History!!

[D.C.]

I dont know why your joking it's pretty much true, anyone who disobeyed Genghis' rule or Law was instantly killed. Herat is a great example, it stopped paying tribute to Genghis due to a rebellion in the south. When Ghengis besieged the city he killed all the inhabitants bar one.
Does any one know of the legend of why this man survived?

No idea but I would love to know why.

Legend has it that a man fell from the top of the battlements of the castle of Herat near where Genghis was hunting. Genghis saw this fall and believed the man to be dead but then the man moved an arm. Genghis went over and saw the man had survived the long fall. Genghis then believed the man was protected by spirits and so sent the man to a healer and gave him a horse and quite the bit of money and sent him on the way. A few days later the castle fell and Genghis killed every man, women and child, leaving the man that fell the only survivor.

 

[D.C.]

Richard the Lionhart did give each man a banner too look like there were more there than there actually was but what actually defeated Saladins large Army was he single-handedly charged the saracen line stark naked. He surprised the saracens apparently coming out of nowhere. the saracens tried to kill him; shooting arrows and crossbows non of them hitting him, When he reached their lines he killed several men without a blow landing on him. The Saracens thought he was a demon and fled. Thus Richard Defeated a force of several thousand more than him. Funny story.

He then tried this trick single handly charging a french castle naked.. The lookout simply shot him with a crossbow which did lead to his death from gangrene.

I call shenanigans. I remember reading that naked story, but it comes from a highly fictionalized version of his life written in French, so I don't really think it happened.

It was still a pretty good read though (it says he got his name from actually eating the heart of a lion which he killed with his bare hands).

The bit about the bare handed lion killing is false, as for the naked thing its a pretty well agreed upon thing that Richard Lionheart did like to go to battle with as little on as possible sometimes. Other sources also agree upon this event. So unless the whole medieval world is lying (which it could have done) the naked thing is mostly believed by historians.

EDIT: sorry double post.

 

[HerrBobo]

No, there is an urban myth that a "Mr. Crapper" invented the , its not true.
The flushing toilet has been around since B.C. times. The modern system was invented by John Harington. QI FTW!

Edit; Just saw the reply. Crapper did not invent the modern toilet he just improved certain aspects, such as the ballcock.

Ding Ding Ding! John (as in "I need to use the John) Harington is correct. Also, I didn't mean to imply that Crapper invented the modern toilet, but after re-reading my post I guess it kind of sounds like that.

Now, as a reward for the correct answer, here's an interesting story about the true inventor of the toilet:

He was also a poet, and he wrote a story about how he invented the toilet which was actually a scathing political allegory. I haven't read it, but apparently he also compared God's creation of the world to his creation of the toilet. Unfortunately this didn't make Queen Elizabeth too happy so he was ousted from her court as punishment.

Anyone else want to venture a guess on my other two questions? I'll give some hints if no one has any clue.

1) What was the world's first novel?

2) Who was Emperor Norton I?

Who invented concrete?

Don't remember the name, but wasn't it a Roman?

Yes! I was just looking for "The Romans" TBH.

I have no idea about your novel one, but I'm guessing it was written in China?

Ok, a question.

Why were all the Irish forced (at spear point) to hand over the monasteries they had founded to the Scotish in the middle ages?

 

[HerrBobo]

OK, let's try to bring some life back to this thread! How come the Assyrians ruled even though they were a relatively tiny nation?

Shot in the dark here, but their invention/use of the compound/recurved bow?

 

[boholikeu]

2) Who was Emperor Norton I?

Self-proclaimed "Emperor of the United States" and "Protector of Mexico".

Also, he was English, and batshit crazy.

Correct! Apparently they were going to name the new bay bridge in SF after him until Oakland vetoed it (Boo!)

"Norton's proclamations promoting a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland were commemorated on December 14, 2004, when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a resolution calling for the new span of the San Francisco ? Oakland Bay Bridge to be named after Norton. The proposal, however, needed the approval of the City of Oakland and then state authorities before it could be ratified. The members of the Oakland City Council expressed disapproval of the proposal, and no progress was made on the resolution afterwards."

The bit about the bare handed lion killing is false, as for the naked thing its a pretty well agreed upon thing that Richard Lionheart did like to go to battle with as little on as possible sometimes. Other sources also agree upon this event. So unless the whole medieval world is lying (which it could have done) the naked thing is mostly believed by historians.

EDIT: sorry double post.

I hate to be a stickler about it, but can you provide any links? The only reason I'm so skeptical is that I took a class about the crusades in college, and I'm pretty sure the professor said the whole naked thing was just a legend.

1) What was the world's first novel?

Who invented concrete?

Don't remember the name, but wasn't it a Roman?

Yes! I was just looking for "The Romans" TBH.

I have no idea about your novel one, but I'm guessing it was written in China?

Sweet! I got one! =)

China is very close... If someone can name the country I'll give the rest of the info.

