Happy St Crisipin's day

[daftandbarmy]

This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Henry V, 1598
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispin

 

[Greymatters]

I always thought St. Crispins was related to Christmas due to a few songs with that name in it being sung around that time of year (i.e. in The Muppets Christmas). 

Ya learns sometin new every day...

 

[daftandbarmy]

'Flowing Cups, freshly remembered!'

 

[Blackadder1916]

If commemoration of battle on St. Crispin's Day is not limited to Agincourt and repetition of Shakespeare's speech by King Harry then let's use Tennyson's "Charge of The Light Brigade" to remember another 25 October military event, especially since it was the action for which a Canadian was first awarded a VC.

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay’d?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Some one had blunder’d:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash’d all their sabres bare,
Flash’d as they turn’d in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder’d:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro’ the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel’d from the sabre-stroke
Shatter’d and sunder’d.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro’ the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder’d.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!

 

[Kat Stevens]

Maybe it's because Agincourt was a glorious victory in spite of overwhelming odds, won largely by the common man, and not a communication cock up that cost a bunch of poor, brave, unwitting sods their lives.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Maybe it's because Agincourt was a glorious victory in spite of overwhelming odds, won largely by the common man, and not a communication cock up that cost a bunch of poor, brave, unwitting sods their lives.

Lots of deaths at Agincourt, on both sides, could be ascribed to communications cock ups as well.

Many battles through history suffer from the same, it seems!

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Lots of deaths at Agincourt, on both sides, could be ascribed to communications cock ups as well.

Many battles through history suffer from the same, it seems!

The baggage train incident was…unfortunate.

 

[daftandbarmy]

The baggage train incident was…unfortunate.

It's OK. A self-appointed group of lawyers found him guilty, post hoc

High Court Rules for French at Agincourt​

March 18, 2010 by Tim Treanor

Mock Trial at Shakespeare Theatre Results in Big Damages Against Henry V

16, 2010 – Sidney Harman Hall, Washington, DC) The Supreme Court of the Amalgamated Kingdom of England and France – a dazzling collection of judicial talent headed by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as Chief Justice – unanimously ruled that King Henry V’s slaughter of French prisoners of war was legally unjustified and awarded unspecified damages to the POW estates.

High Court Rules for French at Agincourt

A dazzling collection of judicial talent headed by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as Chief Justice – unanimously ruled that King Henry V’s slaughter of French POWs was legally unjustified.

dctheatrescene.com

 

[FSTO]

'Flowing Cups, freshly remembered!'

Such toxic masculinity.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Such toxic masculinity.

Then perhaps Olivier's 1944 version is a little less toxic . . . or masculine?

 

[Kilted]

Just going to put it out there that I like Branagh over Olivier.

 

[Grimey]

It's enough to make you want to loot/pillage France. Anyone seen my long bow?

 

[Kilted]

It's enough to make you want to loot/pillage France. Anyone seen my long bow?

go to 58:55. Hearts and minds were a thing back then too (at least according to Shakespeare).

 

[daftandbarmy]

The speech explained: