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Viking Age - Important Element of Medieval History - Scandinavia and Europe: by guest author Phyllis Burns

5/31/2014

 
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 Welcome to writer Phyllis Doyle Burn's second guest article on the Carolinian's Archives. This is first of three stories about Vikings by Phyllis, with the other two to be published over the next several months on Once Upon a History. An ambitious and exciting undertaking by our guest writer that is most welcome.

Phyllis has 144 charming and informative articles on the link below, covering such topics as history, folklore/mythology, spirituality, Native American culture, poetry and much more. She also happens to be one of the most friendly, sincere,  informative and talented people I know.


Phyllis's marvelous site can be found by searching: phyllisdoyle @ HubPages

 Viking Age, 793 to 1066 ~

The Viking Age is a very important element of medieval history of Scandinavia and Europe. With the expansion the Vikings accomplished in their seafaring journeys, it opened up a large portion of Great Britain, Ireland, France, Sicily, Russia and Europe in general.

Viking! In ancient times that word struck terror in the minds of people. The Viking Age was a time of great exploration for the seafaring Norse warriors. The legends and stories of the Viking Age and their rise and fall are incredible -- whether real life, myth or folklore, they can hold one spellbound.

"Na Lochlannaigh ag teacht!" (The Vikings are coming!), was an often heard warning in ancient Ireland during the days when these seafaring warriors were exploring the world, mapping new pathways in the seas, or on a raid.

In the early history of Europe, especially Northern Europe where the Scandinavian kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden ruled, the Viking Age was the period between 793 and 1066. It was an era when the Scandinavian Norsemen expanded explorations by sea for trade, conquests, raids, and the expansion of settlements.

These Norse warriors were expert at navigating the seas. They were very knowledgeable of the stars and constellations and could easily sail at night, with the celestial bodies guiding them. Their sea voyages covered an immense area and opened a new world of trade and possibilities of claiming new lands.

PictureWikipedia.org
Who were the Vikings ?

Prior to the forced conversion to Christianity, the Norse religion had no specific name. Odin,(Old High Germanic Pagan: "Wotan"), whom they called the Allfather or the Father of Gods, was who they believed in and followed. Odin was the ruler of Asgard, the home of the AEsir (all gods). A Viking's highest honour and reward was to die with a sword in his hand and to be carried by the Valkyries to Valhalla, the majestic palace of Odin, where heroic warriors lived in the afterlife.

Archaeology has shown that the history of Vikings and their culture is much more complex than ever before realized. They were very instrumental in opening up the Old World and establishing contacts with other countries and cultures. Their way of life was unique, mystical, and geared to constant developement of the individual and the clan as a whole.

The word 'viking' originally pertained to 'seafaring warriors' or an 'expedition by sea'. It did not designate one race of people -- 'viking' was an activity, not a group of people. To go on a sea journey for whatever reason was referred to as "to go viking".

Since most, if not all, of the raids on Europe, Asia, and North Atlantic Islands by sea were warriors from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, it was these people that the term viking eventually defined -- they became Vikings in the eyes of the world. Men from the Scandinavian kingdoms were tall and large framed. They were warriors of the toughest kind yet very spiritual.

PictureWikipedia.org



Snorrie Sturluson (1179 - 1241), of Iceland, was a historian, mythographer, poet, and politician. The writings of Snorri provide so much information on the Scandinavian kings and people that without them we would have much less knowledge of the Vikings.

So, although the rest of the world saw Vikings as heathens and savages, they were intelligent and cultivated people in their natural daily life.


What drove the Vikings to raids and expansion?

As with most civilizations in ancient times, or even today, there are many reasons for expansion of settlements. Over population, politics, and religious reasons being at the top of the list.

There are many theories as to why the Vikings escalated their raids and expanding settlements. One possible reason is that they could -- they had the time, the training, the desire and the strenth in numbers to make a difference. It was a period when naval operations in western Europe was at a low and there was little organization and even less opposition. England was suffering from political and religious divisions and their defense was not up to par.

