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“I only regret that I have but one face to palm for my country.”
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Today In History: The most photogenic battle ever...
On this date in 1242, thousands of Novgorodian soldiers commanded by Alexander Nevsky and directed by Sergei Eisenstein thundered across frozen Lake Peipus and cinematographically stomped the holy hell out of the invading hun.
Thus delaying the high middle ages in Russia for what, another 2 centuries?
Reading Russian medieval history is always so depressing. You keep looking at the what's going on and the dates and thinking, "dude! the 11th century ended centuries ago!"
Kind of like the Anglo Scottish border country actually, everyone else in Western Europe is well into the renaissance and they were still enjoying the cultural low lights of the low middle ages. ( Rape, mayhem, pillage & burning.)
Leading to one of my favourite quotes, which I am no doubt mangling, some priest locked out inthe cold wet winter when the fortified house locked up for the night "Let me in? Be ye not christians?" answer: "Nay, we be MacGregors."
The correct quote is inthe "The Steel Bonnets" but I can't find my copy this afternoon.
I LOVE that movie!!!
ReplyDeleteThe charge across the frozen lake is amazing. It makes Potempkin look like Plan Nine From Outer Space.
What, they didn't have color film back then?
ReplyDelete" stomped the holy hell out of the invading hun."
ReplyDeleteThus delaying the high middle ages in Russia for what, another 2 centuries?
Reading Russian medieval history is always so depressing. You keep looking at the what's going on and the dates and thinking, "dude! the 11th century ended centuries ago!"
Kind of like the Anglo Scottish border country actually, everyone else in Western Europe is well into the renaissance and they were still enjoying the cultural low lights of the low middle ages. ( Rape, mayhem, pillage & burning.)
Leading to one of my favourite quotes, which I am no doubt mangling, some priest locked out inthe cold wet winter when the fortified house locked up for the night "Let me in? Be ye not christians?" answer: "Nay, we be MacGregors."
The correct quote is inthe "The Steel Bonnets" but I can't find my copy this afternoon.
It didn't click with me right away, but today is also the anniversary of the Newhall incident.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, there's a story in the *LAT*:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-chp5apr05,1,5801735,full.story
If you're unfamiliar with the incident:
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/newhall.html
Don't forget the full orchestra and chorus Prokofiev arranged to accompany them while they fought.
ReplyDelete"Thus delaying the high middle ages in Russia for what, another 2 centuries?"
ReplyDeleteHeh.
Actual conversation between Marko and I:
M: "We may be visiting the Teutoberger forest when we go to Germany this time..."
T: "Cool! If you go by the Arminius monument could you get me some tourist tchotchke or another?"
M: "You mean the Hermann monument? He's a big cultural hero in Germany..."
T: "For what? Keeping indoor plumbing out of the country for an extra 500 years?"
:D
I wouldn't knock the Germans too quickly. Their swords were bigger.
ReplyDeleteGood ol' Sergei, the propagandist's propagandist.
ReplyDelete