I've never been to Africa and the movie gives me shivers. How anyone could think that black men weren't capable of fighting after the Civil War and the Zulu War is beyond me. The went up against guns with spears for crying out loud...
And hats off to the Tommy's...stiff upper lip indeed!
My friend Jen drew that back in the early Aughties, using for models my Martini and the 24th Regiment of Foot pith helmet I got as a birthday gift from Bayou Renaissance Man.
Damn it. Now I have this image seared in my head of British troops in the Raj during the Sepoy Mutiny. "Oh, bother." BANG. "Oh, bother." BANG. "I say, old chap, would you be so kind as to hand me that jar of hunny?" BANG. "Thanks ever so much. Oh, bother." BANG.
The Zulus re-invented the Spartan model, and replace family life with barracks and male-gang life.
When you replace the family with the state, you also replace tribalism and clanism with civilization. A very dark and scary civilization ( see the Spartans, again ), but civilization nonetheless.
The Zulus were soldiers as a result, and not mere warriors.
Kristopher, Yes, I know about the Zulu. But the 54th Maine Regiment weren't Zulu...just soldiers taught to fight to the same standards as other soldiers of the day. They, and other black regiments during the un-Civil War, proved thier valor again and again. They didn't need the Zulu warrior/soldier culture. In all aspects, they were "just" black men wanting a chance to prove their worth to each other.
Oh, yes. That cartoon is still in a place of honor in my office. I had an ear-to-ear grin when Kaylee presented it to me in March of 2004 over at THR v1.0. My sigline there must've kicked over her giggle box something fierce! :-)
The Zulus were soldiers in every sense of the word. The bachelor regiments were especially mean and spoiling for a fight; instead of medals and "mention in dispatches" the regiment might earn royal permission to marry.
Drawbacks , of course- no leave and home-life was limited.
My wife and I are expecting our first child any day now. The ladies of the family have lovingly decorated the nursery with a classic Pooh (not modern Pooh) theme. This cartoon I am going to frame, and hang in a place of honor over the crib.
GKT: Homelife would encourage loyalty to family instead of to the Zulu nation.
The Spartans destroyed family life for the same reason. Completely nuking family bonds is a damned hard way to force civilization on tribals, but it did work.
I was born in Durdan and I have relatives on my mothers side who fought in the Anglo-Zulu war with the colonial forces. There is a memorial to some of them at the Isandhlwana site.
A few years ago my brother and I went back for a family event and took a guided trip to both the Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift sites.
They are both smaller than the movies make them look, but by and large the film makers did a good job.
They are both also rather awe inspiring.
There is a bunch of new research and archeology that firmly de-bunks some of the myths. The PBS/BBC show "Secrets of the Dead" did an episode about it and I highly recomend it to anyone interested in Isandhlwana.
I LOVE the Pooh cartoon! I think a continuing series would be a hoot! Pooh at the Alamo, Pooh as one of Roger's Rangers, Pooh the Roughrider, Pooh as a Rifleman at Waterloo etc etc.
That cartoon is packed full o' win.
ReplyDeleteHaving spent a few years living in africa, being caught in the sidelins between mobs.. This film still gives me shivers.
ReplyDeleteFor a motorhome I want the EM50 from "Stripes".
ReplyDeleteOr maybe a Landmaster from that 70's campfest "Damnation Alley".
I've never been to Africa and the movie gives me shivers. How anyone could think that black men weren't capable of fighting after the Civil War and the Zulu War is beyond me. The went up against guns with spears for crying out loud...
ReplyDeleteAnd hats off to the Tommy's...stiff upper lip indeed!
One of my fav Mike Caine roles, I was recently very happy to find this available on Amazon instent video, hadnt seen it for a number of years.
ReplyDeleteBorepatch,
ReplyDelete"That cartoon is packed full o' win."
My friend Jen drew that back in the early Aughties, using for models my Martini and the 24th Regiment of Foot pith helmet I got as a birthday gift from Bayou Renaissance Man.
Damn it. Now I have this image seared in my head of British troops in the Raj during the Sepoy Mutiny. "Oh, bother." BANG. "Oh, bother." BANG. "I say, old chap, would you be so kind as to hand me that jar of hunny?" BANG. "Thanks ever so much. Oh, bother." BANG.
ReplyDeleteA class V Toronado.
ReplyDeleteLCB: Those were Zulus, not just any black men.
ReplyDeleteThe Zulus re-invented the Spartan model, and replace family life with barracks and male-gang life.
When you replace the family with the state, you also replace tribalism and clanism with civilization. A very dark and scary civilization ( see the Spartans, again ), but civilization nonetheless.
The Zulus were soldiers as a result, and not mere warriors.
That is the greatest cartoon ever.
ReplyDeleteI just totally stole that image for my Book of Face status. :)
ReplyDeleteKristopher,
ReplyDeleteYes, I know about the Zulu. But the 54th Maine Regiment weren't Zulu...just soldiers taught to fight to the same standards as other soldiers of the day. They, and other black regiments during the un-Civil War, proved thier valor again and again. They didn't need the Zulu warrior/soldier culture. In all aspects, they were "just" black men wanting a chance to prove their worth to each other.
I'd pay good coin for that Pooh image on a t-shirt .... oh, I know, copyright ... but really. Good coin.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes. That cartoon is still in a place of honor in my office. I had an ear-to-ear grin when Kaylee presented it to me in March of 2004 over at THR v1.0. My sigline there must've kicked over her giggle box something fierce! :-)
ReplyDelete"It's Tommy this, and Tommy that, And chuck him out the brute,
ReplyDeleteBut it's 'Savior of his Country,' When the guns begin to shoot!"
Which poem can be sung to the Irish pub tune "Hiring Fair"
I will not say which forum it is, but someone made a batch of t-shirts with a very similar image on it. I have 2 of them.
ReplyDeleteThe warning shot law reminded me of a Mall Ninja many years ago testifying that he had fired a warning shot into the perp's kidneys.
ReplyDeletecavemike, you are an awful tease.
ReplyDeleteLCB:
ReplyDeleteNothing "just" about them. They had something to prove. They did so.
The Zulus were soldiers in every sense of the word. The bachelor regiments were especially mean and spoiling for a fight; instead of medals and "mention in dispatches" the regiment might earn royal permission to marry.
ReplyDeleteDrawbacks , of course- no leave and home-life was limited.
Regards
GKT
My wife and I are expecting our first child any day now. The ladies of the family have lovingly decorated the nursery with a classic Pooh (not modern Pooh) theme. This cartoon I am going to frame, and hang in a place of honor over the crib.
ReplyDeleteGKT: Homelife would encourage loyalty to family instead of to the Zulu nation.
ReplyDeleteThe Spartans destroyed family life for the same reason. Completely nuking family bonds is a damned hard way to force civilization on tribals, but it did work.
I was born in Durdan and I have relatives on my mothers side who fought in the Anglo-Zulu war with the colonial forces. There is a memorial to some of them at the Isandhlwana site.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago my brother and I went back for a family event and took a guided trip to both the Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift sites.
They are both smaller than the movies make them look, but by and large the film makers did a good job.
They are both also rather awe inspiring.
There is a bunch of new research and archeology that firmly de-bunks some of the myths. The PBS/BBC show "Secrets of the Dead" did an episode about it and I highly recomend it to anyone interested in Isandhlwana.
I LOVE the Pooh cartoon! I think a continuing series would be a hoot! Pooh at the Alamo, Pooh as one of Roger's Rangers, Pooh the Roughrider, Pooh as a Rifleman at Waterloo etc etc.