Being expert seaman, the Vikings took advantage of the opportunity to expand their world. Their swift longships, their ability to sail at night,and the many towns near navigable rivers, gave the Vikings an advantage.

The reign of Charlemagne (800 - 814) was during the Viking Age. As Charlemagne endeavored to Christianize all peoples, there were de facto entities who rebelled, causing divisions. It was no easy task for Charlemagne to keep all factions of Europe intact and cooperating. During his reign, Charlemagne campaigned hard to convert all pagans to Christianity -- often at the threat of death.  Professor Rudolf Simek,  Professor of German studies at the University of Bonn, and editor-in-chief of (i)Studia Medievalia Septentrionalia(/i), is of the belief that

"it is not a coincidence if the early Viking activity occurred during the reign of Charlemagne".

The forced conversion to Christianity that Charlemagne fought for created a lot of conflict and division in Norway -- which is a very probable reason why the Vikings fought so hard to sustain their way of life and beliefs.

Trade was of great importance to the Norsemen and when Christian British merchants refused to trade with "heathens and pagans", this put the Vikings in yet another situation which challenged and criticized their honor as trustworthy traders. Hence, increased raids for the supplies they needed.

Vikings were being pushed out of their way of life. Their own homeland of Scandinavia was at a point of over population and more land was needed for settlements. With the serious religious conflicts and divisions in Scandinavian kingdoms, Vikings looked for other places to settle, which often meant raids and conquests to gain more land.

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Wikipedia.org
Vikings in Battle

"Battle Fury", or "Battle Frenzy" was a trance-like state of a ferocious and fearless level wherein the warrior affected knew nothing but absolute power, tremendous strength, and a lust for blood-thirsty killing.

In some cases, as in the tales of Cu Chulain, even his own men would give him space during battle and would not come within his sight in order to avoid a quick and merciless death. After the battle was won, it would take several men to tackle and restrain Cu Chulain till the "battle fury" subsided.

Vikings were always ready to battle on their journeys, so were always armed. The very emotional and loud call to Odin from a warrior going into battle is very much dramatized in movies about Vikings -- yet, this is a true account of Vikings, for to call upon their god of gods, Odin, was done when the Viking warriors entered into battle. To hear such a loud call to a god by a large, powerful warrior (in fact many warriors at once) very likely put fear into their enemies.

Odin

When calling upon Odin, a Viking warrior believed he took on the powers of the god, and so became fearless. The average Viking warrior was feirce looking enough due to their size and strength. Then there was the warrior who could transform into a beastile image and state of mind. This was not just in mythology, but real life. It was yet another reason why the Vikings were so feared. Some of their greatest warriors, such as Ivar the boneless, were known to be berserkers.


What is a berserker? ~

Many great Celtic warriors in mythology, such as King Arthur, Ogier the Dane, Cu Chulain and others, would enter into what is called "battle fury" when fighting enemies. Although this attribute of superhuman strength made for good stories in mythology and movies, it is very close to the truth of real Viking warriors. The term "berserker" was given to real life Norse warriors who, when in battle, fought in an uncontrollable, trance-like fury, or frenzy, with no regard to their own safety.  In Old Norse literature (the vernacular literature of the Scandinavian peoples up to ca. 1350), berserkers are attested to from numerous sources.

It is believed that the warriors who achieved this state may have taken, or unknowingly been given, a potent herb or some substance that would induce such a state of transformation, such as the halucineogenic Amanita muscaria. This is how many Vikings fought, as if they were in an altered state of consciousness where they felt no fear or pain. Ivar Ragnarsson, referred to as 'Ivar the boneless', was a powerful leader of the Vikings. He was supposedly of great height and strength without any inducements -- in battle he was known to be a berserker and to achieve the level of "battle fury".

