The Battle of Towton :Nasty, brutish and not that short

The Economist ^ | Dec 16 2010

[worst-case scenario]

It's estimated that 1% of the general British population was killed at this battle, one of the chief ones of the War of the Roses.

[FrdmLvr]

ping

[Red_Devil 232]

The wars[Wars of Roses] arose from the slow breakdown of government under Henry VI, a man who was prone to bouts of mental illness and “curiously incapable” even when well. As decision-making under Henry drifted, factions formed and enmities deepened.

Sounds familar.

[Interesting Times]

New information on the battle that put Edward IV on the throne.

[La Lydia]

Old bones ping

[MrPiper]

From behind him someone swung a blade towards his skull

Yep,, its the one you don't see that gets you.......

[SunkenCiv]

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach · · join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
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[SunkenCiv]

Whoops! And thanks La Lydia!

[Red_Devil 232]

This article is a very interesting and very graphic discription of warfare some 500 years ago.

[njslim]

The bill - English version of Halberd was vicious weapon
Able to cut man in two with a single blow....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_(weapon)

[zot]

Thanks for the ping. Very interesting analysis.
Clear indications of the roaring rage in which defeated soldiers were killed.

[BenLurkin]

yup

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Interesting bit of history, thanks for posting it.

[iowamark]

[Red_Devil 232]

HALBERD

[Red_Devil 232]

ENGLISH BIL

[JimSEA]

The expression “being poleaxed” comes to mind. It wasn’t only cattle that were dispatched that way.

[wildbill]

[Minstrel]singing] Bravely bold Sir Robin rode forth from Camelot. He was not afraid to die, oh brave Sir Robin. He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways, brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Robin. He was not in the least bit scared to be mashed into a pulp, or to have his eyes gouged out, and his elbows broken. To have his kneecaps split, and his body burned away, and his limbs all hacked and mangled, brave Sir Robin. His head smashed in and heart cut out, and his liver removed, and his bowels unplugged, and his nostrils raped and his bottom burned off and his penis...

Sir Robin: That’s, uh, that’s enough music for now, lads... looks like there’s dirty work afoot.

[worst-case scenario]

Picture is worth a thousand words, eh? He was probably dead from the blow to the back of the skull before this coup de grace was given. At least one hopes so.

What sort of bloodrage must one be in in order to inflict this sort of blow on another human?

[SunkenCiv]

• Skeletons Of Bloodiest Day (Towton -- 1461AD)
• Towton, the bloodbath that changed the course of English history. (Well worth reading)
• Battle of Towton, the birth of modern warfare and the killing of 1% of the population