Did you know? The origin of Jägermeister logo comes from the ancient medieval saint Hubertus who became the first bishop of Liège in 708. Hubertus had a vision in which a stag with a glowing cross between its antlers appeared! What did the stag tell him? I explain... (thread)
Hubertus was born around 656 near Toulouse as the song mighty Duke of Aquitaine Bertrand. Like many aristocrats, he enjoyed hunting, but he took it too far and became addicted to it and was a very greedy hunter as he kept hunting and killing animals in the forests of Ardennes!
One day Hubertus stalked a magnificent stag. Just as Hubertus stalked in for the kill, the stag is said to have turned directly toward him revealing a shining crucifix suspended between its antlers and started talking to him! The stag told Hubertus to turn to the Lord!
Hubertus was moved by this vision and changed his lifestyle. Furthermore, the stag lectured Hubertus that he needs to held animals in higher regard as they're God’s creatures, never to shoot females with young and hunt old and sick animals and with quick and clean kills instead.
Hubertus listened to this and started preaching about the ethics of hunting. These principles became important all over Europe and Saint Hubertus was widely venerated and considered a patron saint of hunters!
*son of the mighty Duke of Aquitaine Bertrand
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Today 10 October is anniversary of the famous battle of Tours in year 732. Under the leadership of Charles Martel, the Franks defeated the invading army of the Umayyad Caliphate. Their disciplined infantry and experience from previous wars played a crucial part in their victory!
This battle is very known and probably doesn't need a long introduction. The mighty Umayyad Caliphate met its match when it encountered the skilled Frankish warriors who stopped the spread of Islam. Tours was just one of many of their encounters, but it is the most known one.
While this battle is notorious for its role in the context in the struggle of Christendom against Islam, but the tactics that Christians used in this battle were much different than what they used later in crusades. At Tours, it was the infantry that played the crucial role!
On this day 7 October the monumental battle of Lepanto happened in 1571. "The greatest event witnessed by ages past, present and to come," as the famous Spanish writer Cervantes who participated in the battle put it, saw the united Christian fleet triumph over the Ottoman empire!
At the time, the Ottoman empire had the superiority on the sea. The ability of the wealthy centralized empire to assemble powerful fleets was uncontested. The Ottomans scored many important victories and raided the Christian coasts all over the Mediterranean.
The Republic of Venice was the most affected as its dominions in the eastern Mediterranean were under attack, but the mighty Spanish empire also felt threatened as the Ottomans were raiding and expanding their power in the western Mediterranean as well.
The Empire of Charles V fought many wars, but there was one campaign in which the Emperor himself showed immense courage and valor, the 1535 conquest of Tunis! Viewed by many as the last crusade, this triumphant campaign brought him much glory and prestige all over Europe!
Charles V of the illustrious Habsburg dynasty ruled over a vast Empire stretching from Hungary and Bohemia to the shores of the New World and further to the Andes. He carried the ambition of the Holy Roman Empire started by Carolus magnus imperator into the renaissance era.
European Christendom was far from united, however. Engaged in the brutal Italian wars that had lasted for decades and struggling with the rise of Protestantism, the Imperial might of Charles V was challenged by many, most notably the powerful Kingdom of France ruled by Francis I.
This thread will be the first in my attempt to compile a "soundtrack" to the middle ages. I'll start with posting -in my opinion- 10 most iconic and representative Christian hymns/Gregorian chants from the middle ages. If you think I missed any crucial ones add them in comments!
1) Media vita in morte sumus
In the midst of life we are in death. This ancient chant supposedly originated as a battle chant written by a monk of the Abbey of St. Gallen in 912. It was a very powerful way of reminding Christian warriors of eternal life.
2) Laudes Regiae
This powerful chant was used during coronation of Holy Roman Emperors, first used when Carolus Magnus was crowned in 800, invoking the names of the saints in full splendor and magnificence.
Great warriors always learn a lot from defeats. The Swiss learned an important lesson in the battle of Arbedo in 1422 which they lost against the mighty duchy of Milan. Now a largely forgotten battle, it was crucial to Swiss developing and refining their warfare tactics.
As the might of the Old Swiss Confederacy grew, the Swiss conducted campaigns over the Alps and clashed with the interests of the powerful Duchy of Milan. This led to many engagements, including the battle of Arbedo near Bellinzona in 1422.
At the time the Swiss were already hardened and well respected as an infantry force, having successfully fought off the Habsburg knights and established their de facto independence. However they were not yet the invincible pikemen force they would be at the end of the century.
I think one of the reasons why Swiss were so impressive and looked invincible at the height of their power in 15th and early 16th century is because their fighting style looked very beatable, in theory. This made their opponents do the same mistake again and again... (thread)
The Swiss relied on their pikemen supported by other pole weapons and some crossbowmen and gunners. They were a pretty one-dimensional army in that regard. A "one trick pony"? Yes, but the one who does that trick insanely good and in fact much better than the opponent expects!
Starting with the mighty Burgundian army, the Swiss foes made the mistake of thinking they could finesse their way to beat the Swiss by using a tactical approach that looked clever on paper, but always seemed to fail horribly when they actually faced the Swiss on the battlefield.