King Harald, grandson of Queen Asa of Agder Norway (see 'The Oseberg Ship' below), used groups of berserkers as the first to enter into battle with the enemy. In a ritual unique to them, these warriors would work themselves up into a frenzy, a rage prior to going into battle. Their actual physical appearance would change. Bulging glazed eyes, purple face caused by the blood vessels filling up and bulging on face and neck, a wild and beasty appearance overtaking them -- this was all from the rage boiling within. A band of berserkers could wipe out hundreds of enemy troops in short time because of their altered state of mind. By sending in those warriors first, Harald instilled shock and horror into the enemy, therby weakening their defense lines.

In his 'Ynglinga saga', Snorri Sturluson (1179 - 1241) wrote:

"His (Odin's) men rushed forwards without armour, were as mad as dogs or wolves, bit their shields, and were strong as bears or wild oxen, and killed people at a blow, but neither fire nor iron told upon them. This was called Berserkergang."

Hilda Ellis Davidson (1914 - 2006) was an English aniquarian whose writings focused heavily on paganism, mostly that of the Germanic and Celtic. She is known for contributing immensely to the study of Norse mythology.  Davidson wrote profusely on Norse literature, history, and mythology.

A theory that Davidson expounded on was a strong connection to the Viking berserkers and the 'Varangian Guard' of Byzantine emperor Constantine VII (AD 905 - 959). In his "Book of Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court",  Constantine VII wrote that the Norse warriors in his service (the Varangia Guard) wore animal skins and masks, which was common to the rituals performed by berserkers. The act of going berserk was known as 'berserkergang'.  Odin's special warriors, the Ulfheonar, wore wolf pelts in battle, as stated in the Volsunga saga and the Vatnsdoela saga (Haraldskvaeoi).  

In a skaldic poem of the late 9th century, Thorbiorn Hornklofi wrote what is known as the earliest mention of the word "berserker" in a description of King Harald Fairhair's berserkers:

"I'll ask of the berserks, you tasters of blood,
Those intrepid heroes, how are they treated,
Those who wade out into battle?
Wolf-skinned they are called. In battle
They bear bloody shields.
Red with blood are their spears when they come to fight.
They form a closed group.
The prince in his wisdom puts trust in such men
Who hack through enemy shields."

Warriors who survived this state of battle frenzy/fury had gone through such a profound physiological and psychological change that it left them weak and unable to function for days, much like soldiers of today who suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disoder), in which they are very vulnerable to explosive fits of rage.

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Viking Arms and Armor ~  

As mentioned earlier in the section "Vikings in battle" above: "Vikings were always ready to battle on their journeys, so were always armed."

Reference to this can be found in the Havamal (Sayings of the high one) of the Poetic Edda. The Poetic Edda is a valuable text of Old Norse poems which is preserved and protected in the manuscript Codex Regius. It is believed that the manuscript was written in the 1270s and was kept in hiding until 1643, when Bishop Brynjolfur Sveinsson of Skalholt (in the south of Iceland, at the river Hvita) somehow gained possession of it. In 1662, the Bishop gifted it to King Frederick III of Denmark, who kept it in Copenhagen until April of 1971. It is now at Reykjavik, the capital and largest city of Iceland, in the Arni Magnuson Institute.

The Codex Regius is so important to Scandinavian literature that when transferred to Reykjavik by ship, it was accompanied by a military escort. The Prose Edda, part of the Codex Regius, was attributed to Saemundr the Learned, a 12th century Icelandic priest. This manuscript and the Poetic Edda by Snorri Sturluson, are the most important extant sources for the mythology and Germanic legends.  It has had  powerful influence on Scandinavian literature since the early 19th century.

In the Havamal there is sage advice attributed to Odin, the father of gods and the god of warfare in Norse mythology. Regarding weaponry, Odin advises:

""Don't leave your weapons lying about behind your back in a field; you never know when you may need all of sudden your spear."