 

[D.C.]

I hate to be a stickler about it, but can you provide any links? The only reason I'm so skeptical is that I took a class about the crusades in college, and I'm pretty sure the professor said the whole naked thing was just a legend.

That's fine skepticism a good thing... I'm afraid i dont have any links as i saw it on a T.V. show not sure if it was on channel 4 or Yesterday( formaly UKTV history) but thats what a historian said... but if your proffesser disagrees... i'm gonna have to go checking myself.

 

[boholikeu]

That's fine skepticism a good thing... I'm afraid i dont have any links as i saw it on a T.V. show not sure if it was on channel 4 or Yesterday( formaly UKTV history) but thats what a historian said... but if your proffesser disagrees... i'm gonna have to go checking myself.

Perhaps the TV show just took the quote out of context to make the story more interesting? Or maybe my professor was just wrong? Now I'll have to go research that too =)

 

[Vision of Division]

OK, let's try to bring some life back to this thread! How come the Assyrians ruled even though they were a relatively tiny nation?

Shot in the dark here, but their invention/use of the compound/recurved bow?

Nah, they had iron weaponry while other nations still used bronze. It may not sound like a great advantage, but apparently it was like taking a gun to a knife-fight.

 

[Tales of Golden Sun]

1) What was the world's first novel?

Wasn't that the Tale of Genji?

 

[boholikeu]

1) What was the world's first novel?

Wasn't that the Tale of Genji?

That's it. Written in Japan.

It's essentially the story of a Japanese Cassanova, although some of the love interests are a little... strange... to say the least. For example, Genji is constantly attracted to women who resemble his mother, and his main love interest in the story is a girl he basically kidnapped when she was 10 years old. It's a great work of art though, even if a basic summary of the story make it sound kind of like a messed-up soap opera.

 

[HerrBobo]

OK, let's try to bring some life back to this thread! How come the Assyrians ruled even though they were a relatively tiny nation?

Shot in the dark here, but their invention/use of the compound/recurved bow?

Nah, they had iron weaponry while other nations still used bronze. It may not sound like a great advantage, but apparently it was like taking a gun to a knife-fight.

I knew it was somthing to do with wepons.

Anyone wanna have a go at this one?

Why were all the Irish forced (at spear point) to hand over the monasteries they had founded to the Scotish in the middle ages?

Clue: it is something to do with latain.

 

[Deadpoolsbrain]

No, there is an urban myth that a "Mr. Crapper" invented the , its not true.
The flushing toilet has been around since B.C. times. The modern system was invented by John Harington. QI FTW!

Edit; Just saw the reply. Crapper did not invent the modern toilet he just improved certain aspects, such as the ballcock.

Ding Ding Ding! John (as in "I need to use the John) Harington is correct. Also, I didn't mean to imply that Crapper invented the modern toilet, but after re-reading my post I guess it kind of sounds like that.

Now, as a reward for the correct answer, here's an interesting story about the true inventor of the toilet:

He was also a poet, and he wrote a story about how he invented the toilet which was actually a scathing political allegory. I haven't read it, but apparently he also compared God's creation of the world to his creation of the toilet. Unfortunately this didn't make Queen Elizabeth too happy so he was ousted from her court as punishment.

Anyone else want to venture a guess on my other two questions? I'll give some hints if no one has any clue.

1) What was the world's first novel?

2) Who was Emperor Norton I?

Who invented concrete?

Don't remember the name, but wasn't it a Roman?

Norton was the guy who claimed himself emperor of America and the first novel would be the epic of gilgamesh, or Illiad/Odyssey?

Edit: Oh ok Tale of gengi

 

[Deadpoolsbrain]

OK, let's try to bring some life back to this thread! How come the Assyrians ruled even though they were a relatively tiny nation?

Shot in the dark here, but their invention/use of the compound/recurved bow?

Nah, they had iron weaponry while other nations still used bronze. It may not sound like a great advantage, but apparently it was like taking a gun to a knife-fight.

I would have guess that it was because they were real violent buggers. You can really strike fear in the hearts of people when you skin them and wear skins into battle.

 

[Tales of Golden Sun]

1) What was the world's first novel?

Wasn't that the Tale of Genji?

That's it. Written in Japan.

It's essentially the story of a Japanese Cassanova, although some of the love interests are a little... strange... to say the least. For example, Genji is constantly attracted to women who resemble his mother, and his main love interest in the story is a girl he basically kidnapped when she was 10 years old. It's a great work of art though, even if a basic summary of the story make it sound kind of like a messed-up soap opera.

So it was also the first novel about paedophilia and the Oedipus complex?
Hmm.

 

[Tales of Golden Sun]

Anyone wanna have a go at this one?

Why were all the Irish forced (at spear point) to hand over the monasteries they had founded to the Scotish in the middle ages?

Clue: it is something to do with latain.

Let's revive this topic!
Was it because of some religious conflict the Irish had lost?