St. Crispins Day and Battle of Agincourt

[Jim Godden]

Fellow longbowmen, on this day 592 years ago a bedraggled, diseased, half starved English army achieved one of the greatest military victories of all time.
 
A force of 5700 English men-at-arms and archers under Henry V faced 22000 French men-at-arms and 3000 Genoese mercenaries.  At the end of the day the French had lost half of their nobility along with about 1850 other men-at-arms.  The English suffered 400 casualties.  
 
Some would argue that the victory was more the result of what the French did wrong more than what the English did right.  What is above argument is that key to the victory was the effective use of the simple, humble, yet powerful longbow.
 
Today is a good day for reflection for those of us who hunt, shoot, or have an interest in this ancient, timeless weapon.
 
Apologies to the ladies.  I use longbowmen generically.  Longbow-woman or longbowperson just doesn't seem right.
 
Happy St. Crispins day.
Cheers,
 
Jim Godden
Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt

[Stonedog]

Here! Here!

[Billy]

I like knowing History, but this story has escaped me.
Why,where did the battle take place?

[jeff w]

Thanks for sharing that Jim.   It is quiet a story and very interesting to read about.  

For those that would like to read a short account of this battle and others, several traditional archery retailers use to carry a book (and still may) titled  "Longbow, A Social and Military History" by Robert Hardy,  which was very interesting if you enjoy history and the longbow.

[robtattoo]

Originally posted by Billy:
I like knowing History, but this story has escaped me.
Why,where did the battle take place?

PHILISTINE!!    

One of England's most famous victories & the most comprehensive victory for the humble longbow since Crecy!

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Agincourt

[Sepp]

The Battle of Agincourt
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
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 remembered-
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 accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

-- Wm. Shakespeare, King Henry V

[Jim Godden]

Sepp, outstanding!  Done from memory?

JIM
Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt

[Sepp]

Jim
 heck no - I have the speech saved on my hard drive!

I wish I could remember that good!

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Thanks for sharing

[DaleinOhio]

Sapp,

You beat me to it!  That is my favorite passage from Shakespeare.  I wrote all my papers on that play in my Shakespeare class while working on my Masters.  I even named my six week old son Henry!

[MYSTIKBOW]

your right. I watched a history channel documentary about this battle not to long ago. their focus WAS on the deadly mistakes the French made. However they did not argue the point on how effective and deadly the longbow was.

[Curtiss Cardinal]

Hear it Well Said  

  The Next Day  
One thing I feel I must say. They do not tell us how many of the enemy is killed in the War on Terror but it would be something to feel awe over as we lose leass that 10 per 1,000 or their casualties, much less. Per chance, and let it be known I pray so very much, God doth fight with us.

[GingivitisKahn]

Well now you've done it.  I'm eating venison burritos and now I need to insert my copy of Henry V (the Kenneth Brannagh version of course).

:-D

Even if you don't like (or don't think you like) Shakespeare - this thing is a masterpiece.

[Ted Fry]

A statement like that Rob and thats all your going to say. Man he got off easy

[Curtiss Cardinal]

OK I'll come clean, I had a Theatre Minor in college. I rather like Shakespeare myself.

[Curtiss Cardinal]

69 years before Agincourt was Crecy in both battles the "flower of french nobility" was torn asunder. Both were important battles in the 100 Years War. All the French defeats during that war and at the end of Napolean's reign are perhaps the reason they as a culture are "cheese eating surrender monkeys."
My BA is in History.

[Billy]

Easy there robtatoo...    
from Normans to Nottinghamshire doth thine blood flow.... i'm more inclined towards the native battles in our old northwest territory.
Heard the speech and knew a very small bit of the play...glad to know some more.. and I know it's all in fun amongst barbarian stick benders  :D