And in the poem Gestapattr, the first section of the Havamal, Odin give advice to the Norse when traveling and are guests at strange places:

"All the entrances, before you walk forward, you should look at, you should spy out; for you can't know for certain where enemies are sitting, ahead in the hall."

During the Viking Age, all Norse men who were free not only carried weapons at all times, but were required to. The arms each man carried were symbolic of his status in life. The wealthy man would possess a "complete ensemble" of weapons, which included his wooden shield, a spear, a battle axe or sword, and one or two javelins.  The men of most wealth would also have a helmet and other armour -- these were probably possessed by only the nobility and their best warriors.

In contrast, a farmer was limited to a spear, shield, and maybe an axe or knife of a good size. Farmers could also use their hunting bows during the beginning of a battle when still at a distance far enough to shoot their arrows.

The common Viking knife was the only weapon that all Vikings, even slaves, would carry. In burial sites, knives are found with not only men, but women and children as well. There were two types of Viking knives.

The Seax is considered a knife, but actually more like a sword or dagger. The tang, aligned with the center of the blade, was inserted into a wood or horn handle. The knife was carried horizontally in its scabbard which was attached to a belt. The edge of the blade was always upwards in the scabbard.

A smaller knife, called a "knifr", was more common. The smallest of these were used for daily utility purposes. The longer knifr was used for hunting and combat.

The Viking longsword was a symbol of high status to the owner, since the swords were very costly to make. They were used in combination with the shield in single-handed combat. They were double edged blades of up to just a little over 35 inches. These swords did not have a pronounced cross-guard. They were not unique to Vikings, for they were used by other cultures throughout Europe.

The axe was very common for Vikings, used as a tool and in combat. Some axes, called Daneaxe, were larger, with the handle and blade length being as tall as the warrior who weilded it with both hands.  The shorter handled axes were very sturdy and more common. They could be used up close or thrown by an expert warrior in such a way as to split open a head. Round shields were the most common item for a Viking and used as defense purposes. They were lightweight, of fir, alder, or poplar, and often reinforced with a leather covering and a rim of iron around the edges.

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Common Knife Wikipedia.org
PictureWikipedia.org
The Oseberg Ship ~

In 834 A.D. a Viking clinker built karv ship was interred in a burial mound in Vestfold , Norway. The ship is almost entirely oak, with elaborate detailed carving on the bow and stern.

Two archaeologists, Haakon Shetelig of Norway and Gabriel Gustafson of Sweden, excavated the mound in 1904 - 1905.  Among sever al items of artifacts was an intact cart with four wheels, very decorative and beautifully carved details on it -- the only one from the Viking age that has been found. The manner of the burial, with such fine artifacts indicates a burial of high status of two women, whose skeletons were in the ship. Since no precious metals were found, it was determined that the grave had been robbed not long after the internment.

It is believed that one of the women was of very high rank and the other was sacrificed to accompany her mistress in theafterlife journey. The high ranking woman was possibly Queen Asa who lived in Bygdoy, Norway. Testing on the remains show that the women lived in the same place as Queen Asa did. Queen Asa was the mother of Halfdan the Black and grandmother of Harald Fairhair.

The ship was very well preserved and is on display, along with the artifacts, at the Viking Ship Museum ingdoy of Oslo, Norway. The Oseberg ship is one of the most prized archaeological finds from the Viking era. The craftsmanship on it shows in great detail the master skills of the ship builders.

Lindisfarne Abbey ~

"AD. 793. This year came dreadful fore-warnings over the land of the Northumbrians, terrifying the people most woefully: these were immense sheets of light rushing through the air, and whirlwinds, and fiery dragons flying across the firmament. These tremendous tokens were soon followed by a great famine: and not long after, on the sixth day before the ides of January in the same year, the harrowing inroads of heathen men made lamentable havoc in the church of God in Holy-island (Lindisfarne), by rapine and slaughter."
- Anglo-Saxon Chronicle


On June 8, 793, England was shocked and devastated when Vikings attacked and destroyed the Lindisfarne Abbey on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Alcuin of York, a Northumbrian scholar in Charlemagne's court, wrote:

"Never before has such an atrocity been seen."

