A GLORIOUS ANNIVERSARY

Sometimes you just have to take pride in communal massacres. It wasn't the other side's fault that they were, by a horrible accident of birth, poxy bastards with toenail fungus and venereal disease that deserved to be wiped off the face of the earth, but there you have it.

On May 18, 1302, the good citizens of Brugge ('Bruges') re-entered their city and slaughtered every Frenchman that infested the place.


MAY 18 - THE BRUGES MATINS
[De Brugse Metten]

"In the cold blue of early dawn, as faintly light grew, and languorously chased away the shadows, the sleepy watchers on the gate-tower became aware of a many pointed glittering underneath the aged oaks outside the city gate. First few, then more and more glimmerings made themselves apparent in the grass below the trees. Like pearls, like diamonds, these refractive and almost iridescent dew-born twinkles.... glittered, glimmered, shone, and sparkled, in the pools of dark beneath the ancient branches.

A shaft of light cut through the haze, and the sun finally rose above the ribbon of forest which limned the borders of this world. Light struck the objects near the tree trunks, and rebounded upwards, temporarily blinding the observing guards.

And as the world became bright, the realization dawned on them that only steel reflects so sharply. The city gates swung loudly open. Who did so? Who unbolted that protective portal so early? What Judas lurked within, and so deftly delivered these Leliaerds to a horrible fate?

The mass of armed men in the orchard... then rose as one, and before the French soldiers had a chance of reacting, the wall of Flemish swords was upon them. With glory and valour the nation freed itself of her oppressors, and before the sun had reached its height the streets had been laved with the blood of tyrants. "

[Re-quoted from here: savage joy.]


JULY 11 - THE FIELD OF GOLDEN SPURS
[De Guldensporenslag]

Following the Bruges bloodbath, the king of France, Philip the Fourth, sent an army under the command of Robert of Artois to punish the fractious Flemings and reassert his authority.
The two sides met on a grassy field outside Kortrijk ("Courtrai") on July 11, 1302.

The French forces consisted of armoured cavalry, with crossbowmen, spearmen, and light infantry. A very formidable military by the standards of the age.
The citizens of Flanders had the Goedendag (a club-like short spear), and the Geldon (a long spear).

Robert of Artois first sent his infantry to fight the rebels, then ordered the cavalry to charge the Flemish shield-wall. The knights thundered into the muddy field..... and, as the natives had expected, got bogged down.

The Flemish did not take any prisoners.

Such much decorative martial frippery was stripped from the corpses of French knights that the Church of Our Lady in Kortrijk seemed as if the stars had come down to roost among the pillars with the triumphant tribute and decoration.

But for the fact that civilization won a climactic battle against the forces of darkness and barbarism on this day, there would be little remarkable about the date.


Ale tonight. And boisterous jollification.


Have a happy Golden Spurs day.



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OH SAVAGE JOY

Also known as the Day of the Dutch-speaking Community, in Belgium. And why exactly do we celebrate this day? 'Cause French butt got kicked, that's why! Now share the love.

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THE BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN SPURS AT KORTRYK (COURTRAI) ON JULY 11, 1302 On 11 July 1302, below the hallowed walls of Courtrai, the most splendid army of knights in Christendom, the flower of the French nobility, was completely annihilated by Flemish rebels. The spurs that were taken off the corpses the dead French knights gave the battle its name. With this splendid victory the Flemish succeeded in repulsing the attempt by the French King Philip the Fair to conquer Flanders; the king had been seeking to gain a direct influence on the country principally to exploit the economic strength of the Flemish towns. It is due to this battle that civilization (and the English speaking world) do not speak French - which is well worth celebrating.

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To further your giddy joy at any humiliation of the French, I offer my translation of a literary passage about another French defeat: "...In the cold blue of early dawn, as faintly light grew, and languorously chased away the shadows, the sleepy watchers on the gate-tower became aware of a many pointed glittering underneath the aged oaks outside the city gate. First few, then more and more glimmerings made themselves apparent in the grass below the trees. Like pearls, like diamonds, these refractive and almost iridescent dew-born twinkles.... glittered, glimmered, shone, and sparkled, in the pools of dark beneath the ancient branches. A shaft of light cut through the haze, and the sun finally rose above the ribbon of forest which limned the borders of this world. Light struck the objects near the tree trunks, and rebounded upwards, temporarily blinding the observing guards. And as the world became bright, the realization dawned on them that only steel reflects so sharply. The city gates swung loudly open. Who did so? Who unbolted that protective portal so early? What Judas lurked within, and so deftly delivered these Leliaerds to a horrible fate? The mass of armed men in the orchard... then rose as one, and before the French soldiers had a chance of reacting the wall of Flemish swords was upon them. With glory and valour the nation freed itself of her oppressors, and before the sun had reached its height the streets had been laved with the blood of tyrants. All for Flanders, and Flanders for God. "

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Leliaarts - Francophiles, collaborators, and opportunists (the dark side).Term for the supporters of the French king and French involvement in Flanders. The name is derived from the golden lilies on blue field in the French king's coat of arms. Most of these were rich patricians with trade monopolies. The opposite of Liebaarts. Liebaarts - Native Flemish nobility and burgers (the free world).The supporters of the count of Flanders were thus called. Derived from heraldry, the word means lion or leopard, and refers to the coat of arms of the count of Flanders which depicts a black lion on golden field.