reproduce his works. And since the greatest controversy of mankind was from the 19th century, the debate of Evolution vs Creation, the comparison of monkey banging on typewriters takes on whole levels of meaning. (Ok, that statement is from more modern times, but I know it is at least 20 years old as that's when I first heard it.)

William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke

Took the field of battle at 75, leading the charge, he slew 3 Knights 45 years his Junior.

Now that is impressive.

[Shill]

William Shakespeare, The Bard, greatest poet and playwright ever.

The man so widely known for his ability, I need not explain more. Not even monkeys banging randomly on typewriters forever could ever reproduce his works. And since the greatest controversy of mankind was from the 19th century, the debate of Evolution vs Creation, the comparison of monkey banging on typewriters takes on whole levels of meaning. (Ok, that statement is from more modern times, but I know it is at least 20 years old as that's when I first heard it.)

William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke

Took the field of battle at 75, leading the charge, he slew 3 Knights 45 years his Junior.

Now that is impressive.

Quite impressive when considering his age for the time, the weight of his chainmail and tabard. Even more impressive is he did not do this feat while on Heavy Horse in a pitched battle but under a relief force he commanded at the Battle of Lincoln in 1217, where French forces had captured the city of Lincoln but the English garrison loyal to King Henry III, a boy at the time, held out in the Castle Keep and resisted. The French split on what to do, some felt William had a small force, and the others thought he had a large force and wanted to continue the seige to take the higher ground against William. So after winning the gate, he placed his crossbowmen on the rooftops and lead his men in a charge against the French, wherein I would imagine an all out melee ensued. Sweat, fires, smoke, dirt, shouts, screams, for him at that age to be in the thick of it, is insane. Truly a brave man.

With Regards,

Shill the Thief

[Potjeh]

Suleiman the Magnificent, a background character in a harem soap opera that has recently conquered TV sets across the Europe.

[jorb]

Oh, the Ottoman Empire. <3



Departure of the last Sultan from the Dolmabahçe Palace in Constantinople. A star died in the heavens that day.

[jorb]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKAkX3N8W7A


Eski Ordu Marsi. One of the oldest military marches in the Turkish style.

[Potjeh]

Did you by any chance read The Bridge on the Drina? It's just oozes that Ottoman atmosphere.

[jorb]

Did you by any chance read The Bridge on the Drina? It's just oozes that Ottoman atmosphere.

I did not, but thank you for the recommendation! It seems like a wonderful book. Love the premise.

[Potjeh]

Gotta promote the few great bits of culture that we have But seriously, it's a masterfully written book, and I'm generally a lot tougher on our art than on foreign. I haven't read many authors that get the flow so right (for example, I thought Tolkien is a pain to read), and there's plenty of depth to the book. And if you read it you'll have a much better understanding of the Balkans and all the ancient grudges we hold. I reckon the book should be public domain by now, so if you can't find it in your local library (highly likely), it shouldn't be too hard to find an e-book on the net. Anyhow, I'd love to hear your impressions if you do read it.