For England, this was the beginning of the Viking Age and it was a traumatic experience. For the first time, the courts of Europe were very much aware of the Viking presence. This was the most significant single event that gave the Vikings their bad and feirce reputation as "savage heathens" that lasted for centuries. It was not until the 1890s that the beautiful artistry, advanced technological skills, craftsmanship, and expert seamanhip were recognized and appreciated by scholars and archaeologists outside Scandinavia.

In this author’s opinion, the Vikings were no more or less savage than any other army of warriors who fought in ancient battles. Warriors fight for their homeland, their way of life, and for the right to survive. Vikings  have come into their own over the centuries and regained honour and respect for who they were.~ ~ ~

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Wikipedia.org

Fredericksburg: A Wall of Deadly Stone: by guest author Randy Godwin

5/1/2014

 
PictureRandy Godwin
For followers of Once Upon a History writer Randy Godwin needs no introduction.  Young men, and some women, too,  now of course, have always sought adventure, a chance to see the world , and, more often than not, a chance to test their mettle and bravery in trying conditions.


 Two Georgia  boys thinking  about enlisting during World War One, go to ask a grizzled old veteran of the Civil War battle of Fredericksburg, what it was like in war and to ask him for any advice he can share with them. What he has to reminisce on and say is not necessarily what they wanted or expected to hear, in this tale with a classic Randy Godwin twist-ending that he is so admired for in many of his fiction writes..
 
Fredericksburg was a great victory for southern forces led by General Robert E. Lee in December of 1862, largely because of Stonewall Jackson's stalwart men on the right of the six mile long Confederate line and the troops on the left who had the semi-protection of the infamous stonewall on Marye's Heights. Just over six months later, though, at the titanic struggle of Gettysburg, on its last day, the situation was reversed and the boys in blue claimed ultimate victory in the three day battle with their own defense of a deadly wall of stone in the center of their fish-hooked shaped battle line.

For any reader unfamiliar with Randy Godwin's writings it comes highly recommended they check-out the other three guest writes Randy has on Once Upon a History; and his outstanding site can be found on the net via the button below:

Randy Godwin
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The stone wall at Fredericksburg today
Memories Of War

“I don’ t really know now which was worst,” the old man said “killin’ the 
enemy, or them a killin’ me.  Not in thet woah, at least.  It was plain
murder, ye see. Me being a sure shot, astandin’ behind thet wall, an’ them
a comin’ all grouped together jest like a covey of quail. Weren’t no
chanct fer ’em, no chanct at all”.


"I kin still see their eyes across the open ground, looking scairt, as
they shoulda been. They wuz a starin' death in the face, but they came on
anyways. I had ta shoot 'em, elsewise they'd a shot me. Warn't no choice
in the matter. It was live or die, and plenty did jest that. Seemed like
more died than lived on their side, though."



Dreams Of War

 The grizzled old gentleman speaking these words was a veteran of the Civil
War, who--it was said--managed to escape many battles without losing an
arm, leg, or other bodily appendage. Rarer than you may think.

 My friend, Jim Downing, and me--me being Bobby Young--were thinking about
enlisting into the army. We wanted to see the world outside of Clear
Springs, Georgia, wanted to experience life other than looking at the
backside of a mule from sunrise to sunset.


 World War I was in progress. Just think of it, all the big guys slugging
it out, deciding the history of the world. We had read of such things of
course, but they always seemed like fairy tales in a way. We both had
turned 18 not long ago and had had enough of country life. We were ready
to see the world.


 I told Pa that Jimmy and me were thinkin’ of joinin’ up. He didn’t have a
lot to say about it at first, but I could tell he didn’t think very much
of the idea at all. Without me to help him on the farm he couldn’t take
advantage of the high prices crops would bring during the war. At least
that was part of it, anyways.


The Bargain

“Tell you what,” he said “if you and Jimmy will go on over to Mr. Douglas
Sims house Sunday afternoon and ask him what he thinks about y’all jinin’
up for this woah, I’ll give you my blessing if ’ats whut you want. I’ll
tell ’im yore a comin’ so he’ll be there awaitin’ fo ye”. I agreed and
Jimmy said it was fine with him too.


 Those next two days seemed to drag by as I walked in the plow furrows
following old Maude from one end of the hot field to the other. But
finally Sunday came. After church and the traditional Sunday meal, Jimmy
and I met at the crossroad--each of us astride our former plow mules--and
meandered over to Mr. Sims old farm house along Taylor’s Dread swamp.
We had heard tales about Mr. Douglas, of course.


He was once the best rifle shot around, they said. He fought at Fredericksburg behind the famous--or infamous, depending on which flag you rooted for--stone wall.
Yes, that one. Beside the sunken road along Marye’s Height, behind the
barrier composed of stones some say are millions of years old.


 Young men--some of the best marksmen Georgia ever produced--played hell with the oncoming soldiers in blue. But it was more than simply a war tale
to Jimmy and me. Glory and honor seemed to crouch behind the old wall,
 waiting to be shown. How wonderful it seemed to a couple of farm boys.



“
Youth And Adventure

 Mr. Sims was sitting on the porch when we rode up into the yard. “How do
boys,” he called “come on up and have a drink of iced tea, It’s a good day
fer it”. We tied the mules under a pecan tree where there was plenty of
grass to graze before we stepped up onto the porch and took a seat on the
bench next to the old man.


“So you boys is a thinking’ of headin’ off to the woah?” he asked.
“Yessir, “ both Jim and I said at almost the same time. “Dad said we had
to come over here and ask you ‘bout it first though,” I said. What do you
think about it, Mr. Sims”? This was when he told about the Union soldiers
coming at him at point blank range.


 Without even pausing to consider the question--almost as if he knew it was
coming --he began talking. His voice seemed to change a bit as he related
his memories to us. Seemed as though he was speaking in church, or at a
funeral for a family member. You know, kinda solemn like.


“Before the war I always loved to hunt the woods aroundabouts,” he began.
"I purely loved to head out fore day with one of the dawgs runnin’ ahead
o” me, asniffin’ ever patch of bushes and ahopin’ to jump a deer or rabbit
outen ’em."


 "The aroma of gunpowder smelt good to my nose, sorta like a perfume of
adventure, if you can ‘magine that.” At this his old eyes lit up a bit as
he remembered his boyhood days roaming the countryside and swamps with no
thought of battle to crease his brow.

 Mother And Motherland


 "My ma was Ireland born. She had the long red hair an’ green eyes o’ her
kin. She wanted me to go a soldierin’ for her uncle in the 24th Georgia
Infantry under Colonel Robert McMillan and his group of Irish
southerners."


 "I wuz proud to go, pleased to serve my country as well as that of my
mother. I could not say no to her. Not many could. She had a way of
lookin' at you. It was her eyes which convinced you she knew best. Or so I
believed at the time."


“When I fust jined up it was fun, sorta like campin’ out or agoin’ on a
huntin’ trip with the fellers. We had rifle shootin’ contests and all. I
showed them boys how I could shoot the eyes outen a squirrel with them
fancy rifles they give us. They wuz some other pretty fair shots in the
bunch too. But I wuz the best. I always hit whut I wuz a aimin’ fer."


 "We had a high ole time back then. There were so many purty girls just a
hangin’ round, but I knew there would be plenty of time fer them after the
woah. I didn't give much thought to settlin' down and marrin' so young.
Yep, it was quite a frolic fer awhile.”


For few moments Douglas seemed happy as he remembered his early military
days. His demeanor turned somber quickly though when he carried on with
his story. “But it ain’t like that in a battle," he continued. “At first
the day was foggy. Me an some o’ the best rifle shots in all of Georgy
were placed down behind that ole stone wall by the sunken road."


 "We were told to shoot to kill and not to let up till thuh Yankees were
arunning back the same ways they come from. We give a loud cheer to the
captain when he tole us this."


“Yassir,” we shouted as he rode off. But it wasn’t long before we obeyed
them orders he give us, it wasn’t long atall. Because around ten that
mornin’ the fog lifted. My introduction to the art of woah begun shortly
after.”

Picture
All photos via wikipedia
Behind The Old Stone Wall


“After the first fusillade by the artillery the smoke made it hard to see
fer a minute. Of course, they’re
ashootin’ at us too, ya know. But the
wall pertected us rifle shooters purty good. Our boys cut ‘em down with
the artillery first. Grape shot took out huge swaths of ‘em, like swingin’
an old wheat scythe through ripe grain, it was. But still, some of ‘em
kept acomin’ on twards us."


 "Then the captin’ gave the signal for us Georgy boys to fire at will. And
we did. I lost count of the times I bit the end off ‘em paper cartridges
and poured the powder into the barrel. My old hickory ramrod was jammed
into my rifle gun barrel so many times it was almost smolderin’ on the
end. I poured water from my canteen over the barrel from time to time to
keep it cool, but still, I burnt my hands on the hot metal.”


Douglas stopped at this point and stared off into the distance, apparently
seeing the battle as it was then. Jim and I waited patiently of course,
wondering if this was all he was going to say about the war. But he then
began loading up his pipe with fresh tobacco, tamping it down before
lighting a match and puffing solidly for a moment or two until finally, he
was satisfied the pipe was lit and burning well.


“Fore that day I hadn’t been involved in no really heavy fightin‘,” he
continued at last. “I was anxious to git some experience in battle.
Couldn’t wait, I thought.”

Picture
Picking Out Lives To End

“And then we heard some groans acomin’ from our own ranks. At first I
didn’t understand what was agoin’ on. But soon--as it always does--the
word filtered down to everyone in the ranks. The Yankee’s Irish Brigade
was lining up for an attack on our old wall next. Our leaders knew we were
thinkin’ strong about this next charge by the enemy."


 "But this was a different enemy we faced this time. Most of us had strong
ties to old Erin. We had been raised listenin’ to the brogue of our
parents and grandparents. Our kinsmen were the enemy now. But we still
fired on them when they came a runnin’ cross the open ground twards our
ole wall.”


 “I got my fill of the smell of gunpowder that day, boys. Got my fill of a
lot of smells, sounds, and sights, long before that one battle was over. I
got tard of killin’ my fellow man, got sick o’ smelling the blood and
hearing the sound of a rifle ball striking the chest of the man I was a
aiming at."


 "Got tard of hearin’ the sickenin' dull splat of my minie ball hittin’ him
across the field. Hearin' it a few seconds after he was already dead .
There was no doubt he was dead. I know my ’bility with a rifle gun. I lost
count after 20 cartridges. I spose I wanted to, cause it warn’t nothin‘ to
brag about after the fust ten."


 "It warn’t nothin at all to boast on after the fust one, for that matter.
They wuz dead when I picked ’em out of the crowd. I wuz playin’ god for
that battle. Or maybe it wuz Satan I wuz a playin’ the part of. I still
don’t know fer shore to this day.”

Picture
Recently identified photo of Union soldiers in Fredricksburg trenches 1863
A Useless Thing

 As Douglas stopped for a moment to relight his pipe, both me and Jimmy
seemed to snap out of the spell the old man had conjured up. At his point
we noticed the sky had darkened and we could hear thunder rumbling in the
distance. “Better put them mules in the barn
boys,” Mr. Sims said “it’s
gonna come a frog strangler afore long.”


After we had put the mules in a stall we headed right back to the front
porch where Douglas had refreshed our tea. This time it smelled a bit like
corn liquor, and tasted like it too. “Just a bit o’ bracer boys, mainly
for me,” he smiled for the rarest of moments before tilting back his
ancient head and emptying the glass of the amber elixir.


“Where wuz I at?” he asked trying to pick up the threads of the old
memories. “Oh yes, the smells,” he reluctantly recalled. “Now I remember
why I went in and fixed us a toddy. It helps to forgit the smells of a
battlefield some. Not all….but some."


 "Ya see, soldiers rarely mention what happens when a man dies on the field
of battle after bein’ shot all to hell. His bowels turn loose and bestows
upon a once brave young soldier the ultimate of indignities. Multiply this
by thousands of dead boys, cover it all with smoke an' dirt, add in the
sounds of cannon and rifle gun fire, the cries of the dyin', the sights of
things you’ll neer forget as long as you live, and you have the gallantry
of woah. The honah. The glory. The realization that woah is a useless
sorry thang.”

Picture
Of Children Not Born

As the rain began to fall on the old porch shingles while lightning and
thunder punctuated the words and deeds of the ancient narrator’s tale,
Jimmy and me were totally lost in the moment. Douglas had a way of making
the war come alive again. But not in the way we’d heard Civil War stories
told most of our lives. He told it real. He told it with the vengeance of
lost youth, of lost ideals, of lost faith in human kind. “Of lost dreams,”
as he finally, and so aptly, put it.


“They prolly tole you boys I 'scaped ‘thout a scratch, didn’t they?” After
we nodded our assent, Douglas suddenly stood up. A bit unsteadily because
of both his age and the corn whiskey, but still with a vigor born of pride
more than ability. He reached up and slid his suspenders off of his skinny
old shoulders and dropped his trousers and under shorts. “They lied,” he
said. “Yep, I wuz lucky alright. That ole Minie ball only caught me in a
spot which waren’t zackly life threatenin‘. At least not for me
personally, they said."


 "But my sons, daughters, grandsons, and all my once future progeny would
not fare so well. In fact, they would never fare at all.” Douglas
straightened his clothes back up and sat back down on the old pine bench.
There was sweat running down his face, mixed in with tears, and agony too
I'm quite sure now. How many times had he fought this selfsame battle in
his long lifetime? But It was never over though, was it? I can see that
now.


 He finally told of spending the rest of the war trying to recover from his
wounds, both mentally and physically. How he'd tried to come to terms
with, not only the loss of his progeny, but also the loss of those who
would not ever live because of his great talent with a rifle. He had never
fired any type of firearm since that day. “Never will again”, he said
softly.

Wounds Never Healed


After the war when he was healed--from the physical wound that is--
Douglas moved into this old cabin by the swamp. Never marrying, never
going anywhere much at all. He always had a good garden, and he made great
moonshine whiskey it was said. He lived alone because he liked to. Almost
everyone knew that.


 Only a few folks--my father for one--ever knew the truth about Mr. Sims.
Now Jimmy and me were entrusted with the secret too. I wish now I wasn’t,
though. Not that the secret would be hard for us to keep--no, not at
all--just hard to know.


 When the weather finally let up, then so did Douglas. It was as though the
storm itself was the impetus for the telling of the tale, and not simply
at the behest of the two confused boys now riding their mules home down
the muddy lane. We rode mostly in silence until we neared the crossroad.
“You still thankin’ bout joinin’ up next Friday, Jimmy?” I asked my morose
companion. “Naw,” Jimmy said “I believe I’ll be more use agrowin’ corn for
the soldiers.” As I turned my mule down the road towards home, I said to
myself quietly, “Yeah, me too.”



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